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View Full Version : c.1920 Regal-made? Flatback



Jake Wildwood
Jul-16-2011, 4:48pm
Here's a link to the full blog post... click here! (http://antebelluminstruments.blogspot.com/2011/07/c1925-regal-made-flatback-mandolin.html)

The scoop is that this fella plays nice and has great volume/cut. It's a little lacking in sustain but for tremolo and fast tunes there's not much to worry about there, and sort of to be expected with the birch back/sides.

Work included: new mid brace, reglue one old mid brace, fret dress, cleaning, setup, new bridge, whatnot. Because some braces had come unglued under tension for a long period the instrument banana-ed a little bit, hence the pretty low bridge after regluing the braces all back up.

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delsbrother
Jul-16-2011, 6:58pm
I love that purfling.

JeffD
Jul-16-2011, 10:32pm
It's a little lacking in sustain ... sort of to be expected with the birch back/sides.

I've never heard that before, that birch has less sustain. I have no reason to doubt you, I just have not of it.

Jake Wildwood
Jul-17-2011, 11:08am
Jeff: After doing a number of these instruments, I find that the 'hog ones have more sustain, the birch ones have more bark and immediate loudness, and the rosewood ones have all the prettiness that neither of those have but with the great response/sustain as well, but can sometimes sound too classical or refined for folk styles. The same holds true, essentially, for ladder-braced guitars of the period, too. At least that's my take!