View Full Version : My own new hamlett
sunburst
May-05-2008, 5:59pm
Just strung it up!
Red spruce, sugar maple, experimental oil varnish finish process. I hadn't used these stains before (Stewmac ColorTone) or this varnish process, so I experimented on this one since I wasn't making it for someone else.
sunburst
May-05-2008, 6:01pm
The back...
Chris Biorkman
May-05-2008, 6:02pm
Nice and clean. Great job!
sunburst
May-05-2008, 6:03pm
The top...
sunburst
May-05-2008, 6:05pm
Peghead...
Spruce
May-05-2008, 6:06pm
Nice look in the colorations, John...
Beautiful work....
sunburst
May-05-2008, 6:09pm
Hopefully, I'm keeping this one so I have one to show people!
Glassweb
May-05-2008, 6:09pm
Beautiful, tasteful, elegant... that's a great-looking mandolin! Congratulations John...
Ken Olmstead
May-05-2008, 6:13pm
Yeah, that's outstanding!!
Bill Snyder
May-05-2008, 6:24pm
I really like that.
craigw
May-05-2008, 6:38pm
Stunning, elegant, impeccible! Now it's time to wipe the drool of the keyboard. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
BlueMountain
May-05-2008, 7:13pm
John, that's as close to perfect as I've ever seen. Great work! (And I'm congratulating myself because I have some of that stain sitting right here, and I haven't tried it yet.)
Remind us again of how you do your staining. Bare wood or over shellac? Wipe the back with solvent after the base stains?
Lane Pryce
May-05-2008, 7:15pm
Very tasteful John. I'm sure it has the Hamlett knock to go with a killa sound. Well done. Lp
Gutbucket
May-05-2008, 7:17pm
How did you like working with the new varnish process? I have a friend who is a luthier and he would like to try it.
surfandstrum
May-05-2008, 7:22pm
That is a beautiful piece of mandolin art there...
red7flag
May-05-2008, 7:41pm
Bout as nice coloration as it goes. Great job.
Tony
Glassweb
May-05-2008, 8:14pm
Hopefully, I'm keeping this one so I have one to show people!
Are you kidding? No one's gonna let you keep this beauty! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Skip Kelley
May-05-2008, 8:15pm
John, That is absolutely perfect!!
sunburst
May-05-2008, 8:25pm
Remind us again of how you do your staining. Bare wood or over shellac? Wipe the back with solvent after the base stains?
Bare wood, rub the whole thing with yellow and/or amber, come in from the edge rubbing medium brown, blending into the yellow, come in from the edge with a dark brown, blending into the medium brown, correct the color as necessary with washes of primary colors, airbrush the very edge next to the binding, seal with shellac, scrape the bindings, apply the finish.
At least that's how this one (as most of mine) was done, the next one after this has an airbrushed 'burst.
Flowerpot
May-05-2008, 8:26pm
Killer sunburst, Sunburst.
Gonna have that one at Maury River? Man, I'd love to hear it...
bradeinhorn
May-05-2008, 8:29pm
yesssssssssssirrrrr!
sunburst
May-05-2008, 8:34pm
How did you like working with the new varnish process? I have a friend who is a luthier and he would like to try it.
This one is Behlen's Rockhard with a TruOil top coat. I'd never done it before, so I made some mistakes and spent more time with it than I would have if I'd known what I was doing. I think I figured some things out in the process though, and I think it will be faster and easier if I do it again.
I've used Behlen's varnish before, but only with no top coat or with shellac top coat. The TruOil seems to be pretty "cheap and easy", but it makes a nice looking, thin finish.
Flowerpot, I just got some $$ from a customer, so I might be able to afford to put the exhaust system on the F-250 and drag the camper to BV this year. If I make it, I'll have the mando with me.
fwoompf
May-05-2008, 8:52pm
That is crazy crazy crazy beautiful.
Glassweb
May-05-2008, 9:14pm
And let's give John extra points and praise for so tastefully handling the fingerboard extension. You gonna tell me that this doesn't look better than the scalloped "black tongue" extension? Thank god somebody gets it!
JEStanek
May-05-2008, 9:16pm
Lovely, John. Just lovely.
Jamie
pickinNgrinnin
May-05-2008, 9:27pm
Ditto on the coloration. Great looking scroll too. Good luck keeping this one http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
That is a beautiful sunburst. It's probably my all-time favorite. I also love the "string organizer".
B. T. Walker
May-05-2008, 9:40pm
Stunningly beautiful. Really very nice.
Crowder
May-05-2008, 9:49pm
Very pretty. I like that you can really get a sense for the character of the top wood.
Jim Rowland
May-05-2008, 10:16pm
Just SO fine,John! Wonderful,wonderful.
Jim
Gary Alter
May-05-2008, 10:55pm
Mighty nice looking mandolin there John,
hope I get a chance to pick on it next time I'm down your way.
Gary
wannabethile
May-05-2008, 11:06pm
boy, oh boy. that is the epitome of the perfect F-style to me. great job!!
jnation
May-06-2008, 12:25am
John, Let me give you some money for the beautiful mando and you can add it to the new exhaust system money. Joe
Gail Hester
May-06-2008, 12:56am
Awesome John, that's just some really beautiful work.
Very nice John! Good luck hangin' on to it...the vultures are already gathering... #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Stephanie Reiser
May-06-2008, 5:21am
Wonderfully clean work, crisp perfect scrolls, beautiful and tasteful colors. Love that tailpiece.
Very nice John, you nailed the colors
kyblue
May-06-2008, 7:25am
Amazing, as usual.
Paula http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Kirk Albrecht
May-06-2008, 8:03am
That is one beautiful sunburst, John. I love the subtle gradations to the tones you achieve. Thst is my ultimate sunburst look.
I hope it will give you as much pleasure playing it as making it and showing it to us!
salleyann
May-06-2008, 8:03am
JOHN,
IF YOU STILL HAVE IT IN OCTOBER, PLEASE,PLEASE BRING IT AND SOME OF YOUR TAILPIECES TO IBMA!
Michael Gowell
May-06-2008, 8:39am
Ah, so that wonderful new tailpiece is your original work? #Fabulous, it really is a positive addition to the F-5 design.
Kevin Briggs
May-06-2008, 9:02am
Dang, man. Awesome.
Gorgeous lines (scroll ridge especially), color, wood, inlay, everything. #Wish I could pick it up and play it, I'm dying to hear how it sounds.
oldwave maker
May-06-2008, 9:47am
Ow! thats just how I'da made it too! That tru-oil over rockhard over rubbed colortone glow is my favorite, its somethin' ellis altogether!
sunburst
May-06-2008, 10:04am
...its somethin' ellis altogether!
Yep, of coarse that's where I got the idea. I called Tom and he gave me the phone# of the guy (Josh) who does his finishes. Josh told me how he does it and I tried it the same way, but it didn't quite work for me, so that's when the major experimenting began. I didn't know TruOil could be brought to a mirror gloss, but I can read the wattage of light bulbs reflected in this thing. (Actually, I can count the curls in the compact fluorescents I have in the lamps in the shop now.)
Thanks for the complements everyone! This thing sounded good to me when I still only had 4 strings on it setting it up. With all 8, I thought it had about the best brand new sound of any mandolin I've built. It's still settling and changing, but I like the sound very well so far. A couple of friends stopped by a couple of hours after it was strung up, the owners of #6 and #13, and both of them liked it a lot.
cooper4205
May-06-2008, 10:08am
nice work, John. I love your scrolls, they look sort of H5-ish (to me, anyway)
woodwizard
May-06-2008, 10:08am
Absolutely beautiful. It's gonna be hard for you to hold on to thaten' And I bet it will be also hard to to let it go.
sgarrity
May-06-2008, 10:13am
One of my pickin buddies has a Hamlett A5. If this F5 aounds anything like it....it's a good'n! I hope I run into ya over the summer sometime
sunburst
May-06-2008, 10:16am
nice work, John. I love your scrolls, they look sort of H5-ish (to me, anyway)
They are a little more toward the H5 scroll shape. I always liked the HS scrolls batter than the mandolin scrolls.
You can count yourself in with David Grisman, he noticed that too. In fact, I think it was the first thing he noticed when he saw one of my mandos.
Shaun, would that be Joe's mando you're speaking of? This one is a little more responsive, and probably balances a little more toward bass. The arches of the plates are a little different on this one.
amowry
May-06-2008, 10:23am
Whooeee! That looks incredible.
Gavin Baird
May-06-2008, 10:31am
John,
A great colour and beautifull scroll.gavin
sgarrity
May-06-2008, 10:34am
Yep it's Joe's A5 I was talking about. That thing packs a lot of punch.
Scotti Adams
May-06-2008, 10:56am
Absolutley stunning. I love the color. Great Job John!
Austin Clark
May-07-2008, 3:26pm
That is beautiful work, John.
Mark Walker
May-07-2008, 5:26pm
Can't add anything at all to what's already been said!
Fine job! Great looking mandolin in all respects! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
cooper4205
May-07-2008, 7:44pm
nice work, John. I love your scrolls, they look sort of H5-ish (to me, anyway)
They are a little more toward the H5 scroll shape. I always liked the HS scrolls batter than the mandolin scrolls.
You can count yourself in with David Grisman, he noticed that too. In fact, I think it was the first thing he noticed when he saw one of my mandos.
I knew I wasn't seeing things! At first I didn't care for the H5's scroll, but its elegance has definitely grown on me now. Once again, top notch work.
Adam Tracksler
May-08-2008, 5:13pm
I may be biased, being a Hamlett Man, but this is stunning. I think this is your (Second) (grin) best yet!
John is definately thinking out of the box and building upon the mandolin, and moving it forward.
Great Job!
Steve Davis
May-08-2008, 6:11pm
I've seen Adam's mandolin and we've jammed together on occasion at Acoustic Outfitters and it is indeed another fine piece of work. The pine cone inlay is a nice touch. I'd certainly be happy to have my own Hamlett some day. The new one is beautiful. Hopefully you will be able to hold on to it for yourself John. I wish I was in a position to commission one for myself but alas it doesn't look likely this year.
Dan Voight
May-08-2008, 6:57pm
Bravo. Very inspiring. I'm going to get up off my butt and go build http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Michael Lewis
May-09-2008, 1:57am
Right in there, John! You know you have what it takes to make them, we will find out if you have what it takes to keep it.
MAS: "My oh my, John, that is some purty mandolin How much do you want for it?"
John: "Well, it ain't for sale. I'm keepin' this one".
MAS: "Well, how much would you want if you WERE goin' to sell it?"
John: "Well, if I were to make you one it would be a lot of money to make one like this".
MAS: "Well, how much money would that be?"
John: "Oh, I'd have to think about that for a while. I'm not sure I can make another one just like this one."
MAS: "Well, John, you gotta tell me what it will cost for me to get that mandolin. It's so right looking and sounds just wonderful, I really want that mandolin."
John: "Like I told you before, this one ain't for sale, and I'm not gonna sell it neither."
MAS: "John, yer frustratin' me here. I know you can make another one just as good, but I can't wait for that long. Here, I will write you a check and you fill in the numbers."
John: http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
So, John, what you gonna do?
Gibsonman
May-09-2008, 6:18am
John it's great in all ways. Love the color.
sunburst
May-09-2008, 7:19am
Michael, did you make that story up or is that from personal experience?? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Mark Walker
May-09-2008, 9:22am
Michael - Sounds like quite the discussion. Now you'll have to create a three-way between 'Me, Myself, and I!' http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
That Hamlett is another example of extreme MAS stimulation!
Jim Kasperson
May-09-2008, 9:32am
When you first posted it I noticed the finish and the scroll(both fntastic). Now looking at it again I noticed the top wood. That is a beautiful instrument.
Kasper
sunburst
May-09-2008, 9:46am
That top wood, by the way, is excellent wood, but it has some serious brown streaking and blue mold in the sapwood area. That's how it ended up in my mando and not in an ordered instrument. The 'burst covers all the "off" color in the wood completely, but it would have made an "ugly" blonde. The back has a brown color "defect" too that is also invisible under the stain.
Jonathan James
May-09-2008, 10:19am
...
islandtime
May-09-2008, 10:53am
I was one of just two lucky people who got a chance to play this new beauty several hours after John strung her up. #I can say, without hesitation, that the only thing more impressive than its looks is the sound. #Very complex...and seemingly wide open right away. #I have my own Hamlett (#13) and tried switching them out while John wasn't looking but I think he would have noticed me leaving with that fine Washburn case that he currently has it in. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Awesome work, John. #They keep gettin' better...
man dough nollij
May-09-2008, 3:30pm
What do you mean by H5 type scroll. I like the look of it, but I can't really see how it's different from a regular F5 type scroll. Is it smaller?
sunburst
May-09-2008, 4:32pm
I looked in the archives for a while and found this one (http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/show_mando.pl?237).
My mandolin scrolls aren't like the H5 scrolls, but are similar in that there is a taper, or convergence of the scroll from where it leaves the body all the way to the button. A typical F5 scroll will get narrower as it leaves the body, then get wider as it goes around the curve, then narrower again as it goes to the button.
Bill Halsey
May-10-2008, 12:18am
John, right back atcha, man... gawjus! Congratulations on raising the bar another notch!
Timbofood
May-13-2008, 11:46am
I am completely awestruck by the talent consistently dangled in front of my drooling face! All Y'all seem to have such widespread design, aesthetic, construction, taste and talent. I need more money! I'd just be buyin' one of each!
Jim Rowland
May-14-2008, 8:02pm
John,I'm pretty sure I saw one of your Hamlett F-5 mandos on Jubilee tonight. A young fellow named Andy Thacker was playing with a group whose name I didn't catch (came in late). It sure sounded fine regardless of who made it.
Jim
sunburst
May-14-2008, 11:56pm
Probably playing with Adrienne Young. Yep, Andy can make a mandolin sound pretty good! He will be an instructor at the academy at Rocky Grass this year. I'm building him another mando "as we speak".
david blair
May-19-2008, 1:49am
Just beautiful. The staining looks perfect. Please post a sound clip for us.
Michael Lewis- You are so funny sometimes! Your post reminded me about word for word of a conversation I once had in front of your booth with the late Cliff Sargent. He wasn't about to let go of that Loar copy. I often think of that day, and meeting Cliff.
Flowerpot
Jun-23-2008, 4:22pm
I got to try this mando out over the weekend at a festival in VA. It's a great instrument! Plenty of punch and power, and has one of the most active backs I've ever felt -- feels like the back wood is going to jump off the rim. It's got that dry bluegrass tone, well balanced, but typical of red spruce it needs some time to break in. I tried to do my part in that regard (hope I didn't get it too dirty). Thanks, John, and hope I get a chance to pick on it again.