Mix F5 in red Kevlar

[Peter Mix]

This red carbon fiber/Kevlar F5 has had the initial coats of pore-filling lacquer applied and now awaits clear coats before set-up. As some of our extremely patient customers can attest, finishing these wonderful instruments seems to take forever.

Each Mix mandolin is entirely hand-built and hand-finished. The material is extraordinary in all respects, including extraordinarily hard to finish! Carbon fiber is a fabric that can be woven with Kevlar. In either form, it produces wonderful stringed instruments. It looks like a machine could produce an instrument with the push of a button, I know, but such is not the case.

For the first 6 years of NewMAD's existence, we worked with one of the finest finish artists in the business, but as the economy forced changes on his operations, our instruments became too much of a burden for his small shop.

We're taking a new approach that we hope will streamline the process and produce even greater results. Stay tuned.....106822106823

[Levi]

Interesting indeed.

[terzinator]

Very cool.

Is the entire instrument made of CF? No wood at all? Not even the neck? (Well, it looks like the fingerboard is ebony!)

What is the feeling of the CF on the back of the neck? Is it able to be polished smooth?

[Bertram Henze]

Kevlar - you mean it's bullet-proof? :disbelief::cool:

[Peter Mix]

Very cool.

Is the entire instrument made of CF? No wood at all? Not even the neck? (Well, it looks like the fingerboard is ebony!)

What is the feeling of the CF on the back of the neck? Is it able to be polished smooth?

Our fingerboards and bridges are ebony for all of the right reasons: the ebony fingerboard is easy to work on whether to dress frets or to refret while ebony bridges produce the vocal qualities we all love. The neck of a carbon fiber or Kevlar instrument will feel just like a wood instrument with a fine lacquer finish.

[eadg145]

I love the red F5. If I end up with a NewMad, it'll be a red F5. (Green would be good, too.) Are the fingerboards radiused?

[cayuga red]

Peter- your website link isn't working.

[mandroid]

One thing I found, Peter , is the fingerboard, as wood, will expand when in a higher humidity situation
when it takes on moisture , it expands , and the fingerboard fret-work rises ..

I made my own adaptation , by oiling the fingerboard , .. in a musical product use ,

I saturation applied Trombone slide /Trumpet valve oil . that seems to have calmed that down ..



Yea . might as well drop the web link since the site funding, ( I guess) lapsed .
and it no longer offers the pictures and music/sound samples..

[Roin]

Looks pretty amazing :O
How does it sound! I could imagine Carbon-Fibre to have lots of "swing" going on, would be awesome to hear its sound :O

[mandroid]

Wonder how the fade in the sun of the red dye in the Kevlar thread works out over time ?

Reds do seem the most vulnerable to Dye fade.


(at least I know my Black A5 Mix will stay black) :whistling:

[Peter Mix]

One thing I found, Peter , is the fingerboard, as wood, will expand when in a higher humidity situation
when it takes on moisture , it expands , and the fingerboard fret-work rises ..

I made my own adaptation , by oiling the fingerboard , .. in a musical product use ,

I saturation applied Trombone slide /Trumpet valve oil . that seems to have calmed that down ..



Yea . might as well drop the web link since the site funding, ( I guess) lapsed .
and it no longer offers the pictures and music/sound samples..

Yes, fingerboards will absorb and shed moisture, but it can be dealt with in the traditional fashion. I didn't want to utilize synthetic fingerboards simply because I love the feel of ebony and find comfort in knowing that they can re-fretted readily.

Yes, our original www.new-mad.com website vanished some time ago and I've not a clue what happened. So far, I have not been able to resurrect the site or the video clips, but FEAR NOT! I have more clips, my fingers still work and more clips will become available.....soon. www.newmad.net does function, but doesn't yet have much info. Please play tuned! I mean please stay tuned!

[Keith Newell]

New things to come, great! I like to use Aisyn brand High Performance Synthetic Oil (as it says on the label). It seems to penetrate, last a long time and seems to seal off the ebony very nicely.
Keith

[rb3868]

I find that quite lovely. bet a two-point would look really cool

[Ron McMillan]

The red F5 is surely a thing of great beauty. My A4 has but a tinge of red in it by comparison, but it is still lovely. My A5's radiussed fretboard is just perfect for playing; blues mandolin maestro Bert Deivert (http://www.deivert.com/blues/Bert_Deivert_-_Blues_Mandolin.html) is a good friend who has used my A4 for live gigs in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and has only positive things to say about it.

The carbon fiber body is capable of great tone and volume to compete with top-end wood instruments. I am delighted with mine, and if I had the funds available, an F5 would be next on my shopping list.

ron

[Peter Mix]

I find that quite lovely. bet a two-point would look really cool

I would love to build a two-point carbon fiber mandolin! The only barrier is the cost to build the prototype which is about $35,000. Any takers?

[Ron McMillan]

I would love to build a two-point carbon fiber mandolin! The only barrier is the cost to build the prototype which is about $35,000. Any takers?

Ooooh, that's a lot of development cost. I might have to stick with my A4 and some carefully formed points made of coloured sugar icing or Brazilian chocolate. Then I'd have the world's first two-point/A4 convertible - and when I got tired of the points I could eat 'em.

[Ron McMillan]

Your new avatar picture is rather sweet, Peter. I love the red-coloured carbon fibre and the contrast with the (ebony?) pick guard is wonderful. I might have to rethink my long-term lust for an F5.....

ron

[Kerry Krishna]

Peter, I have never played any of your axes, but am still thrilled that you are here on the site. So, 35k for a prototype eh? That sounds about right too. Thanks for helping build this Forum's knowledge base...