Re: New flat top mandolin
Re: New flat top mandolin
Re: New flat top mandolin
I've got a bunch of Sasafras growing in my backyard. It grows like a weed here!
Re: New flat top mandolin
That’s beautiful. What are the tuning machines?
Re: New flat top mandolin
Elliot, it is most likely a different species. There are a number of different species of trees called Sassafras. In this mandolin it is Atherosperma moschatum, a tree native to Tasmania and south east Australia.
The tuning machines are Schaller GrandTune black chrome.
Re: New flat top mandolin
I love the tone and sustain. And the black heart. Must be a metaphor for something.
5 Attachment(s)
Re: New flat top mandolin
"Black heart" is a fungal infection down the center of the tree that makes the wood a darker colour. It is effectively spalted wood. Eventually the wood rots, but usually the physical properties are not altered much by the spalting. Black Heart Sassafras can have quite a variety of colours, black, grey, green, brown, and quite spectacular patterns. It used to to be classed as rubbish wood, but nowadays is highly prized, difficult to get and expensive.
Here are some more examples -
Attachment 186119 Attachment 186120 Attachment 186121 Attachment 186122 Attachment 186123
Re: New flat top mandolin
Peter,
Always a treat to see your creations. Triple plus on this one.
Re: New flat top mandolin
Mighty good looking "rubbish wood". Sounds great!
Re: New flat top mandolin
I've been slow to jump in here in praise of Peter's beautiful work because I wanted to get a short video ready first.
I'm the happy owner of Peter's "classical flattop" #248 (pictures and samples still on his website) that I ordered from him a little over a month ago. I almost ordered one a year ago but was held back by the possible import issues with the shell inlay. When I saw that he had built a few without that issue (thanks to an earlier thread here) I placed an order.
Despite the situation in the world today this lovely mandolin from Australia was in my hands in about two weeks. It looks, sounds and plays great. I have to be a little careful because it has some real volume to it. The short video was made using a Dunlop Ultex .88 pick on TI mittel strings. It came strung with D'Addario flattops, which sounded really good, but I wanted to try the Thomastiks.
Also, if you check the exchange rate you'll see that these flattops are a great deal.
Many thanks, Peter, for helping me get this in my hands.
https://youtu.be/vuHO91TKB5U
Re: New flat top mandolin
Quote:
Originally Posted by
peter.coombe
"Black heart" is a fungal infection down the center of the tree that makes the wood a darker colour. It is effectively spalted wood. Eventually the wood rots, but usually the physical properties are not altered much by the spalting. Black Heart Sassafras can have quite a variety of colours, black, grey, green, brown, and quite spectacular patterns. It used to to be classed as rubbish wood, but nowadays is highly prized, difficult to get and expensive.
Here are some more examples -
Attachment 186119 Attachment 186120 Attachment 186121 Attachment 186122 Attachment 186123
Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! And that sassafras mando sounds terrific.
Re: New flat top mandolin
Hi Peter, I love your instruments. The sound is gorgeous and the natural woods are lovely. I am curious about your pancake mandolins - they seem far underpriced! I don't know much about making mandolins - why the large price difference between that and your other models?
Re: New flat top mandolin
Pancake mandolins are simple mandolins that are easy to make and are a lot less work, especially if they are unbound like the original Gibson army navy's. The less work is mainly why they are cheaper. I also use cheaper tuners to keep the price down. I have been using them sort of like a prototype to test new ideas because there is not so much time wasted if an experiment fails. The classical flattop is now more popular because they sound amazingly good for a flat top mandolin so the extra cost is well worth it. They are more work because of the oval shape of the sound hole, the rosette, bindings, and the bracing is more complicated with carbon fiber reinforcement. However, the overall sound quality overlaps into my arch top oval hole mandolins which are around twice as much work. They can sound better than some of my arch tops, but I don't think they match the very best I can do with an arch top oval hole. I started making flat top mandolins because I though it must be possible to significantly improve the sound. After all, flat top guitars can sound extremely good, so a flat top mandolin should also because Cohen and Rossing have shown they vibrate similar to a flat top guitar. Has been a challenge that has taken nearly 10 years and around 40 flat top mandolins to get there, but the end result is rather nice and I love playing them.
Re: New flat top mandolin