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View Full Version : Lawrence Smart Fanned Fret 10 String #5



Chip Booth
Nov-03-2010, 7:10pm
And it's mine!!

Lawrence has been kind enough to loan me his personal 10 string instrument while this one was being built. We have talked almost daily for the last 5 or 6 months about the experience of playing it, how it sounds to the player vs. the listener, setup, neck shape, sustain, high end, low end, pop, chop, you name it we thought about it. Lawrence took all of those thoughts and created a new version of his ten string. He made quite a few changes, some minor, some significant, and the end result is an instrument that does EXACTLY what is is supposed to. He kept all of the great aspects of the earlier ten strings and tweaked it completely to achieve the results we were both looking for in this instrument. I couldn't possibly be happier, in fact it's almost too good to believe.

I have been trying to take pictures that show it off well, but I haven't been able to. Here are a couple that get in the ballpark, but the color is not quite right, and it doesn't show the true depth and richness of the wood and finish. I will keep trying... I am also working on some recordings which I hope to post soon.

If you are anything other than a bluegrass purist you owe it to yourself to try to get your hands on one of these instruments and discover the possibilities. Mine is freely availabe to anyone who is in Idaho and wants to check it out. I think Lawrence may take this one and his to Wintergrass this year, so that is another good chance to try them.

Ted Eschliman
Nov-03-2010, 10:03pm
Nice! (From a fellow fanned-fret convert)

SternART
Nov-03-2010, 11:07pm
A beauty!!!

Chris Biorkman
Nov-04-2010, 12:04am
Nice, Chip!

MandoNicity
Nov-04-2010, 12:08am
"Fanned mail from some flounder?" couldn't resist!!! ;)

JR

Ivan Kelsall
Nov-04-2010, 2:25am
Beautiful craftsmanship as you'd expect from Lawrence,but looking at those frets makes my eyes swap places !,
Ivan:disbelief:

mandopete
Nov-04-2010, 8:24am
I got to play one of these instruments as Lawrence had one with him at Wintergrass last year. It's like a mandolin and mandola all in one box. Took me a little while to get used to the fret positions and I found it worked best if you treat it like a tightrope...don't look down!

Chip Booth
Nov-04-2010, 10:11am
That's #4 in the picture above, Lawrence's personal 10 string. I was so lucky to have the chance to play it for an extended period of time and really figure out how to make good use of it. I was surprised at how easy it was to adjust to the fanned frets at first. Then a few weeks went by and I started really pushing it, playing some choro and other really demanding pieces (for me, anyway) and I discovered it wasn't quite as easy as I thought. I had some more adjusting to do, but a few more weeks passed and now many of the things that I play regularly on the 10 string are easier and smoother on it than they are on my straight fret mandolins.

Fanned fret #6 is almost finished, I've played it and it's a killer as well. Wait till you see it, it's something very different visually. I can't wait to get all three in the same room and take a few pics. Here is #4 and #5 palling around:

trevor
Nov-04-2010, 10:29am
Chip,
Is #6 mine? Black face, comma holes..

nobullmando74
Nov-04-2010, 10:47am
I'd be interested to play one. For some reason the fan fret design reminds me of a Batman villain scene. :)

Chip Booth
Nov-04-2010, 10:58am
Yes, Trevor, #6 is yours. It's been strung and it is seriously powerful! The extended scale length on yours is great, it didn't effect playability in any obvious way, and makes for a very clear and strong C string. I hope to have a chance to compare the playability a bit more but I won't be surprised if that becomes the new standard scale. Mine is the original 16" at the C. #6 still has some details to finish up I believe ( I took mine home to play before it even had a final setup, pickguard, truss rod cover, as I just couldn't stand it) and we are still waiting on cases to arrive, so I can't say when it wll ready to go but it likely won't be too long!

Nobullmando74, wait till you see Trevor's blacktop with it's deco inlay, it's the Batman to my villian.

joec
Nov-08-2010, 11:10pm
Love it!
Also, I like the "bridge-burst" that ALS snuck into the color scheme for his instrument.
Lawrence's work continues to inspire and challenge the rest of us...I can't wait to try one out.
Joe

Chip Booth
Nov-10-2010, 5:22pm
I took some better ones today.

Chip Booth
Nov-10-2010, 5:23pm
Here it is hangin' out with a few friends!

trevor
Nov-10-2010, 5:26pm
I can't wait to get my hand's on the blacktop.

Chip Booth
Nov-10-2010, 5:33pm
Just for you, Trevor:

trevor
Nov-10-2010, 5:45pm
Chip,
You are a cruel man!