Rosewood Mando

[devonmandoman]

This one took nine years to complete: house moves, new workshop, other instruments, but when it finally woke from its slumbers, it just rang!
Carved rosewood, offcuts from a friend's excursion into wonderful chairmaking (thanks Nick Chandler, now near Seville in Spain)
It's one of those things you just have to try, but I spent more time sharpening than carving

[billhay4]

Quite lovely, old chap. Quite.
Bill

[Jill McAuley]

That looks the business - well done!

Cheers,
Jill

[Jim MacDaniel]

Very, very nice.

BTW, is your waiting list for a new orders still 9 years?

[Skip Kelley]

That is a beautiful mandolin! Congratulations on the completion! Now it's time to get started on the next one!

[Mark Walker]

Looks quite satisfactory to me! Great job!

[brunello97]

Rosewood gives me the shivers. This looks very nice. More photos, hombre! (Please.)

Mick

[Ivan Kelsall]

That's quite delicious !. I love the matching veneer on the back of the headstock. Rosewood (along with Walnut) is one of my 2 favourite woods. I'll be down from Manchester directly to play it for several days - well done,
Ivan

[JEStanek]

Very well done indeed. Nice photographs too.

Jamie

[Bernie Daniel]

devonmandoman: It's one of those things you just have to try, but I spent more time sharpening than carving

Simply lovely mandolin -- I'd sure like to hear it live -- I'd gladly settle for a sound file!

I assume the quote refers to the fact that the rosewood was much harder and there require more tool maintenance with respect to carving? How about the sides was the bending more difficult too?

How would you describe the sound compared to maple?

[billkilpatrick]

bellissima! complimenti - big time!

the neck looks unvarnished - is it?

[John Kelly]

Superb-looking instrument you have made, Devonmandoman. Is the top carved spruce? I can see the rosewood back and sides and the carved back, but the top looks very light for rosewood, though I have built four instruments using Phillipino rosewood acquired from a woodworking colleague and it is lighter in hue than Indian and other varieties. I have not tried a carved mando yet, but your pix certainly whet the appetite!

[devonmandoman]

Thanks for the replies
The top is bearclaw spruce from Italy
Headstock veneer is Yew, with rosewood counter veneer on fiddleback sycamore neck.
It is hand lacquered, with a little pigment shading on the neck and sunburst.
Binding is maple and ebony.
The rosewood bent nicely, it is cut on the quarter, but boy did it give tool steel a headache! Maybe the piece of Walnut left over from onather project.....
I'm hoping to start wiring new workshop soon to be complete before summer, then I can get out to create some more (in between work, of course), so definitely NOT 9 years!

[JeffD]

Results like that make me jealous of all of you folks who have the dexterity and knowledge to build. I can understand how building a beautiful mandolin can be as satisfying an activity as playing the dern thing.

Unfortunately my genetic inheritance included several extra thumbs, giving the word opposable all new meanings.