View Full Version : Rosewood Mando
devonmandoman
Feb-12-2010, 2:08pm
This one took nine years to complete: house moves, new workshop, other instruments, but when it finally woke from its slumbers, it just rang!
Carved rosewood, offcuts from a friend's excursion into wonderful chairmaking (thanks Nick Chandler, now near Seville in Spain)
It's one of those things you just have to try, but I spent more time sharpening than carving
billhay4
Feb-12-2010, 2:10pm
Quite lovely, old chap. Quite.
Bill
Jill McAuley
Feb-12-2010, 3:27pm
That looks the business - well done!
Cheers,
Jill
Jim MacDaniel
Feb-12-2010, 4:03pm
Very, very nice.
BTW, is your waiting list for a new orders still 9 years? ;)
Skip Kelley
Feb-12-2010, 4:55pm
That is a beautiful mandolin! Congratulations on the completion! Now it's time to get started on the next one!
Mark Walker
Feb-12-2010, 5:13pm
Looks quite satisfactory to me! Great job! :)
brunello97
Feb-12-2010, 9:29pm
Rosewood gives me the shivers. This looks very nice. More photos, hombre! (Please.)
Mick
Ivan Kelsall
Feb-14-2010, 2:35am
That's quite delicious !. I love the matching veneer on the back of the headstock. Rosewood (along with Walnut) is one of my 2 favourite woods. I'll be down from Manchester directly to play it for several days :)) - well done,
Ivan~:>
JEStanek
Feb-14-2010, 9:09am
Very well done indeed. Nice photographs too.
Jamie
Bernie Daniel
Feb-14-2010, 11:35am
devonmandoman: It's one of those things you just have to try, but I spent more time sharpening than carving
Simply lovely mandolin -- I'd sure like to hear it live -- I'd gladly settle for a sound file! :)
I assume the quote refers to the fact that the rosewood was much harder and there require more tool maintenance with respect to carving? How about the sides was the bending more difficult too?
How would you describe the sound compared to maple?
billkilpatrick
Feb-14-2010, 1:39pm
bellissima! complimenti - big time!
the neck looks unvarnished - is it?
John Kelly
Feb-14-2010, 3:04pm
Superb-looking instrument you have made, Devonmandoman. Is the top carved spruce? I can see the rosewood back and sides and the carved back, but the top looks very light for rosewood, though I have built four instruments using Phillipino rosewood acquired from a woodworking colleague and it is lighter in hue than Indian and other varieties. I have not tried a carved mando yet, but your pix certainly whet the appetite!
devonmandoman
Feb-15-2010, 9:13am
Thanks for the replies
The top is bearclaw spruce from Italy
Headstock veneer is Yew, with rosewood counter veneer on fiddleback sycamore neck.
It is hand lacquered, with a little pigment shading on the neck and sunburst.
Binding is maple and ebony.
The rosewood bent nicely, it is cut on the quarter, but boy did it give tool steel a headache! Maybe the piece of Walnut left over from onather project.....
I'm hoping to start wiring new workshop soon to be complete before summer, then I can get out to create some more (in between work, of course), so definitely NOT 9 years!
Results like that make me jealous of all of you folks who have the dexterity and knowledge to build. I can understand how building a beautiful mandolin can be as satisfying an activity as playing the dern thing.
Unfortunately my genetic inheritance included several extra thumbs, giving the word opposable all new meanings.