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Even with a thin top no. 2 failed so dramatically because the back came loose from the rims and and the instrument was left under tension. I would get those strings off of no.2 if you hope to salvage...

A hearty thanks to both Ed and Scott!

Here's a quick and dirty video from adizz playing his Ophelia
https://youtu.be/a8IjhSWSbbo

Hi All,

Thanks for the interest and kind words. When I first started my business I thought Harshbarger would be too hard to spell and too hard on the ears so I went with Highland Strings after a...

Need some mando this weekend? Come to the the historic canal town in Metamora, Indiana for the inaugural Metamora Mandolin Gathering. There will be mandolin workshops, builders, jam sessions, and...

I don't think there is any type of instrument that doesn't come in a plethora of sizes and often tunings. It's about fitting within a certain range of certain parameters involving a range of scales,...

I have actually used bubinga in a guitar fingerboard once several years ago. It worked fine though I haven't chosen to use it again. I picked it from a hard and heavy piece of bubinga. Like other...

Thanks for posting T W, the shots look good! Thanks for the compliments Ed, and Picloser! Made a little progress on your Copperhead last week, T W. Cut the F holes, started fitting the neck joint,...

I find medium grain to be preferable. It has some of the characteristics of both tight and wide grained boards and works more consistently under the plane...

Hi All,

I just wanted to thank everybody for the kind words. I apologize for my website being down temporarily. It should be back up by Tuesday evening. In the meantime I started a Highland...

It's just a little outside starting at 2400, but the demo model is well under two.

This is a great thread full of cool mandolins. I haven't had the privilege of playing one of Steven Holst's mandolins, but I think his aesthetics and design are uniquely magnificent! If I could...

Hi Jim,

I met you briefly last year at the Yank cd release party. I'm bringing some mandolins to the festival this year so please stop over, say hi, and do some pickin' on my mandos. I want to...

Sorry I got the pumice and rottenstone backwards. I've got two grits of pumice and just the one rottenstone. My mistake, I aplogize for posting misinformation.
I've never gotten the hang of using...

I've never had any tear-out from 80 grit paper or when I cleaned up the scratches with a scraper. Sometimes if you find yourself struggling with a method it is better to switch approaches than keep...

Bill,

Nobody has mentioned that rottenstone comes in different grits and the courser stuff cuts very quickly. Even in the past rottenstone wasn't really used to "rub out" finishes (while pumice,...

Thanks Dave. I've read quite a few FW article on finishing. The now defunct woodfinishing supplies states that it is harder because it is polymerized. Some internet searching reveled Indian companies...

I read that buttonlac becomes polymerized from the heating process during its refinement and this makes it a harder finish than other forms of shellac. Does anyone know anything about this? Or better...

Eris,

I'm a graduate of RV and can tell you that while repair work is often performed by students it is always evaluated by an instructor with detail and performed under supervision. Guys there...

Dennis,

Keep in mind that heating the wood does not improve the glue joint it simply extends the working time. You shouldn't need to heat the wood for most tasks. That said it is really handy for...

I recently built a pair of mandos with CF and no adjustable truss rod. There was a definitive increase in sustain and to my ears tone I also used a new spruce...

I like to add a little manilla copal a.k.a. gum copal to my shellac. It makes it a little more glossy and a little more flexible without being much softer.
If you add one ingredient (mastic) to...