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The F-5 scroll is misshapen in that the there is not a constant taper between the edges of the scroll all the way from the body to the button. The edges of the mandolin flare out from the rim to...

If we were to poll a bunch of luthiers on what tools they use we would get nearly as many answers as luthiers; especially when we consider shop space, amount of production and many other factors....

Bindings are installed oversize and then cut down to size after they are in place so you just have to make sure they are big enough to start with... and you install them before completing the job of...

“Too many notes. Take some of them out.”

The only way to do it would be to remove the frets you don’t use (if there are such frets).
191261

Could be, but the top thickness may not have much to do with the loudness of the instrument. Loudness significantly depends on coupling between the top and back, so thinner is only better if it...

Yes, redwood will usually end up thicker than spruce when used for similar tops. How much thicker? Depends on the stiffness, density, desired sound and other things that experience tends to teach us....

The '22 is not blonde. Mike Seeger's Blonde F5 was a 1925.
Here's the '23.
191237

Not all of us...

...and tone bars shaved and a wider fingerboard added (to accommodate Mike's big fingers), plus plenty of normal wear and tear.

I once "played" Mike's loar (...said as if I can actually play...

My bet would be that the majority of failures of either system are the fault of the builder.

James Condino.
IMO, it is not worth experimenting, it's all been done. We can save time and effort by learning from others' experience.
"Single action" truss rods must be installed below the...

I make my own (or have them made for me) so I have no particular preference between the linked ones. The two are very similar and functionally equivalent. They are also similar to mine, but mine are...

I bend the rim pieces a little long so I have bent cut-offs. I just make sure at least one of those is the correct radius for the bottom point. I fit the piece and glue the whole rim at once in an...

We've been over this several times around here but I don't know if you can easily find discussions using the search feature.
It comes down to adjustability. CF is not adjustable, an adjustable truss...

luthier88 said it well.
A builder developed a characteristic sound, with enough experience. He/she can vary that sound to some extent, but few can comply with "I want it to sound like mandolin X"...

Maybe.
What do you mean by "touch-up"?
Is it a spot where lacquer was oversprayed? Was the whole thing oversprayed? Is it on the top? Sides? Back? Is it applied by a method other than spray? Is it...

I'm sure others have heard him say this too, but Tim O'brien says the advantage is in the airport.
The case looks like a guitar case, and he says when someone in an airport asks "hey, what's in the...

.080" width and .035" to .040" height is what amounts to "standard" fret wire these days for most acoustic instruments (including mandolins). The .0109" X .036" wire would be low/wide electric guitar...

I'm out of my area of expertise here, but...
Whatever the UV cure sealer we used at TC was, it cured in sunlight in 15 minutes or so. It would then sand to a dry while powder with no loading of...

It would seem that UV-cure sealer would be compatible with UV-cure finish. There's no guarantee, but it's worth looking into. Usually finish manufacturers will tell you what is and is not compatible,...

I agree. Classic symptom of strings too high at the nut. If you are handy with tools it is something you can fix. There are tutorials on line, like this...

Wet-dry bulb hygrometers are the gold standard, but Adrian's aforementioned hair hygrometer is extremely accurate (and used to calibrate other hygrometers, so I'm told) and it's easy and inexpensive...

Before about 1925 Gibson used spirit varnish for instruments. The shellac-based finish imparted significant color, and between that and age, that is what we see today. It can often be matched with...

I've always suspected that when looking at some Gibson banjo inlays. Some of them are barely a suggestion of the designed shape.

I have three in my shop and all read differently. I just sort of take an average.
Many of them can be calibrated. There are instructions online.