New Hamlett mandolin

[sunburst]

Strung this one up yesterday. The red maple back and neck woods were customer-supplied, as was the red spruce top. The side wood is some very old red maple that I've had for years just waiting for something it would match.

[sunburst]

Gold Waverly tuners with pearl buttons and gold Hamlett tailpiece.

[Glassweb]

superb John... beautiful mandolin!

[Charles E.]

Beautiful John! Do you cast those tailpices yourself?

[sunburst]

The back wood looks very curly under the oil varnish. The frets are Evo Gold.

[sunburst]

Brian Dean casts the tailpieces for me.

[Tripp Johnson]

Gorgeous!

[Chris Biorkman]

Super-clean. Beautiful work.

[Steve Sorensen]

Love the wood, the inlay, the finish, the craftsmanship. Love everything about it.
Steve

[amowry]

Wow, that's a beauty, John!

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Just superb John.

[Ivan Kelsall]

John - You keep coming up with some of the most visually stunning Mandolins i've ever seen.The colour / shading that you obtain is awesome. I still have a crush on the 2 'firewood' Mandolins you made,but this one's making me take more than one sneaky peek !.Other than that i can't think of anything to say,
Ivan;)

[Scotti Adams]

Very, very nice John.

[Dale Ludewig]

Beautiful.

[JEStanek]

I'm always excited to open a new Hamlett Instrument thread. Excellent work, John and congratulations to the new owner!

Jamie

[Randi Gormley]

Elegant -- stunning --

[pickloser]

That is a stunningly beautiful instrument. The staining is perfect. The tailpiece looks so right. The style of your inlaid name is very attractive. I'm exceedingly impressed.

I love another...but there is lust in my heart. Lots and lots of lust.

[crazymandolinist]

It must be a special feeling when a customer receives such a nice instrument made from "his" wood.

[Skip Kelley]

John, that mandolin looks awesome!!

[Andrew DeMarco]

Phew.......

[Mark Walker]

John - SWEET! That is just the epitome of 'elegant simplicity.' Not too gaudy, and very, very classy!

Keep up the great work!

[Jim Rowland]

Just keep pecking away at it,John....you'll get the hang of it.
Jim

[nobullmando74]

Wow! that is purrrrrrrrrrty!

[tree]

I really like John's style of sunburst, where you can see the figure in the wood all the way out to the edge, yet the overall visual impression of sunburst is as strong as if it were more traditional (opaque, no figure visible around the margin). Bet the owner is one more happy camper.

[jackc]

Wow John, that's uber-nice. Just beautiful. And to think it only took you four days to make it. Where'd your customer get that wood I wonder...

[DerTiefster]

Encourage the new owner to let us hear his new lady sing.

[bernabe]

awesome

[sunburst]

Where'd your customer get that wood I wonder...

I guess you'll have to ask him! I'm told the spruce is from the actual, genuine, official Adirondacks!!

[wwwilkie]

So beautiful. And with the Brian Dean tailpiece, does it get any better?

[jackc]

I guess you'll have to ask him! I'm told the spruce is from the actual, genuine, official Adirondacks!!

Actually, I think that wood was from a siding mill in Maine. It was cut as lap siding for a structure. If you've worked with siding in home-building, you know that they cut it as a wedge, with a center strip left intact, just like some sawn billets for violins, etc. It came in a 12' length, perfect to be cut into mando tops. This particular batch was really well-quartered, and seemed pretty stiff. But I'm not the wood expert...it came from my friend Michael Reid.

But I did give you that other piece of Red Spruce that was from a deadfall in the Adirondacks. Whichever one you used, it looks mahvelous, and I'm sure it will sound great. Hey, it's a Hamlett.

[Bill Snyder]

So beautiful. And with the Brian Dean tailpiece, does it get any better?

It is a Hamlett tailpiece. Mr. Dean just does the casting for John. John has been using this same design in all the years I have been a member of the Cafe.

[Denny Gies]

Beautiful work John. The "dawgs" are still doing well, thanks.

[Spruce]

Nice!

[JEStanek]

Jackc, am I correct in asuming this is your mandolin? I also really liked the last line of your post. It could practically be a T-shirt motto for Hamlett mandolins along the lines of Only a X is good enough. "Hey, it's a Hamlett." It explains it all. :)

Jamie

[Dan Voight]

Great coloring. Fine work as usual

[jackc]

Jackc, am I correct in asuming this is your mandolin? "Hey, it's a Hamlett." It explains it all. :)

Jamie

Jamie, this mandolin will probably be the subject of a custody battle. Another mandolin-playing friend, Barry Lawson, and I asked John to make us a mandolin. We split the cost. Now, who gets the mandolin? Could make for a funny Mandolin Cafe thread ...

Maybe I'll make John some T-shirts and bumper stickers.

[JEStanek]

Oh! Good luck you two. There are far worse things to fight over but, lets hope you two can settle it peacefully (or have John build another ;) )

Jamie

[DerTiefster]

Oh, no....I have the perfect solution: whichever of you two makes the best sound clip and posts it gets to keep it.

[wwwilkie]

Sorry, you are correct.


It is a Hamlett tailpiece. Mr. Dean just does the casting for John. John has been using this same design in all the years I have been a member of the Cafe.

[yankees1]

Jamie, this mandolin will probably be the subject of a custody battle. Another mandolin-playing friend, Barry Lawson, and I asked John to make us a mandolin. We split the cost. Now, who gets the mandolin? Could make for a funny Mandolin Cafe thread ...

Maybe I'll make John some T-shirts and bumper stickers. Could result in a strained relationship!

[DerTiefster]

The Hamlett might become a pair of Cutlets? Please, say it isn't so....
With a bit more prior planning, each could have had a piccolo.

[Don Grieser]

Beautiful work and interesting ownership arrangement. Hope it all works out.

[toddjoles]

Where's the like button? :grin: