Lawrence Smart F style Mandola

[Chip Booth]

I took some shots of Lawrence's spring batch of instruments and am still getting around to editing and posting them. Here is a fantastic mandola that Lawrence made for himself. He has been kind enough to let me use for a while, and I can't say enough good things about it. His 'dolas are one of the standards in the business for good reason, great clarity, sweet top end and rich lows, and excellent playability. This instrument has a great "pop" on the attack of the note and then nice ringing sustain. The other thing I really love about Lawrence's larger mandolin family instruments is that he doesn't follow the Gibson template, but designs them aesthetically to look really great at these larger dimensions. Often 'dolas, octaves and cellos have strange looking proportions to me, a headstock that is too small, or a scroll too large, etc. Lawrence's instruments always look just right to me, completely natural and appropriate.

[Max Girouard]

I have to agree with you on that the Gibson proportions on the H5 look a little strange to my eye. I really like what Lawrence has done with his mandola design.

[mtucker]

freaky good...that's nice stuff, chip. enjoy that!

[sgarrity]

He's a true artist!

[nobullmando74]

WANT!:grin:

[Rvl]

That is so beautiful
Thanks for sharing the photos

Robert VanLane

[mandopete]

Lawrence has been making great mandolas for awhile now, this one looks like some icing on the cake.

Any chance of a sound clip?

[djweiss]

If that's the one he had at Weiser, I heard Patrick Sauber playing it one night...sounded great on old-time fiddle tunes.

[Chip Booth]

DJ, yep that's the one that was at Weiser. I have been gigging with it for the last week and I can tell you this thing sounds so good, and is really strong, both acoustically and into a microphone. Pete, I'll try to make a sound clip of it before I (very reluctantly) give it back to Lawrence.

[Marc Berman]

Chip,
As usual whenever you post about another Lawrence creation I go down to the local store and by some lottery tickets :) I too would love to hear a sound clip.

[Chip Booth]

Well, it took me almost three years to make it happen but it's finally officially mine! :mandosmiley:

[Rodney Riley]

Well, it took me almost three years to make it happen but it's finally officially mine! :mandosmiley:

Now can we hear a sound clip? Congratulations!!!

[Chip Booth]

Now can we hear a sound clip? Congratulations!!!

Yeah I guess it is about time! Go to: chipbooth.com (http://www.chipbooth.com/sparechange/listen.html) and check out the song Sugar Mountain in the music player.

This song was recorded a year or so ago with this mandola and one of Lawrence's guitars, a J3 model, that is possibly my all time favourite guitar. I haven't manage to own it yet though I'm still working on that one...

[josh a]

Lovely tune(s) Chip, thanks for sharing!!!

[Tom Smart]

I've played that mandola a few times, and was also there at Weiser when Patrick Sauber was playing it as mentioned in post #8. I got to hear John Relph play it there as well, and of course I've heard Lawrence play it.

It's such a great instrument. Congratulations, Chip. I'm jealous.

[Perry Babasin]

Really nice recordings!! Love them!