New Tobin Bouzouki for Manus Lunny

[Andy Tobin]

Hi All

Manus Lunny got in touch a while ago about building a new bouzouki to replace the one I made for him 20 odd years ago. The old instrument has had a very hard life - years of touring with Capercaillie and too many arguments with airport baggage handlers. So I thought it might be interesting to document the build here - I made a start on it last week.



Here the two carbon fibre rods have been inlayed into the neck

Now the headstock veneer has been fitted and the slot routed for the two way truss rod

Headstock inlay fitted and truss rod installed

Neck roughly bandsawn out

Carved and shaped


And fitted into the building jig.

More later in the week

All best

Andy

[rakeamble]

Hi All

Manus Lunny got in touch a while ago about building a new bouzouki to replace the one I made for him 20 odd years ago. The old instrument has had a very hard life - years of touring with Capercaillie and too many arguments with airport baggage handlers. So I thought it might be interesting to document the build here - I made a start on it last week.



Here the two carbon fibre rods have been inlayed into the neck

Now the headstock veneer has been fitted and the slot routed for the two way truss rod

Headstock inlay fitted and truss rod installed

Neck roughly bandsawn out

Carved and shaped


And fitted into the building jig.

More later in the week

All best

Andy

When I collected my Bouzouki from Andy ditto years ago. The drawings for Manus Lunny's bouzouki were up on the workshop wall. I remember Andy saying my instrument would last around 10 years. Not such a punishing life I'm guessing but the instrument continues to perform amazingly... unlike myself. Will follow build with interest.

[Andy Tobin]

Here are a few more photos of the build for you. We left it with the carved neck and top block fitted into the building jig. The next job is to bend up and fit the sides.

While the glue is drying I can make a start on the back.

Here the two bookmatched pieces of rosewood have been glued together and thicknessed and the inlay fitted across the glue joint.

The braces have been fitted and I've started to plane and carve them to shape.

The finished back

Once the glue has fully dried the body can be prepared to have the back fitted.

The kerfed linings fitted

The linings and blocks have been shaped and the back brace rebates cut.

And the back fitted and held down to the jig with spool clamps.

Next week I'll start on the top.

All best

Andy

[Reinhardt]

Looking great Andy. Brilliant to have Manus back as a return customer. That's some endorsement. He is without doubt a brilliant bouzouki player , extremely innovative and tasty to boot. Plus he's a total gentleman. Had a visit from him in December to try out your/now mine prototype. Was absolutely fantastic to see and hear him in action up close. Just curious, how long on average does it take you to make an instrument from start to finish?

John

[Andy Tobin]

Looking great Andy. Brilliant to have Manus back as a return customer. That's some endorsement. He is without doubt a brilliant bouzouki player , extremely innovative and tasty to boot. Plus he's a total gentleman. Had a visit from him in December to try out your/now mine prototype. Was absolutely fantastic to see and hear him in action up close. Just curious, how long on average does it take you to make an instrument from start to finish?

John

Hi John - Yes I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Manus visited to try the prototype bouzouki. He's a great player - no doubt about that!

Here's that great photo you sent me of Donal and Manus playing it.



I guess from start to finish it takes me about 6 - 8 weeks to build an instrument. Much of the time though the instrument is settling down between gluing jobs. Like today, I've been fitting the purfings and bindings - I'll leave it alone for a few days now to settle before I clean it all up to get it ready for the fingerboard. It helps having two collie dogs pestering me to take them out around the hills.

All best

Andy