Beautiful work, Steve. Always intrigued by your design elements, Bold and yet subtle and classy.
Beautiful work, Steve. Always intrigued by your design elements, Bold and yet subtle and classy.
Steve can you elaborate on your 3D binding mentioned with the headstock photos?
"A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness."
CHAO-PIEN
Steve...what is your current wait time on a Sprite?
Just to get the introduction started --
SPECS --
Sugar maple (one-piece) back, sides, neck.
One-piece Sitka spruce top - amazing silking/perfectly quartered from Alaska Specialty
Oil varnish followed by Shellac+Sandarac French Polish finish
13-7/8" scale. 12" radius. Rounded V neck profile. Two-way truss rod.
1-1/16" Bone Nut. Ebony full-contact bridge.
Figured Ebony fingerboard, peghead, and pickguard. "VX Waves" inlay in black/white MOP
Stainless steel Jescar medium frets.
Waverly silver tuners with MOP buttons.
Black/white/black "3D" binding including built-in armrest.
James/Sorensen "X-Series" tailpiece.
Unbounded thanks to Hans Brentrup for design inspiration.
Steve
Last edited by Steve Sorensen; Jul-30-2016 at 2:15am. Reason: Added Specs
Al - Sent you a PM.
Hank - I think the pictures explain the 3D binding - a dynamic part of the architecture of the instrument rather than strips creating two-dimensional borders.
Steve
Steve you just keep amazing all of us! That is one fine work of art! Nice mandolin brother!!!
Beautiful work Steve!!
I am not usually much on movement away from the standard in instruments. Steve, the VX is simply stunning. The 3D binding really works. The change of shape keeping the traditional, but taking it to a limit. Some new styles try things just to be different. The changes you made are simply beautiful. The lines all work together. I am extremely impressed by this fabulous and beautiful design. My hat is off to you. If you could provide a sound bite, total MAS may kick in. Great pictures, BTW.
Tony Huber
1930 Martin Style C #14783
2011 Mowry GOM
2013 Hester F4 #31
2014 Ellis F5 #322
2017 Nyberg Mandola #172
Not knowing there was a second thread with the FX Blade I went to that. I found that the Blade was a bit beyond my comfort level and was wondering why I posted such superlatives (that is not to dis the Blade, just not my taste, great sounding though). Then I found this thread again, looked at the pictures and felt that ahh feeling. Yep, those are the beautiful lines that stunned me. The VX design is far enough away, but not too far away for this old curmudgeon.
Tony Huber
1930 Martin Style C #14783
2011 Mowry GOM
2013 Hester F4 #31
2014 Ellis F5 #322
2017 Nyberg Mandola #172
Thats just evil-sick, In the most wonderful way. Love her!
3D it is Steve! You body binding is really popping, especially at the points and finger rest in the fourth photo. Your full scroll with a binding hook looks like you've captured some dark matter in the vortex of it.
"A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness."
CHAO-PIEN
Thank you for the positive notes!
Just to pick up on the progression of the "X-series" of designs, this process started with my desire to work on new designs which hit three marks --
1. Acknowledge the Gibson designs from the past century with a focus on the functional reasons for design choices.
2. Deliver the tonal range, power and focus of the Loar-era mandolins (as they have developed to date and as has been re-captured by many new builders).
3. Honor the artful design work of John Montleone and Hans Brentrup in a manner which continues the progression away from the Victorian aesthetic and towards modern-sleek-sexy.
These are three tall goals with very subjective ranges of response . . . and so I look forward to player feedback with great anticipation.
The SXS started this progression, when, while watching the Transformers movie, I wondered, "Can I capture the modern feel of a hotrod based on the original design as well as was done by the Chevy team with the 'Bumblebee' Camaro?"
SXS --
I like the design, but felt that I could move further towards "sleek" by further streamlining the Victorian scrolls and focusing on the function and style-to-achieve-tone underpinnings of the Gibson design.
The result was the FX which introduced the idea of "3D" binding as well as some refinement to the body shape, archings, and depth.
FX --
Later, I wondered if I could do an A-style which would carry forward the design ideas of the FX in a manner which allowed for a less time-intensive build.
The result was the AX --
Finally, I decided it was time to man-up and use what I had figured out with the previous builds to take on the scroll-ey tradition of the Gibson Victorian design.
The result is the VX.
I'm hoping that the VX is the closure of this loop for a while. I am looking forward to building more of each, and seeing how they stand up to the real tests of players and time.
Steve
The amount of thought Steve has put into the aesthetic progression is worthy of respect on its own. I love the AX, but the VX is breathtaking.
Thanks - Beautiful design and build work, Steve. "FX" must be Batman's mandolin of choice..!
Peace and Love
I noticed that the tuner posts are offset a bit, making the bass side (G and D) strings longer length? Do you find that it makes the bass notes more responsive and give it more clarity?
As always, Steve, just elegant.
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
Such great mandolins, respecting tradition and yet pushing boundaries in your own unique way.
I will have to start saving up for a deposit! Do you do 1 3/16 in neck widths?
I should be pickin' rather than postin'
Steve, great pictures of some amazing instruments!
These are the most beautiful mandolins I've ever seen.
"Well, I don't know much about bands but I do know you can't make a living selling big trombones, no sir. Mandolin picks, perhaps..."
Very nice indeed. Love that sugar maple... great color in the burst, too.
Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
Northfield Big Mon #127
Ellis F5 Special #288
'39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.
You, sir, are a machine.
In a good way.
Stunning work as usual! Wish I could have picked a few on this one. Hopefully on the next one!
Shaun Garrity
http://www.youtube.com/user/spgokc78
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