First Post and a Few Questions.

[TWright33]

Hey guys,

I just recently bought me a new and my first mandolin, an Eastman 305, and I am in the process of learning to play. I have played guitar before when I was younger, but only got to pick on a mandolin a couple of times. Now that I am older, still only 21, I have decided to try to learn mandolin.

I decided on the better A style instead of a lesser quality F style from reading on this forum. Don't get me wrong I love my A style, but I have got a hankering for an F. Even though I still can't play much.

I was looking through this section on the forum and that's when I thought about trying my hand at making my own.

After some research I learned a lot. Fist thing is I need to decide on whether I want to purchase an IV kit or build the whole thing myself.

I am confident in building it myself, but I am liking the idea of buying a kit. I just don't know if I would get the same satisfaction out of just buying a kit rather than building the whole rig.

So what do some of you guys think on the kit vs. complete build up? If I decide on build up, is there anywhere with guidelines on what to do, other than the bluegrass instrument building book. I am looking for some information online.

I will need to know things like exactly what wood will sound and look the best, preferably sound is more important for me. What glues are best? Are you guys building your necks or are you just building the body and buying a neck? Are there any plans or templates for the jigs required to make the body?

I know this is a lot of information and reading, but I look forward to each and everyone if your responses.

[Pribar]

For a first build I would recommend a kit personally, it lets you get into the build without a lot of the early aggravation that turns off so many people, as you did with your A style mandolin get the best kit you can afford IV makes a fine kit as does Stew Mac, but the best I have personally seen is the kits from Siminoff, they are a bit more expensive than most (start at 499 and go up) but for that price he will customize your kit to meet your wants and desires.

As far as glues I use hot hide glue for all structural joins (neck, top, bottoms etc) titebond 1 for inlays, veneers and such, and Cyanoacrylate Glue (superglue) for bindings and purfings. If you do not feel comfortable working with hot hide glue you can use titebond 1 on the structural stuff just fine (just make sure you have a fresh bottle, older bottles have been known to lose their effectiveness)

[bmac]

I am not doubting your ability to build a mando from scratch... But It is not just building a mandolin which looks like a mandolin but dealing with the subtleties which can make it an effective instrument soundwise. the advantage of a kit like the IV kit is that it allows you to observe first hand what makes a good average sounding mandolin and a better, or exceptional, sounding mandolin. The Bluegrass Mandolin book with even an IV kit will allow you to get some experience with sound enhancement and some of the pitfalls you can run into in construction.. The kit will be a good learning experience. The great advantage of the IV kit is that you will be playing a decent mandolin in a matter of days rather than months or more, and you wiil understand its construction. This will be a great advantage when using a more expensive kit or building a mando from scratch.

It is difficult to understand what goes into a scatch built instrument without some basic experience and observations and that is what the kit gives you....

In either case we all wish you well in whatever approach you take.

[bigskygirl]

I too would recommend a kit for a first build. The IV and Saga ones are not bad and you'll learn the basics of building without spending too much money. I had no experience whatsoever in woodworking or instrument building and did a Saga kit and it came out pretty good. I think I would do the IV kit if I did another. Also, the Siminoff book is an excellent resource.

[sunburst]

I say; either build a kit, or if starting from scratch, do as you've done buying; start with an A. It's hard to emphasize that enough. There are so many things to learn at once on a first build, things like wood working techniques, joining, carving, bending, binding, fretting, proper geometry, finishing, set up, etc., etc.... it's complicated enough without points and scrolls. When you have a better handle on the basics of lutherie, then tackle an F.
Sure, lots of folks build an F for their first mandolin and some are well satisfied with their results, but their second mandolin (assuming they build again) is almost always much better. I don't regret building an A for my first, and I nearly, but not quite, regret building an F for my second. It turned out fine, but after a dozen or so I was still improving noticeably with each build.

[belbein]

Buy a kit. If you're not a master woodworker, buy the simplest, most "Serviced" kit you can find (that will be the Saga). Once you've done that one, move up to one of the slightly less serviced IV or Simonoff kits. Fine woodworking is an incremental process. You can't short-cut it; you can't cheat it. All the time you're working on that simple kit, you're learning things you don't know you're learning. It might be as simple as figuring out how to cut parallel purfling channels and binding channels, or how to effectively use a chisel. If you try to cheat, the Gods of the Wood are gonna getcha.

If you've never done woodworking, then you have a lot more to learn. Some of it is learning to use the tools; a lot is developing intuition; even more is learning how to fix your Foxtrot Uniforms. You aren't going to learn that by building a complicated kit, or building from scratch. All you'll do is frustrate the hell out of yourself and either hate or abandon the project. Start small, take it one step at a time, and in no time you'll be building from scratch.

If, on the other hand, you're a master woodworker with experience in furniture, boats, aircraft--any small scale, precise work--then you can pretty much do anything that a mando will throw at you. Though, as people here have pointed out to me, mandos ain't furniture. They also ain't neurosurgery or some secret magical process that only the elect know. IF you're a master woodworker, you can apply your skills pretty quickly to instruments.

All you have to learn is a few silly little things involving intonation, tap tuning, bridge placement, nut adjustments, string guages, truss rods, wood bending, purfling, binding, kerfing . . .

[J Chris]

Hello to a fellow novice! Building my first one also, and I think that I am semi going to build from scratch. That meaning I am going to tackle the front and back carving, but buy a pre fab neck from Stew Mac. I am really looking forward to the journey. What some have told me, and I have already invested and received them, is to purchase the How to Build a Carved-Top Mandolin
DVD by Don MacRostie from Stew Mac. I have only viewed the first 30 minutes so far, but I have learned a lot just in that 30 minutes. Also the Siminoff book is very helpful, and offers scaled plans for your use. Probably the most important thing is what you have already done, join this group! Lots of combined experience here that I feel will be an excellent resource in the long haul! Good Luck!