"Element Quartet" from Lawrence Smart

[Chip Booth]

Yep, Lawrence has created yet another quartet! This one includes an F5 style mandolin, an oval hole A style mandolin, an F style mandola and an F style oval hole mandocello. They all have a similar style inlay, newly designed for this collection, but the inlay material is different on each instrument. The finish was a new color for Lawrence. The pictures turned out ok, but the centers of the sunbursts aren't quite as yellow as they look here. All of the instruments have Engelmann tops, one piece maple backs (except the 'cello), X bracing, three piece necks, and Waverly tuners. The 'cello tailpiece was designed and built by Lawrence, the others are James tailpieces that Lawrence finished himself. The instruments have been built for a show later this summer, so some of you may have the chance to put your hands on them! They will used at the show for a performance by members of the Modern Mandolin Quartet.

As for sound, each instrument here is about as good as it gets. The F5 has a strong, woody midrange, and is sure to please a bluegrass player. The oval hole is a hybrid style, X braced with a raised fingerboard and a 15 fret neck. It has deep, rich low end, amazing projection, and still has plenty of snap so it can chop, and do a range of things you can't always do with a vintage Gibson oval. The mandola is a wonder, as lively a new instrument as I have ever played. The 'cello is perfectly balanced, with a lovely deep low end but plenty of clarity and growl.

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The 'cello:
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Oval Hole mandolin and inlay:
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Here is how I feel about this collection of instruments!
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I have more pictures and I will add some more as I edit them.

[GarY Nava]

That's quite something!
Cheers Gary

[trevor]

Awesome work again from Lawrence. I'm hoping to catch up with him at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival.

[Tavy]

Wow... those are amazing looking instruments... and 4 all at once!

[Jim Garber]

Possibly some of the nicest sunbursts I have seen. Bet they sound good too. Get some group like Modern Mandolin Quartet to record on them.

[sgarrity]

I'll second the MMQ idea. These instruments are stunningly gorgeous.

[Don Grieser]

Now that's the perfect quartet, oval A, ff F5, ff dola, and oval cello. Stunning really. I imagine you'd be smiling more if you weren't concentrating so much on not letting one crash to the floor.

[Lawrence Smart]

Hello all,
I built these for show at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in early Aug and the 3/4 of the Modern Mando Quartet will be on hand to play a short set on Friday afternoon Aug 9th. Unfortunately Matt Flinner is busy that day in Nashville and can't make it, but I'm very excited to have the rest of the crew. I hope if any of you are in the Bay area during that time, you can come to the festival and see a ton of modern instruments.... mostly guitars. Austin Clark is another mando builder who will be there.

Thanks for the kind words all.

[Jake Wildwood]

Ah, lust-worthy 'cello, but all are hot to trot!

[Chip Booth]

A few more:

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[Chip Booth]

I received Matt Flinner's latest newsletter and it has some additional information in it regarding this Quartet. I have copied his email here:

"In addition, the great mandolin builder Lawrence Smart has asked me to write a piece for his beautiful "Elements" quartet of mandolins. The mandolin quartet format provides great range and great timbral possibilities---kind of like a string quartet but with picks instead of bows. No premiere on the schedule as of yet, but if we can swing it, look for a Modern Mandolin Quartet performance of this piece sometime in the next year!"

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"I'm afraid to name these as I'll then get too attached to them and then want to keep them. But for now I'm thinking about calling them (clockwise from the upper left) Dave, Herschel, Rufus and Nelson. Beautiful mandolins, mandola and mandocello built by Lawrence Smart."

[JAK]

Had the opportunity to see/hear these at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in August (last month). They were played in a listening room, with a listening audience, over a sound system. My, my, my...don't miss the opportunity to get your ears and eyes full if you get the chance for a close encounter with this quartet.