Here is my latest WF5, #021 that I strung up last night "in the white". It got delayed along the way and is numerically out of sequence due an issue that required building and retrofitting a new neck. After spending the morning messing with the setup and getting it pretty well dialed in I got to have a nice test drive. This mandolin is very loud and I believe it to have that "old" tone that bluegrassers cry out for. Tonally I would have to rank it near or at the top of the instruments I have built thus far. The top is red spruce from the Ted Davis stash that was put up in 1993 and the back, sides and neck are nicely figured eastern red maple. This one will get a Loar style sunburst varnish finish and a Loar style repro pickguard complete with date stamp. I was hoping to have this ready for Wintergrass but I l leave in three weeks and just don't want to rush the rest of the process. I'll post some more pics when it's finished.
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