New Mandolin Armrests!

[Mandolin Mick]

I had Doug Edwards design 2 McClung armrests for my Gibson mandolins. He did a wonderful job! :)

The armrests are very helpful since I've been playing these 3-6 hour shifts at the Salvation Army Kettle. They keep the edge from digging into my arm and keep my arm from muting the instrument; increasing volume. :mandosmiley:

[nickster60]

Those are really nice where can I get one or even two

[Mandolin Mick]

The website is hillcountrystringworks.com

If you call Doug on the phone he answers and is easy to work with. I told him what I wanted and exceeded my expectations. I sent him pictures of the diamond inlays on my Gibson A model and he designed it according to that. The flowerpot is obviously from the Gibson headstock. You won't be disappointed! :mandosmiley:

[John Eischen]

I like 'em, comfort and elegance

[Markus]

It's good to know he's full of good ideas ... an armrest is tempting, but with a `quartz' breedlove [the plain blonde wood finish] I've been going in circles trying to figure what wood/color to go with.

Perhaps I'll give him a call, he's been through this more times than I have.

[Mandolin Mick]

He can do one in a blonde finish.:)

[Tom Wright]

Violin chinrests typically match the tailpiece and peg wood material. Lacking those, a blonde mandolin looks good with the armrest matching the fingerboard wood, rosewood or ebony.

[Ed Goist]

Very nice!
I am a convert to armrests, and like so many converts I am evangelical about them!
They make a HUGE difference for me: better sound out of the mandolin, much easier to play for a long period of time, and most surprisingly, they have helped considerably with my newbie right hand mandolin technique (especially on tremolo!).

[Salty Dog]

I have Doug's armrests on both of my BRWs and I love them. You will also find that in the summertime when your right arm is nice and sweaty, it will stay in place better on the armrest instead of slipping and sliding on the mandolin top.

[Ed Goist]

The website is hillcountrystringworks.com ...snip...

What a great website. Lots to see there, and plenty of good music files to listen to. Thanks for the link!

[Ron McMillan]

Hmmm, now you have me thinking, too. It didn't occur to me that there might be benefits regarding 'unmuting' the volume by taking the arm off the body of the instrument. Is this an effect that there is agreement on, or is it another of the imponderables that draws polarised views, both supportive and dismissive?

ron

[Mandolin Mick]

You can do a quick experiment and decide for yourself ... play something you normally play in your normal sitting or standing position. Play the lick or piece with your arm on the mandolin and do it at the same attack on the strings with your arm off the instrument ... ;)

[Malcolm G.]

Mr. Edwards does beautiful work - I'm a big fan.

[pickloser]

Is he lining the metal parts that contact the edge of the mandolin with cork or leather now?

[Doug Edwards]

Thanks for all the kind words, I just try to do my best. Currently I use a suede leather on the bottom of the armrest secured with a white glue, much better performance.

I'm working pretty slow these days due to work overload and more recently a shoulder injury. I slipped and fell while fishing a couple weeks ago. Still hurts enough to wake me up at night.

Here's Ted E's rosewood armrest in progress. Hard to beat that gold MOP and rosewood look.

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[Tracy Fleck]

I recently got a honey colored curly maple for my blonde Breedlove - it looks beautiful on it. I haven't noticed any change with the sound - I don't think I usually put any pressure on the top when playing. It sure makes it more comfortable due to the large cut back on the Breedloves.

[Rob Gerety]

Here is a shot of mine - I love it. The best thing is it keeps the sweat off the top of the mandolin.

[Ed Goist]

Really nice Rob...Love the Howling Wolf silhouette...Perfect for blues? :) ...Also I really like the grain lines, the sunburst, and the rosette on your mandolin.

[Salty Dog]

I am guessing that pickloser asked about the material between the metal and the mandolin because he is concerned about chemical reaction with the mandolin finish. The short answer is that probably any material Doug chooses will have some effect over the long term. Cork and traditionally tanned leather are both based on tree bark so I would think the amount of tannic acid might eventually cause some reaction with the finish. The alternative leather tanning technique is with chrome based acids ("chrome tanned") and I would suppose might also cause some long term reaction. I am not a chemist but I have read that it is a bad idea to leave leather straps in direct contact with the instrument finish because of the acidic nature of the leather. I don't personally worry about that as I love Doug's arm rests and regard them as permanently attached to my mandolins and the cost of playing and enjoying them is some wear and tear, and exposure to toxic environmental issues. If anyone has any information about the long term reaction of cork or leather with the mandolin finish(es), I'm sure it would be of general interest.

[Michael Richmond]

Is he lining the metal parts that contact the edge of the mandolin with cork or leather now?

I got a McClung in mid-August, 2010. Lining on the underside of the wood is leather, the lining on the underside of the metal (at the rear of the mandolin) is cork.

[Doug Edwards]

Just finishing up on a couple inlaid McClungs. The one I have shown as "Doc" I show going out to Sam Babbit, however I've lost his contact information. If anyone knows him, please have him contact me.

It's been tough the last month. I've been behind and the shoulder injury three weeks ago has really slowed me down. The good news is my doctor told me this week it should start getting better in three to four weeks. And yes it does hurt playing mandolin. :(

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[Jim DeSalvio]

Once you get used to playing with one of Doug's armrests, you will not want to play a mandolin without one. In some cases, you can get away with not using a strap. I just ordered number 4!

[Elliot Luber]

I agree. I've got one on my acoustic mandolin, and hope to add one to my electric at some point.

[Ted Eschliman]

Here's Ted E's rosewood armrest in progress. Hard to beat that gold MOP and rosewood look.

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Used it performing on my Clark JM this morning. Looks great and feels very comfortable. It's my third one. Highly recommend Doug's work!

[Doug Edwards]

Thanks to whomever let Sam know about his armrest. Is this a great Forum or what?

[tcapps]

[QUOTE=Markus;856497]It's good to know he's full of good ideas ... an armrest is tempting, but with a `quartz' breedlove [the plain blonde wood finish] I've been going in circles trying to figure what wood/color to go with.

Markus, I had the same thoughts on my natural Weber A and ended up trusting Doug's eye. He nailed the armrest/mandolin match perfectly. Of course , I was able to take the mandolin into his shop and he was able to select the best match. Really have had a lot of compliments on it, both for the color match and function. I think I would have been happy with ebony to match my fretboard and to contrast with the body, but when he matched the finish perfectly, I was really pleased. At his prices you could get two --a contrast if you are feeling wild or put on a match/blend for when you are in a low key mood. LOL Just kidding, I was having the same problem making up my mind so I can fully understand your dilemma.

[Ed Goist]

...snip...
It's good to know he's full of good ideas ... an armrest is tempting, but with a `quartz' breedlove [the plain blonde wood finish] I've been going in circles trying to figure what wood/color to go with.
...snip...


It's hard to go wrong when the wood used to make the armrest matches the wood used on the fretboard and peghead veneer of the mandolin (regardless of the color scheme used on the body)...
Well, that what I think anyway...:)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs366.snc4/44883_1642380621872_1307520521_31741418_119740_n.j pg

BTW, it's Cocobolo in this case.

Markus, with this in mind, I bet an Ebony armrest would look great on your Breedlove.

[BBK]

Most mandolin players I see do not use an arm rest, but they sure look great and if they take that sharp edge off the players forearm, then they really serve a useful purpose. I agree that anything in contact with the surface of the mandolin will (over time) tend to mar the finish at the contact point.

I have a varnish mandolin and since varnish is much softer than lacquer, my question is "would the clamp tend to damage the finish of varnish more severly than lacquer?" I know for some this is not an issue as the arm rest is never removed. Second question, "do the arm rests stay on permanently, or are they removed after playing?"

I am tempted to get one but I don't want the finish harmed.

thanks.......

[jasona]

Any small mark placed by the cork on the finish is probably minor compared with the wear your arm puts on it...
http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages/bill%20monroe%20mandolin.jpg

[Doug Edwards]

Beginning to look like Santa's workshop around here. My plate is quite full, not including the 15 instruments I have in for repair. The shoulder is doing better, but still limits how long I can work on stuff. Thank goodness for pain killers.

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