Jonathan Ward
Oct-28-2012, 10:50am
Mr. Tichenor suggested I post these photos.
Back on February 29 this year, my old buddy Todd Sears set out from Springer Moutain, Georgia to walk the length of the Appalahian Trail. That’s no minor undertaking for a 50-year-old man. Todd made some new friends along the trail, some of whom I met when Todd came off the trail for a couple of days at our house near Hot Springs, NC. One of those people, Jason Farr, is a mando picker.
The standard procedure for AT thru-hikers these days is to maintain an online journal at trailjournals.com using a smart phone at day’s end...provided your battery is charged and you can get cell reception. Michael Dubova (dubovainstruments.wordpress.com) followed Jason’s journal entries, became intrigued by the story, and wound up building him this mandolin principally from indigenous woods found along the trail in Virginia. From Michael’s site:
“Just finished this mandolin for a friend who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail this year.
A big congrats to him.
Used wood species found along the A.T. (except for fingerboard and bridge which is ebony).
Soundboard from my stash of Ted Davis Red Spruce with this particular soundboard having been harvested in late 1980′s from Mt. Rogers area.
#
Black Walnut was harvested from a local farm back in 1991 and has been sitting in a friend’s blacksmith shop since then.
#
Neck is comprised of local Cherry, Walnut and Maple.”
To top it off, Jason reports that he was given the mandolin as a gift. Note the Appalachian Trail logo inlay.
Thought most people here would find this interesting. It’s a very cool way to commemorate a big adventure. Nice-looking instrument, too.
Happy to report that my friend Todd completed the thru-hike by summiting Mt. Katahdin, Maine the first week of July. This feat is made all the more impressive by his discovery after the fact that he had walked the last ~1,100 miles of the trail with broken first metatarsals in both feet. And thus completely confirming my decision to serve only as support staff.
-Jonathan Ward
Back on February 29 this year, my old buddy Todd Sears set out from Springer Moutain, Georgia to walk the length of the Appalahian Trail. That’s no minor undertaking for a 50-year-old man. Todd made some new friends along the trail, some of whom I met when Todd came off the trail for a couple of days at our house near Hot Springs, NC. One of those people, Jason Farr, is a mando picker.
The standard procedure for AT thru-hikers these days is to maintain an online journal at trailjournals.com using a smart phone at day’s end...provided your battery is charged and you can get cell reception. Michael Dubova (dubovainstruments.wordpress.com) followed Jason’s journal entries, became intrigued by the story, and wound up building him this mandolin principally from indigenous woods found along the trail in Virginia. From Michael’s site:
“Just finished this mandolin for a friend who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail this year.
A big congrats to him.
Used wood species found along the A.T. (except for fingerboard and bridge which is ebony).
Soundboard from my stash of Ted Davis Red Spruce with this particular soundboard having been harvested in late 1980′s from Mt. Rogers area.
#
Black Walnut was harvested from a local farm back in 1991 and has been sitting in a friend’s blacksmith shop since then.
#
Neck is comprised of local Cherry, Walnut and Maple.”
To top it off, Jason reports that he was given the mandolin as a gift. Note the Appalachian Trail logo inlay.
Thought most people here would find this interesting. It’s a very cool way to commemorate a big adventure. Nice-looking instrument, too.
Happy to report that my friend Todd completed the thru-hike by summiting Mt. Katahdin, Maine the first week of July. This feat is made all the more impressive by his discovery after the fact that he had walked the last ~1,100 miles of the trail with broken first metatarsals in both feet. And thus completely confirming my decision to serve only as support staff.
-Jonathan Ward