Function of mandolin rims

[WoMando]

I thought I would dig up this possibly long-dead horse and beat it. Besides the obvious structural function, what effect--if any--do the the sides of a mandolin have on its sound?

I am especially thinking of what difference it would make to construct a rim in the usual way, vs. routing out a framework and gluing in the carved plates.

Thanks!

Laura

[pjcrawford]

Another option to consider would be routing/carving out the back and sides together and then gluing on a carving top.

[WoMando]

I have thought about that, too. Does anyone know how Rigel mandolins are made?

[Dale Ludewig]

I think Peter Landell routes the rim out on Rigels. Unless you're really set up with CNC or something like it, it's probably faster to bend the rim in the traditional fashion.

[sblock]

It seems like a waste of perfectly good tonewood to route both the back and sides from a single hunk of wood, which would generate an enormous amount of wood chips in producing the air cavity, and require a rather thick piece of wood in the first place. It might be appropriate for some inexpensive and unremarkable kinds of woods, but it's hard to imagine how you would do this using rarer tonewoods, like flamed, bird's eye, or quilted maple, koa or zebra wood, and the like.

[billhay4]

I am especially thinking of what difference it would make to construct a rim in the usual way, vs. routing out a framework and gluing in the carved plates.

Weight.
Bill

[Charles E.]

The problem with routing out a rib structure is end grain exposure, causing a very weak point. Bent ribs do not have this problem and will react to humidity changes in a more consistent manner.

[fscotte]

Finding a curly maple board wide enough and thick enough for a one piece back is hard enough. Cannot imagine trying to find one even thicker for rim depth, and have the proper curl all around would be next to impossible. Let alone a terrible waste of wood.

A bad idea, which doesnt solve any problem.

[tonydxn]

Some guitar makers route a rim (from plywood). Greg Smallman uses this method to join the top to the sides. He makes a very thin top reinforced with carbon fibre fabric and uses veneered MDF for the back. Not sure how he does the sides (maybe the normal way). The idea is that all the vibrations stay in the top instead of leaking away into the rest of the guitar. It makes a very loud (and heavy) guitar. People pay sums of money for them that look like telephone numbers.

I don't know what this sort of construction method would do for a mandolin . . .

[j. condino]

Finding a curly maple board wide enough and thick enough for a one piece back is hard enough. Cannot imagine trying to find one even thicker for rim depth, and have the proper curl all around would be next to impossible. Let alone a terrible waste of wood.

A bad idea, which doesnt solve any problem.

Finding nice wood to make double basses is difficult. Finding nice wood to make mandolins is easy!

[Steve Sorensen]

3D sides is something that I have been refining with the Stealth (and soon to be introduced Sorensen Stratus) prototypes.



It has been a ridiculously complicated process over the past year to figure out how to make this work in a way which is beneficial to tone and power . . . The Stealth prototypes were lacquered to keep the first tests under wraps until now.

The feedback from Jimmy Mattingly regarding the Stealth prototype that he has had out on tour with Garth Brooks has convinced me that this is an interesting road to continue to follow . . .

Steve