old beast re-finished

[Ron McMillan]

I took the plunge and had the badly-scarred top of my unknown-maker late-seventies Japanese F5 copy refinished here in Bangkok. When I got the instrument, there was a badly repaired crack at the bass f-hole, unsightly damage where a pickguard used to be attached, and some other ugliness from a previous repair accident that left superglue runs on the top.

I'm delighted with the quality of work - and the price was astonishingly cheap. I have a trip to the UK coming up, and I will return with a new nut, Cumberland Acoustic bridge, and EVO Gold fretwire. Then the same luthier, Shane at Aliceia Guitars here in Bangkok, will be asked to continue the good work.

Aliceia Guitars Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/aliceiaguitar?ref=ts)

ron

[Tavy]

That's one beautiful looking instrument now - congratulations!

[F-2 Dave]

That looks great, Ron!

[Ron McMillan]

Thanks, Tavy, thanks Dave - of course it didn't cost eleventy thousand dollars, isn't signed by someone famous and hasn't got a Big Name brand attached, so it's difficult for people to get excited about it, but I'm really delighted with the work done.

I took Tavy's earlier advice on fretwire size, and ordered EVO Gold wire to be delivered to Scotland for me to pick up when I'm there later this month; combine a re-fret with a new TUSQ nut (also ordered), possibly a Cumberland Acoustic bridge and maybe a replacement for the shabby old tailpiece, and she'll be good as new, almost. The luthier does such good work, and prices are so cheap here, that if I end up having both the top and back refinished, fretboard re-fretted, nut replaced, Cumberland Acoustic bridge and new tailpiece put on, I'll be out of pocket, all in, just over $200, materials and luthier work included. With the total re-furbish that cheap, I might have to look at a pick up while I'm at it. Hmmmm. Fishman? LRBaggs? Others?


ron

p.s. it also sounds wonderful. A good friend who knows a lot more than I do about these matters said it is entirely possible for the sound to be spoiled by a bad re-finish job. Whatever Shane at Aliceia Guitars did, it surely didn't spoil the sound - and might well have improved it.

[Denny Gies]

Nice job, how does it sound now?

[Ron McMillan]

Hi Denny. It sounds clean and fresh and loud and full of tone and with bags of sustain. I have no idea if I'm imagining it, but it might sound better than before, and back then it was already a good-sounding instrument.

ron

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

The mandolin looks great Ron, and your luthier definitely did a great job refinishing it. With the planned improvements (new frets, bridge etc), I think the mandolin will most likely be better than 'The Loar' that you are hankering after. As for a pickup, I would suggest you look at K&K and its internal twin head piezo system. It's very affordable, easily installed inside the mandolin and out of the way, works well and sounds great.

[Tavy]

I took Tavy's earlier advice on fretwire size, and ordered EVO Gold wire to be delivered to Scotland for me to pick up when I'm there later this month; combine a re-fret with a new TUSQ nut (also ordered), possibly a Cumberland Acoustic bridge and maybe a replacement for the shabby old tailpiece, and she'll be good as new, almost. The luthier does such good work, and prices are so cheap here, that if I end up having both the top and back refinished, fretboard re-fretted, nut replaced, Cumberland Acoustic bridge and new tailpiece put on, I'll be out of pocket, all in, just over $200, materials and luthier work included. With the total re-furbish that cheap, I might have to look at a pick up while I'm at it. Hmmmm. Fishman? LRBaggs? Others?

The consensus around here seems to be that (unbleached) bone nuts are better than synthetics. I would expect your local luthier to be able to source some decent animal bone for you? Re: pickup, I've used the Shadow bridge-pickup to good effect on my Eastman, but the consensus around here seems to be for the K&K twinspots.


p.s. it also sounds wonderful. A good friend who knows a lot more than I do about these matters said it is entirely possible for the sound to be spoiled by a bad re-finish job. Whatever Shane at Aliceia Guitars did, it surely didn't spoil the sound - and might well have improved it.

Nod: if the original finish was too thick and the replacement is thinner, then yes it should sound better. It's all a question of getting the finish as thin as possible without burning through when rubbing back!

HTH, John.

[LateBloomer]

That is really beautiful! Love the price too! Glad you can enjoy your instrument even more now!