Show off your back side

**Jim Garber** · Feb-01-2005, 8:26pm

2003 Pandini bowlback.

Jim

**Tom C** · Feb-01-2005, 8:55pm

Well, since everybody contributed all type of backs.....

**Doug Edwards** · Feb-01-2005, 8:57pm

Not quite the same league as some of the others, but I think its purdy.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-01-2005, 9:27pm

83 Flatiron A5-2

Jim

**SternART** · Feb-01-2005, 9:44pm

Lawrence Smart 2 point.

**WJF** · Feb-01-2005, 10:17pm

Hope this works ...

A. Lawrence Smart "F" Model (2004). One piece and I believe it's big leaf although I could absolutely have that wrong. All I know is that it looks great and sounds even better

**Ted Eschliman** · Feb-01-2005, 10:20pm

Gotta get at least one blue back on this thread...

**Steve Stahl** · Feb-01-2005, 11:59pm

Originally Posted by (Spruce @ Feb. 01 2005, 15:19)

This, from "identifying Wood" by Bruce Hoadley:
"When a saturated water solution of ferrous sulfate is applied to red maple, a deep blue-black color develops; #when the same solution is applied to sugar maple, a greenish color results"

Okay, I am going to mix up a batch of saturated ferrous sulfate and try this on scraps of various species of maple and post the results here. Then y'all can try it out on a spot inside your Loars.

Meanwhile, here is the red maple back of Stahl #2 (2005)

**berkeleymando** · Feb-02-2005, 12:20am

"Arches" (Chris Baird, Moab, Utah) walnut bodied A style mandolin.

**siren_20** · Feb-02-2005, 12:33am

2003 Siren String Works F5 (I love this mando. #My first F5. She and I will be together for the rest of our lives...not to sound corny here, but it's true!) I believe the back and sides are red maple...not sure, though. Top is Adirondack. Finish is Varnish (the Dude recipie, if I'm not mistaken). As always, a picture just don't do it justice.

**Scotti Adams** · Feb-02-2005, 8:11am

Man..there are some beautiful pieces here...JimW yours is outstanding. Darby emailed me and told me bought about $1000.00 worth of wood yesterday and having it cubed and resawn and will pick it up today. He got #some birdseye, quilted , sitka spruce, and some nice wide grained fir like on the top of the one I am playing now. He also got some madagascar ebony for my 3 piece neck. Said he should have enough wood for 10 new mandos..

**Mike Blohm** · Feb-02-2005, 10:21am

Here's a back form Orcas Island Tonewoods.

**jasona** · Feb-02-2005, 10:28am

Alright. That's just crazy. Who gave you such PhotoSHop skills?

That is an amazing back!

**grandmainger** · Feb-02-2005, 10:40am

Originally Posted by (jasona @ Feb. 02 2005, 15:28)

Alright. That's just crazy. Who gave you such PhotoSHop skills?

That is an amazing back!

Fancy a swim?

**Mteresko** · Feb-02-2005, 11:32am

Here's my Wiens...

**Flowerpot** · Feb-02-2005, 12:44pm

Wow, fantastic looking backs, everybody.

Scotti, if this mando is about tone, tone, tone...

then you don't want to just go for aesthetics and neglect everything else. Don't forget that different species of maple will color the sound differently, and each type of top wood will pair with certain back woods better than others; I'm sure your builder will have some inputs on the specifics. But the tone isn't 100% top, 0% back, far from it.

**Ted Eschliman** · Feb-02-2005, 1:00pm

Originally Posted by (jasona @ Feb. 02 2005, 09:28)

Alright. That's just crazy. Who gave you such PhotoSHop skills?

Did someone say "PhotoShop?"....

**Scotti Adams** · Feb-02-2005, 1:23pm

Yes Mark..I know what you are saying...but I want the absolute most beautiful wood in the back that I can possibly have. Darby and I have talked about this and I put total faith in what he comes up with.

**Spruce** · Feb-02-2005, 1:28pm

"Here's my Wiens..."

I beg your pardon??

"Okay, I am going to mix up a batch of saturated ferrous sulfate and try this on scraps of various species of maple and post the results here. Then y'all can try it out on a spot inside your Loars. #" #

I actually hope this happens...
Mr. Gilchrist is totally convinced that the Loars are all Acer saccharum, but I sure think there's some Red in there somewhere...
And European...

Here's an interesting fiddle made from maple burl...

**Tim Saxton** · Feb-02-2005, 1:34pm

Bruce,

That wood is just completely sick! Off the hook! WOW. I wonder how that would carve? Did you supply that?

Tim Saxton

**Jim Garber** · Feb-02-2005, 2:00pm

I have two fiddles made circa 1915 in New York that have similar quilted backs. The first pictured on this page is my primary fiddle.

Jim

**Spruce** · Feb-02-2005, 2:17pm

"That wood is just completely sick! Off the hook! WOW. I wonder how that would carve? Did you supply that?"

Nope....
It's a Chinese fiddle, so I assume it's Chinese wood...

I have milled wood like that from burls...
It usually doesn't have a lot of structural integrity...

That being said, I've seen some nice old French fiddles made from burls, and they seem to have held up OK...
It's an interesting look for sure...

**Mteresko** · Feb-02-2005, 2:47pm

Originally Posted by

"Here's my Wiens..."

I beg your pardon??

Sorry, didn't mean to offend you, Bruce! Perhaps I will rephrase that next time...

Mike

**Spruce** · Feb-02-2005, 5:15pm

And now for something entirely different...

Here's the back of an electric/acoustic mandolin made by Ted Beringer of Billings, Montana...

Lightly bearclawed Sitka top and back, and a Ukrainian spruce neck...

Plays and sounds good both as an acoustic and electric, and is a cool concept...