Post a picture of what's on your bench?

[Jupiter Ukulele]

I have built a number of instruments, mostly ukuleles and some small parlor guitars. I wanted to try something different and I like Celtic music so I've built an octave mandolin. Laminated black walnut sides (very stiff), X braced top and back with 15' radiuses, Alaskan yellow cedar top, koa binding and headplate, side sound port,ebony fingerboard (cut down Martin Guitar D-28 fingerboard acquired as a scrap since it had an edge chip), 21.25" scale, gold EVO frets.

[Jim Garber]

Just completed a nice little Selmer Style 4 string jazz mando. It is made of Sycamore and Spruce with a maple neck.

Thanks Jim.
The customer wanted a 330mm scale, basically 13". It is strung with Thomastik (of course).
I went a little lighter on the bracing because it has only 4 strings.

Interesting choice of sycamore. What are the tonal properties of that wood? I am unfamiliar with that though we have a large sycamore in our front yard. It is still doing well so no mandolins out of that one yet.

[Tukanu]

Interesting choice of sycamore. What are the tonal properties of that wood? I am unfamiliar with that though we have a large sycamore in our front yard. It is still doing well so no mandolins out of that one yet.

Very similar to mahogany, but with a more interesting grain.

[NRMiller1958]

I'm mostly a mandolin builder, but given the enthusiasm of folks in this thread for beautiful woods, I couldn't help but post my latest build, all local woods from Tanzania where I live. Back and sides are Pterocarpus angolensis, top and purfling are Juniperus procera, fretboard and binding Dalbergia melanoxylon. She's as loud and resonant as she is beautiful.

[Tom Haywood]

No disrespect for the beautiful instruments in this thread. Clearing off my bench is my main motivation to build an instrument. It gets like this very quickly after a build or repair. Well, not sideways.

[sunburst]

This has been competing for bench time with the Griffith tribute.
F5 pegheads are not the only ones that take too much time! I could have made several entire guitar necks in the time this peghead has taken... so far!

[John Kelly]

That inlay is magnificent, John, and the volute is so beautifully sharp.

[bpatrick]

Very nice. A two piece birds beak neck joint?

[sunburst]

Thanks folks.
The inlay I farmed out to Precision Pearl. It's a standard pattern that they have in the computer (CNC), so I wouldn't cut and inlay those pearl pieces for what they charge me.
The diamond volute is purely cosmetic. It is carved on a one piece neck. This will make half a dozen guitars for the same customer, all with the same peghead.

[tree]

The precision of your work is what makes the "purely cosmetic" aspects - including the inlay and slots - so stunning, at least to my eye.

[sunburst]

The diamond volute originated with methods of attaching a separate piece of wood to the neck shaft for the peghead. There are 3 different neck joints (that I know of) that can result in a diamond volute... or not, if it is simply carved away. It's a somewhat curious thing that the look is so popular that the volute remains even though the joints have largely fallen by the wayside. When we build a one-piece neck with a diamond volute we are imitating a glue joint.

[Rjayh]

Blackwood and spruce, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and binding, Blackheart Sugar Maple headstock veneer. Waiting for finish to set up a bit more (and for a drilling jig to arrive) then will install tuners.

[Magnus Geijer]

My first attempt at a nyckelharpa coming along. Sawed sides!

[sunburst]

The Griffith tribute is finally strung up.

[sunburst]

A few more.

[Bill McCall]

Very nice, wonderful finish.