IV kit... Not impressed

[Nicholas L]

Hi! My IV kit finally arrived yesterday, but I quickly noticed there are several quality problems. Loose binding on the fretboard, a mess of glue all over the fretboard, and on the back of the neck it looks like a piece broke off and they glued it back on, leaving glue all over. Yes I know these are minor issues that some glue and sanding can fix, it just surprises me they let it pass. But again, nothing I can't fix myself. But the worst issue is the dovetail block. It's completely crooked, and cracked on the top(can be fixed with glue). Is it possible to remove it so I put it on correct? Sorry about the rant, It's just the fact that I spent $130 on a kit that arrived with so many quality issues. Thanks.

[Nicholas L]

[jim simpson]

If I had received it as you've described, I would be sending it back. They receive these kits assembled from their source just as you have. They have no parts or portion of kits to offer replacement components.

I contacted them recently about an issue with an F-5 kit that I bought from another party. They remembered the kit as I described it and said it was offered at a reduced due to the issues with it. I'll work around the issues with mine as I bought it "as is" and knew in advance what the issues were.

The quality control from where they originate seems to be the issue. Hope this helps:

sales@internationalviolin.com or 1-800-542-3538

[fatt-dad]

to me the real disappointment was upon completion. My neck joint lasted about 6 months. . .

f-d

[Nicholas L]

[Willie Poole]

You must really be angry since you posted it twice...Lol....These moderators catch most things why not delete a duplicate posts?

[Nicholas L]

Haha... Sorry not sure how that happened...

[MikeEdgerton]

If it's that bad I would send it back.

[Jacob Hagerty]

Hi! My IV kit finally arrived yesterday, but I quickly noticed there are several quality problems. Loose binding on the fretboard, a mess of glue all over the fretboard, and on the back of the neck it looks like a piece broke off and they glued it back on, leaving glue all over. Yes I know these are minor issues that some glue and sanding can fix, it just surprises me they let it pass. But again, nothing I can't fix myself. But the worst issue is the dovetail block. It's completely crooked, and cracked on the top(can be fixed with glue). Is it possible to remove it so I put it on correct? Sorry about the rant, It's just the fact that I spent $130 on a kit that arrived with so many quality issues. Thanks.

I know how you feel!!!! I received a F-5 kit from IV for christmas and experienced some similar issues.
First off the bridge they sent had a crack and was unusable. ( i called them and the replaced with no questions asked.
Second the back sound plate had a weird hole near the bottom where the tailpiece goes... i had to fill it with a maple plug.
Third there was not enough binding to do the entire instrument and i searched for weeks trying to match the binding to no avail. (called them and they said it came from china and they didn't have any) I ordered 3 different kinds and still didn't find one close enough.
Fourth the kit did not come with an ebony veneer for the head... i had to purchase separately.
Fifth issue was all the wood was warped in some way... the top was glued to the sides (warped) it was overhanging by about 1/4 inch and the had already cut the binding channel... after sanding flush the binding channel needed to be re-cut.

i could rant for hours about the quality of the kit... but i figured it would be a great experience if i was able to fix all the mistakes that were obviously present.
but for 350 bucks i wasn't expecting much in the first place.

Here is a few pics of Hagerty #1

[Marty Jacobson]

Talk to IV, I'm sure they'll take care of you. To some extent one of the reasons why these kits are so cheap is that the quality control is left up to the end user.

[Dan Adams]

I recently bought a Saga 'A' kit. I haven't started the project due to time restrictions. The components were taken out of the box to see if they are all in the kit. The top needs carving, the dove tail is rough and doesn't seat well, etc.. But I expected to have to provide some craftsmanship skills to complete the project. I bought a kit, not an un-assembled mandolin. Once I start, let the adventures begin! I'm sure I'll return asking for advice.

[Folkmusician.com]

When I sold a good deal of kits (quite a few years back), the quality control was very "lacking". That seems to be the nature of these lower priced kits. Not only are they rough, they may need some "repair" work as well. It seems to be par for the course.

[Timbofood]

Look, it's not stamped "Revell" anywhere, I understand some issues with broken components, and with no doubt the source should be held accountable but it is not really this forums duty to "change the world" when it comes to a third party's product. Send the thing back it you're dissatisfied or, solve the problems and learn, it's an easy choice, isn't it?

[StuartGold]

I also put together an IV -F5 kit a couple of years ago. I had some of the same issues. If you look at the photos in the catalog, they never show the peghead with an ebony overlay. It's important to do your own research before hand and go into the thing with your eye's open. Bottom line, I learned about not only what it would take to build the kit but how I could repair not only my own mistakes but theirs. A good series of lessons learned. I ended up with a inexpensive mandolin that happens to look good (at least to me) and also to me, sounds as good if not better than many that I have heard that cost in excess of $1000. I would make that trade any time. As mentioned, Ken at IV is very helpful in dealing with any problems. All in all, the kit is definitely worth it, warts and all.

[MikeEdgerton]

...Here is a few pics of Hagerty #1

I want to say that this is one of the best sunbursts I've ever seen on a kit mandolin here on the Cafe. Nice job.

For posterity:

[Jacob Hagerty]

I want to say that this is one of the best sunbursts I've ever seen on a kit mandolin here on the Cafe. Nice job.

For posterity:

Thank you Mike that means a lot to me. Hand rubbing a sunburst on a spruce top was without a doubt a challenge.

[belbein]

If you're going to build or repair, you're going to keep coming up against this issue. Some things are just too messed up to mess with; some things are challenges that will grow your skills. Everybody's line between these two is at a different "set point."

For me, the Saga kit that I got as my first build (that was, unknown to me, a "second") became a challenge. I took the awful hand-sized discoloration on the back and used it as an excuse to start to learn marquetry so that I could cover it up. That mandolin is my older son's now, and like him has travelled the world, and it still plays and sounds great, and the marquetry is quite unique.

On the other hand, a lot of the stuff I work on, people here--people with a lot more skills and knowledge than I--say "throw it away." In economic terms, they're right. If I were a builder, I would, because in the time it takes to fix some things you can make at least one instrument. But I don't have to make a living at mandolins, and I like to improve my skills, and I like a challenge, so I will take a total mess sometimes and see if I can fix it. (For example, instrument #2 on my bench for repair is a bass uke that I built as a small octave mandolin. I screwed up the neck; it failed. Now I've got the back off and I'm going to cut out the neck block, recut the neck block and re-do the neck joing. Might work. Instrument #3 is a big acoustic bass guitar that got its sides blown out by a stupid accident with a rotary tool. Will either be worth the trouble? No, if you look at the instrument's value. Yes, if you look at what I'm going to learn. And I can't make either one worse, can I?)

So, my advice is: look at this kit, and just go by your gut. If the gut says "too much of a mess," send it back with no regrets. If you want to use it as a challenge, you will probably not regret it ... in the long run. In the short run, with any build, there are times you're going to wish you took up macramé instead.

[Timbofood]

I used to work with a very good watchmaker who had tremendous reverence for anything Swiss but, if someone brought in a high grade Illinois "Bunn Special" or Hamilton 992-B he had no tolerance for them. More than once I saw him open the job envelope and dangle the pocket watch over the trash and grumble "throw it away"! He simply had no use for them, didn't understand why people (like ME) have a warm spot for them. That was my first jewelry store job, my last had two old guys who learned after WWII on the GI bill, they would look at those old worn pieces that other guys had not treated well and put them back in order and feel good about it.
The point is you need to learn how things work and a kit is just a kit, someone needs to either take the parts and put it together or learn from the box of wood and assemble an instrument. Respect the time YOU put into the project, you will learn, and feel the reward

[Nicholas L]

Thanks everyone, I did end up sending it back a while ago. But I decided to just jump right into it and do the real thing. I bought a cheap board from lowes and an Ibex plane to practice carving on. I measured out the dimensions of the two pieces including the taper.
I traced a mando back on the wood and cut it out. I also plan on buying some wood I can practice bending for the sides, as well as a block of wood for the neck. This is just for practice. Once I get comfortable with the cheap wood, I'll get some real tone wood. Along the way I'll be collecting the tools I need for the real thing.

[Nicholas L]

If you're wondering, the cheap wood I got is pine. Not sure if you can actually make an instrument with pine...

[Willie Poole]

FWIT...I read some years ago in Frets Magazine that Siminoff made a top out of pine wood ( not sure if it was white or yellow) and it sounded OK but was too soft to hold up under string pressure for a long period of time...I wonder if that article still exists? Maybe Roger will chime in if I have this correct, I assume he still looks in on this forum now and then......

Willie

[MediumMando5722]

Fender used to make Telecasters out of pine. Not sure about anything acoustic, though.

[Bill Snyder]

If you're wondering, the cheap wood I got is pine. Not sure if you can actually make an instrument with pine...

Spruce is from the family Pinaceae so it is a pine. It is however from a different genus than what we call pines.
The first mandolin I built (one of few ) is a flat top with a yellow pine top and I can say without much fear of contradiction that it sounds like a mandolin.

[Timbofood]

Make a few "experimental" tops with pine, learn how the TOOL feels, make some backs out of birch, same for sides. I'm happy to see you are moving along, good for you! Learn how to sharpen the tools as well as you can, you will be rewarded for those efforts many times over. I have never applied the lessons to tools much but, my kitchen knives are pretty good!
Better edges give better results with less effort and less pressure. I'm waiting to see a picture of the pair of 1x6 stock shaped with its "practice graduations"
Happy to be in on the early days of the trip!

[WoMando]

I read somewhere that quite a few Gibson ovals had birch b/s.