Hi Mike,
It was a real treat working with Steve on the design. When I'd ask questions about what he uses like glues or finish, his response was always, "What do you want me to use?" Having a builder that will listen to some very unusual ideas was wonderful.
The process started with a few emails to see if Steve would consider the job. Then I did the first rough sketch and sent it to him and he did a drawing to scale. Then we worked on materials. We decided to go for a vintage vibe on a new design so we went with hide glue and varnish/french polish. The mando will have a dark red burst accented with maple bindings. Steve will do a unique dual wood peg head overlay in Maple with an ebony insert. Our joke is that this mando will be red on red on red. Red burst, red maple and red spruce.
Watching it come together is the culmination of a dream for me. Steve is great to work with and encourages input at every step of the process. He does a complete build process CD with pictures of every step as part of the commission. That way you have the photos along with the instrument.
Merry Christmas everyone
Leon
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