Two new C# mandolins

[Dave Cohen]

I just sent two new C# mandolins off to their new owners. The first one went to a person who wanted a gray mandolin. This was a very tough color to do (slight understatement). I used Fe(II) acetate (= steel wool dissolved in vinegar) to color the maple, but that didn't work well at all for the spruce top. I used a mixture of TiO2 white pigment and black and brown Transtint dyes to do the top. Went with a "two-tone" gray approach to coloring this mandolin. Might be called "gray-scale"? Binding is multi-layer wood with rosewood outermost. Finish is nitrocellulose lacquer, but the neck shaft is finished with a long-oil wiping finish over the Fe(II) acetate coloring.838158381683817

http://www.Cohenmando.com

[Dave Cohen]

The fluorescent lights in the shop always alter the color. The maple parts of the mandolin are more gray than they appear in the photos.

The second mandolin has a redwood top plate and Eastern black walnut back/sides/neck. The back plate is a local piece of crotch walnut, and the sides were cut from wood from nearby in the same tree. The crotch walnut should be terribly unstable, but I did one from a similar piece of the stuff before. It is doing well, and George Gruhn loved it. The owner of this mandolin wanted Japanese maple leaf inlays. I did the ones in the headstock from bloodwood, yellowheart, and white mop. The ones in the pickguard are gold mop. The trim wood on this one is ziricote, including headplates, fretboard, pickguard, tail inlay, and tailpiece cover. Binding is curly maple outermost.


83818838198382083821

http://www.Cohenmando.com

[Eric Hanson]

Beautiful stuff!

[Bernie Daniel]

They are both awesome looking mandolins! That leaf inlay on the headstock and pick guard is both tasteful and delicate - fits with the idea of Japanese maple? Stunning work.

[mandomiss]

That gorgeous gray mandolin looks just like the one I received only two hours ago! Absolutely phenomenal work, Dave. I cannot express just how much I love this mandolin!

Thank you so very much!

[Jim Garber]

Very nice work as usual, Dave. I am very glad to have spent time with Dave and his mandolins at CMSA last year. I can tell you that they sound as good as they look.

[sachmo63]

OMG! These both are spectacular.....I've wanted a C# for a while now and these are fantastic....I'd love to know how they sound.

[jstout]

I think I got that stuff they call "MAS", man those look nice to a rookie like me.
jstout

[mandomiss]

....I'd love to know how they sound.

Like a dream! Smooth, even, different than any other style I've played in a way that is very hard to describe. That Dave's a genius.

[Jill McAuley]

What a pair of beauties!

Cheers,
Jill

[Killian King]

I love your work.

[Killian King]

The owner of this mandolin wanted Japanese maple leaf inlays. The ones in the pickguard are gold mop.[/url]

Those don't look like maple leaves to me. :grin:

[Max Girouard]

Stunning!!!!

Really love the wood bindings.