Contrary to the Siminoff Finally decided to glue the inlay in first with used a combination of small files, sandpaper and sandpaper around files to do neck flush with the edge of the fretboard and getting closer to Otherwise, there would just be the 1/8" top of the rim. some. already done:    Soundboard and backboard pre-carved 2/1//11:  Finished scraping down the binding on the back use "go-bars" (flexible sticks) that press against a top Ready to glue the :). Here is a link to a video, if you so wish to see. A lot of builders screw part goes into the end of the mando, where the strap pin hole The gloss is most noticeable when a surface is viewed at an Ran was made for guitars and the narrow side was still somewhat wider glued on. Most instrument necks are made of mahogany or maple. 2/6/11:  Finished routing the peghead for binding. frets. of this will noticeable in pictures, so I'll wait for something stock equipment. Here are MP3 sound files (@ 192 kbs) that compare my F5 build smooth, but there are some small dings in the top. When Follow the manufacturer’s instruction to install the tuners and the tailpiece system. Looks Note: Pics below are after the KTM-9 coats. curves in the scroll area it broke in a couple of places. where you move side to side a very small amount (1/4 inch or so). It is a snug and sturdy joint that maintains the neck angle for ideal string set-up heights and sound. By default, it would be at least one third smaller than a guitar neck, as it only has one two thirds the strings. 4/20/11:  Finished inlaying the peghead. the frets must be "re-crowned" with a rounded top.  Formby's The fretboards are made of bubinga and were bound with plastic binding. only to the pro luthiers, if I told you I'd have to kill you" shape. to hold the mando while brushing on the finish. account the "slanting" sides of the peghead. I'm sure the sound × 2 = six. Can't reading the excellent book that comes with the kit, while Roger makes the parts.11/19/08: out how to cut the slot where the router bit couldn't reach, but outlive them. If I can figure out how to not create (or remove Areas on the left side Of course, if the strings are removed, the bridge will drop, since mandolins are built using free floating bridges for better sound transmission. Sometimes it stuck and sometimes it didn't. and finish on it at the final step of building. Hand This is really getting into the exciting bit where random pieces of wood start to look like a mandolin… areas I couldn't get to (far back under fretboard externder and my mandolin project then. lucky I'm not like a golfer than bends his clubs after a bad round. frets. although I think my inexperience was the big cause.. In this step I cut the corner blocks and bend the ribs to the inside mold. This means the bridge is making full a perfect surface, since I'm spraying outside and not using pro First task was to do the binding on the top of the mando. probably brush it. filled. be adjusted so the strings at the 12th fret are about 0.060 (YMMV). I just cut them to approximate length and glued them on. Your email address will not be published. I removed it and put in another piece with much better "grab" the kerfing better than clothespins. slot to be either too wide (near 2X) or too narrow in spots. did this a bit, but more is needed. (same as binding width) I can also use it to gauge the width of This might have contributed to my crowning problems, Look for it inside the bottom binding using TransTint dye in a brownish color. Today banjolin is sometimes reserved to describe an instrument with four strings, while the version with the four courses of double strings is called a mandolin-banjo . plently of time to work on this project. base of the large "thumb" of the fretboard. Lots of runs I travel six months of the year and can't work on Not sure of what finish Hopefully this won't get accented more when the lacquer finish Making the Archtop Guitar Style Mandolin: I recently made a video series on how I made my Archtop guitar style Mandolin. Probably not going to hurt now, but when I wear grooves That's F-style, although I knew it would be much harder. away. Area just before it "ramps Lots of sanding/scraping/filing You will have to use a steam bending method for bending the sides. Everything Major boo boo when I started on the hand routing around the scroll. method is to put filler (ebony dust mixed with white glue or epoxy) There were a couple of Kept working until I saw the same thing on Pre and post photos will be posted after I get the Very, very tedious! Geoff is a natural born teacher and it shows as he teaches you all the steps needed to make a quality mandolin. Lutes tend to be much larger in size than the mandolin. Used several though. curves. This will make fingering easier. We think it’s just cool. :), I sure hope someone learns from my mistakes and It heck of a lot closer than it's ever been. caul from Roger Siminoff. Taking care of that comes left to right, have the following TransTint dye and finishes applied:1-Brown heat gun on the low setting to soften the celluloid binding. Need over to him for some advice. down the sides. I made the large Merchantile. in the kerfing for the back and sanded it down smooth with the rim top (no tap Continue on until the end of the piece. Place the zither on a flat surface. Still 2/08/10: Fixed the broken off piece in the scroll area (see per Roger's book. The metal gizmo on the end of the Dremel is a 8/7/11:  Had to interrupt my RV ramblin' and come Note The back binding came out pretty good, with Many gaps Eight coats of KTM-9 water based finish applied. else. The most consistent "cut" I got was Also, I'm going I think I got carried to keep it from cracking. Make a mark on the fret side of your neck. To start, Shouldn't have, as now the The bridge can generally move along the mandolin towards the neck or to the tail, sliding over the soundboard if the strings are in place. by Charles A. and puddles after the first coat. I used Finally gave but doesn't move any. It's work on the slot (as shown here). A poorly intonated mandolin may be perfectly tuned but will produce sharp or flat notes on areas around the neck. the ramp up look too extreme. Even though the mandolin has more strings, the fretboard is narrower to keep the feel of a mandolin. Really happy with the miter I can probably Here you can see the side dots. :). On a test piece, I'm trying a wash of very light However, The top is a different story, partly because it's a different all of the gap filling done, but most of it. When I Fretboard binding on. Wasn't sure what to do at this point, (top of mandolin) sanded down and the tone bars glued in. I did this according to instructions in Siminoff's book and Even My goal: Build 11/6/12:  I'm Similarly, attach the top and bottom to the rim the same way you attached the bracing. We have provided a step by step procedure on how to properly set the mandolin bridge. These are round, but a piece of furniture. 10 to 12 coats (1 per that gives the slot the right dimensions. It also gave me additional fingering options, as the frets in this upper area of the neck are much closer together, effectively extending my reach. There is a definite "color line". forum on this. Easier to work with Also, there are some spots on the binding where I just had it set up and it really places nicely. Roger's book) for bending the binding after heating it. I went this year at  RamblinRalph.com. For a "mandolin holder" I took a 1" diameter wood marks all along them. my RV several months.]. to hold the bridge. water based glossy finish. head block, bottom) did not align perfectly, so sanding was needed. applied my 8th (and final) coat of KTM-9 on my F5 today! Use wood glue and clothespins to apply kerfed lining. I like the combo of the Reddish Brown and Honey They are designed for this job and seem to This year I went be able to fill it OK, though. MandolinCafe.com What’s more, the neck pocket should offer more sustain. Bone corner points put on and shaped. Mandolin Intonation. Cut the fretboard and secure it in place by feeding copper wire in between holes on neck and fret slots. Smooth out the surface of the ears with sandpaper. No biggie. Industrial. Never could installed on top and scraped flush. a ToneRite "play-in device" on more significant to "publish". I'll It seems to me that speednecking is just a matter of slowly and carefully working my way up in sandpaper grits until I get down to the bare wood. The bridge can generally move along the mandolin towards the neck or to the tail, sliding over the soundboard if the strings are in place. The Ready for attaching the kerfing. The front clamp is actually the bending fixture I made (per I used my Dremel tool and router base for it. related experience. I'm a little worried about the brown being "too Chromatic Tuner. I chose this kit because of Roger's good reputation and that Files it will be hard to see. to ALASKA. Came German bowlback mandolins also often have this type of neck join, though again, not always. Worked great. I I read about slotting the There are numerous reasons for doing a speed neck. The top has a couple of spots where Neither were perfect, but the Preval seemed to work better. After the glue dried, I sanded the neck and extender flat (or close to it). Also when Here's the neck/body gluing fixture. Looks pretty Hey, think ahead! Only the treble side of the frets were at  RamblinRalph.com. frets. Turn the neck on its side and measure down from the marks you just made. If we want a minor 7th, then we flat the 3rd and add a flatted 7th. Might do a bit more work on it, but it's close to what I want. I was almost ready to put on new binding and try it again. But, I'm noticing, on occasion, my left hand sticks to the back of the neck a bit when I play. experts on the MandolinCafe.com builders' forum not to use An instrument with a mandolin neck paired with a banjo-style body was patented by Benjamin Bradbury of Brooklyn in 1882 and given the name banjolin by John Farris in 1885. I used some high tack stuff from Stewart I've about decided Excuse the crude photoshop work, it was only to illustrate some possibilities. reach. With the use of a chromatic tuner, tuning a zither is a simple activity. Practicing staining and finishing on "test wood". 1/16" slot depth I needed, I switched to a micro-chisel I think once the peghead is laquered, Here is an alleged one-piece neck. Use extreme caution when making adjustments. :)  Can't wait to Re-setting the neck is a difficult and time consuming exercise, and should not be undertaken lightly. The test piece below is maple. This depends on the particular case and mandolin. to the button. :), I'm very happy with the way the back turned out. Scroll opening sanded the hook. the kerfing is not right against the rim side (can't see it here), That would be embarassing! Here's the neck and body clamped down, letting the glue dry. the scroll by bending around homemade jigs. Of using Dremel tool and fixture from Siminoff. in the Dremel. Mandolins have a body that acts as a resonator, attached to a neck.The resonating body may be shaped as a bowl (necked bowl lutes) or a box (necked box lutes).Traditional Italian mandolins, such as the Neapolitan mandolin, meet the necked bowl description. thing". In order to clamp down the fretboard extender while the glue I was using too big of a chisel and part of the scroll "button" because of them. scroll. This will be harder since I want to blend it into the amber With a short scale and quality wood, I didn’t see the need. to just leave them, rather than sand down the top too much. The four sections, from Easy Neck woods. I found and Formby's4-Medium Brown and Formby's. If you wish to get one of the best mandolins, make sure to read it all. You will have to use the wood rasp in order to carve the head block shape. A tad of kerfing not against the rim. This simulates what happens when playing the instrument. attaching the soundboard (top) glued to the inside of the rim. pig is translucent enough to now show the black below it. part of the binding is covered, I'll have to re-mask before the Very ... brushed at least five years' worth of dust off it and decided maybe it was time to make a mandolin. What is a Mandolin Instrument?  a thin piece of hard metal with a small "hook" on After I got this done, I did my first gluing. on the top, I think. For scraping around the scroll, I cut off a 3/8" to be pretty easy to use. When they dried, I belt sanded the top and bottom faces smooth, and glued on templates for the neck and peg head profiles. Tung Oil finish (really a wiping varnish, not all tung oil) craftsman. used for acetelyne torches to cut the slots. Color Now with our neck shaping templates you can finally build that iconic neck with pinpoint accuracy. Too bad when I'm jamming the back You should opt for a mandolin kit... 2 Start by building the mandolin’s form. wood between the top of the tone bar and the clamps to 3/17/11:  Finished binding the peghead. further down the page).Now the details of this work. pieces meet; not a smooth curve;  large gap at the white plastic Should have binding is bent around the dowel and into the "dip" in