Labraid lviii

[labraid]

http://labraid.ca/images/58ss/1.jpg
I talk to the lady with the steel gray eyes
While the sun is going down
And we talk of the things that we wish to know
But she's really not around
http://labraid.ca/images/58ss/2.jpg
And the sunset on the mountain is the same colour
As her cascade chestnut hair
And now loving is in living
For forgetting your past
So now why the distant stare
http://labraid.ca/images/58ss/3.jpg
Could it be there is someone who remains in her heart
And she cares

[labraid]

http://labraid.ca/images/58ss/4.jpg
And the ice of her kisses lingers on and on
And the image of her body live
Yet you walked on black sand by the sea's turmoil
In the dark of a velvet night
http://labraid.ca/images/58ss/5.jpg
Then you sat down and gave your hands to be kissed and loved
Could not you hear a gentle sigh
And by the stars part control of your wandering life
Do you believe in not telling lies
http://labraid.ca/images/58ss/6.jpg
But it was good that you were warm on your way back home
Short love, goodbye

"Steel Eyes", Shawn Phillips

[Chris Travers]

Beautiful!

[Austin Clark]

Really nice, Brian. Those tailpieces came out great. I assume that is one of the ones you are making?

[Chris Biorkman]

Very pretty. Love the tailpiece.

[mandolirius]

Boy, do I want that!

[atetone]

Yes, very nice tailpiece, and I think I see a zero fret!
That is unusual these days.
Brian, can you fill us in a bit on the whys about the zero fret and what you think of it?

[MandoSquirrel]

Looking good, as always. Looking forward to seeing Michael's(MLT),as well. Saw a nice soundhole pic of that one!

[Jim Garber]

Beautiful work, as usual, Brian. Interesting... I wonder what effect the longer, almost violin-like tailpiece has one the tone.

As for zero-fret: I would think that it would even out the tone from fretted notes to open since all are bound by a metal fret.

I look fwd to hearing Brian's reasoning.

[Steve-o]

Magnifique! Beautiful lines, very artful. I'd love to hear how it sounds.

[JEStanek]

Yowsa! Wonderful, Brian. Very well executed. I particularly like the headstock inlay.

Jamie

[labraid]

Austin: Yes they are. This is the second version in metal, the first were in ebony and two broke after some time in the players' hands. No more o' that.

Lirius: You can't handle 'dat. ;) kidding, she's going to Gruhn's. I invite anyone out to try her, I won't be posting any of my mediocre sound files. The sound is very unique, and I think anyone who likes novel tone will be interested in this uniquely graduated instrument. It's very different from standard ovals.

Atetone: I don't think much of the zero fret.. That's a plus, because one shouldn't fret over nut material. As Jim stated quite correctly... well, read what he said. A "nut", per se, is a vestigial structure stemming from unfretted instruments like the violin. Once you have frets, and you stop thinking "what did Loar do", it only makes sense to have the nut of the same material, size, profile, density, etc, as all the other places where tone comes from down the fretboard. Zero fret equals constancy.

Jim: I remember calculus, and doing center of gravity measures in physics, with all those fine root equations and such... And now you've just got me plain down. ha! No, it's all about weight, yes, and its placement. But I look at one measure in this regard: does my instrument balance between the 12th and 15th fret. If I can hold the instrument by the fretboard there, and have the scales of justice do me right...... Well, Golden Age designers worked off of similar principles, I believe, and truly their ideas of "balance" were more than the lower-case version of "universal". Short, a balanced instrument is one factor closer to being a wonderful player. Far from the only factor, it's one of many on my shortlist. This tailpiece weighs 45 grams. Job's Tears weigh 38 grams. Most JT instruments balance perfectly at the 12th, this one at the 14th or so.

Steve-o: I hope someone with gifted hands gets her and sends me some ditties. I kid not that she is a gem.... All I can say for now.

Thanks so much, everyone.

[mandolirius]

<It's very different from standard ovals.>

Now I'm really curious (not just dolirius). How does its sound differ?

[Mark Walker]

Brian - Beautiful and innovative work! I like it! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Hans]

Beautiful Brian...very organic looking! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Top and back are?

[labraid]

Geez, I was high on wine last night, hehe. Funny demeanor, sorry. ;) Gotta celebrate some times, http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif it was such a perfect country evening up here too...

Hans, organic? For me this was a leap into edgy futurism! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif The top is Carp from Old World, the back is some old maple I picked up from a guy in BC. Kinda "old" like when the center of the wood is the color of rare meat, and the outside is an old sunburnt grey. I don't know much about it, but it has charm. It required color, more or less.

Hmmm, how is the tone different. There is something very f-hole reminiscent in the sound, but with a sweet, rounded, clean edge. The notes sort of fly off the pick to capacity, rather than hesitating, and with a light touch that does not need to be multiplied. And while much of the lower notes on the fretboard sound very "oval", much of the mid range, especially the A string, could almost be confused for a dry, f-holer. You could almost say the same for the high highs, but those are always very difficult to judge concretely. I would lean sightly towards "classical" to describe them.
Those characteristic slides you hear in slower bluegrass solos, work very well on this instrument.

To put all of this into perspective, though, yesterday was her first with strings. I look forward to hearing from folks who meet her in time, and their comments...

[MLT]

Brian~

LVIII Looks fabulous. #I wish I could get to Gruhn's just to play her. #But, since I can't I also will look forward with anticipation to hearing (pun?) how members of the Cafe who do get to play her feel. #I also love the wine, both to drink and the color you chose for the sides, back, and neck. #

Congratulations!

P.S. MandoSquirell--Pictures of Labriad LVI will be coming soon.

[Hans]

Brian, I was referring to the colors of the wood, the marquetry, and the wood binding...lovely! As far as stepping into the unknown, #jump right in! It's a shallow pool. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Andrew DeMarco]

Holy #### the construction seems flawless, the colors stunning~!

[Don Grieser]

Looks like a beautiful sculpture you can make music with. Just stunning. Keep pushing the boundaries. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[james condino]

Sweet tailpiece!!! Can I get one of those?

j.
www.condino.com

[JeffD]

I think its neat that though its an oval hole, the design on the head stock looks like a treble side f hole.

[labraid]

James: Yes you can. This is one version of the "Violette", the other has a different backer and hole arrangement. I'll show you when I get some polished up this week.

Jeff: Yes, it is funny that I build so few f-hole models, yet my main symbol evolved into this stylized "l" which really has no relation to the "f" -- not that I'd intended in any case. It began as a much wider design of a "paned, diamond window", which I had described as a window "into the past". It quickly slimmed down into this shape, yet keeps much of its symbolism for me, if only thanks to its evolution.

[Stephanie Reiser]

Stunningly beautiful instrument, great photography,
great poetry. What more could someone ask for?

[Jake Wildwood]

-Yum-

[B. T. Walker]

Beautiful! very nicely done. <drool> Love the back.

[Gavin Baird]

Brian,
I totally agree with your concept of the zero fret..Great work...Gavin