Search:

I could not be happier with mine...the tone, craftsmanship, finish, playability, beauty, historic case, etc. are all outstanding. It's a 100% American-made original heirloom with David Harvey's...

The first Lloyd Loar F5 I ever owned (a Feb.18th with a Virzi) was the cleanest Gibson mandolin I ever owned or bought... and I have owned and bought several in my increasingly longer lifetime. I...

You are braver than I am.......good job.

Violin folks often apply clear tape to some areas to protect from perspiration and wear. They apply it over delicate finishes as well.
Here is good tutorial that shows application and removal. Yours...

one player who has been forgotten here so far is andy statman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL8nTIhhOIc

Hayes Griffin playing Tiny's Rag. Playing on my Isabel #13. Doing great Hayes!

https://youtu.be/VevO1oLYwbI

by the way I would like to see a picture of the finished product once you have it engraved, I have an unengraved one and thought about getting it engraved. Pic of the finished product?

The steel pins are approx 1/8" diameter inside with small protruding tip you see in the hole so if you push it in (I used somewhat blunt awl) and lift the cover tiny bit so the wide edge of the pin...

I would avoid drop filling with lacquer as it's going to shrink down over time requiring lots of fill and sanding sessions. Also, takes a long time to cure before you can sand and buff.
I would...

You can very carefully steam the dents out using a damp cloth and a soldering iron. Lay the cloth over the dent and lightly touch the iron to the dent, check to see progress, use a new place on the...

I put parallel, and then X braces into the same mandolin to compare. It's all in this thread;

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/138621-6-mandolins-in-2-days

I'm not sure if Gilchrist uses X bracing much anymore. I've built a few F5s with X bracing, and the difference wasn't as pronounced as I would have expected (I probably wouldn't be able to tell that...

Really nice guy. Plus I find his voice super relaxing.

It's a little early to get into this (waiting for relief to show up after all), but yes, relief can be added. The rod can be tightened to cause a very slight back bow, the frets can then be leveled,...