Groupset?

With the Tru-oil underway, I’ve been finishing-off the various hardware components for Dave's new e-mando. So, apart from the instrument here are the other parts that I’ve made; as I said in the previous post, I don’t have any metal-working machines, if had a lathe I would have made the control knobs and strap pin!

Making progress

As mentioned in the last post. I’ve been working on the hardware for Dave’s e-mando. The tailpiece is made from some chunky aluminium alloy angle. I like using ali angle, being extruded means that it’s always clean, crisp and dimensionally accurate. 

You couldn’t bend a 5mm flat sheet and get the same quality angle. Not having any metal-working machines means that it’s all done by hand.

So after, cutting, filling, drilling etc. here’s the tailpiece- it’ll need a final clean-up once I’ve had the e-mando playing.

Next is the bridge and this one will be adjustable for height. The base can be fully shaped, but the saddle portion is left rough until the strings are on and it can be shaped to give the correct intonation.

With some strings on the e-mando for its “first fix” I used some off-cuts of steel string to ascertain where the break point has to be in order for the intonation to be correct. 

Positions located, the bridge can be shaped and using my test pick-up, hey presto the e-mando is playing!

Next; take it apart and add Tru-oil!

Using my new bench extension.........

Above, you can see that all the woodwork has been completed on Dave’s new e-mando; and I must say, it’s looking good. Next stage is to make all the hardware.

 If like me, you’ve ever bought anything from StewMac, you’ll be getting copious offers from them. Awhile back they were offering their “body board” I liked the concept but not the price, so I came up with my own simplified version using a couple of quids worth of plywood.

As you can see it fits neatly on the bench.

It really came in to its own, whilst shaping the neck and head of this solid body. The body being relatively heavy, meant that the instrument kept slipping down in the vice- the bench extension, offered extra support. 

Good inspiration Mr StewMac, thanks!

Hybrid mandolin complete

As you can see from the photos above, Robin’s mandolin has now been completed and he came over last week to collect it. After months of emails, we always enjoying meeting a client in person and seeing their reaction to their new instrument.

I was very pleased with mandolin, as its design (which can best be described as hybrid- flat-top and arched back) isn’t one that I would have naturally thought of!

We say “flat-top” but it isn’t really flat. The thin (3mm) soundboard is forced into a gentle dome shape by the internal braces, but it just looks flat in comparison to the arched back which gets its shape by being carved from a much thicker (20mm) piece of wood.