First, if you are the kind who actually covets the distressed mojo of a worn, battlefatigued instrument, this article is not for you. Factory instrument lines on the market include morgan monroe, michael kelly, fender, epiphone, and the. As a hobby, i have been involved in restoring old instruments, most of them mandolins, which i have recorded photographically. Because many mandolins have only one brace its important to realize the role it plays and it. Our daddario strings include their phosphor bronze series with loop ends in different gauges and exp coated 8020 or phosphor bronze. Notice that the two notes stay in the same relationship with each other. The amount of settling is usually attributable to the soil conditions and the types of footings, pads, andor runners supporting the piers or blocks that support the weight of the home. The mandolin features a solid sitka spruce top, solid aaa flamed back and sides, a radiused ebony fretboard, a miniature dshaped soundhole with a maccaferristyle rosette, and a clear pickguard with a jorgenson label. Top brace on gibson astyle mandolin some players may even hear a rattle or vibration when playing or handling the instrument. This finish is really easy to apply and dries in only a few hours. Acoustically, this is the part of the mandolin that produces the sound. Here is the mandolin after one or two coats of finish. It is generally known as finish checking and it is typical on slightly older instruments that have a lacquer finish but can arise on new. I finished the mandolin in the same way as my previous mandolins again using wipeonpoly.
We have the highest quality strings from wellrespected brands such as daddario, thomastikinfeld, ghs, dunlop, elixir and john pearse. This will help push the mandolin sides against the outside frame when gluing. Jul 30, 2012 072 rsw custom rosa mandolin for thomas in virginia part 4 staining and finishing duration. When you start to think about mandolin restoration, there are one or two good places to start. Hundreds of hours are now invested and the danger of making a mistake is high. This type of repair is for back and sides, not tops. How to determine if the cracks in walls are serious hunker. Mt featuring a premium carved engelmann spruce top and seasoned figured maple back and sides, the handcrafted mt offers professional level tone and playability in a simple and understated appointment package. Loose braces on mandolins mandolin top sinking beneath bridge. Lets build a mandolin page 1 previous next 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8a 9 10 11 11a 11b 12 12a 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. The workshop is always a buzz of activity, from newly created work to repairs and restorations. May 16, 2009 i noticed after five months old the finish is developing cracks one just over 2 long between the pickups at the top edge of them.
Ktmsv an overlooked finish by rolfe gerhardt for a couple of years now, some builders of premium guitars have been extolling the virtues of grafted coatings ktm9, but everyone has overlooked ktmsv, a waterborne spar varnish. Buff out area until shiny with some sort of buffer. Godin a8 twochambered electroacoustic mandolin cognac. For colorant, i used honey amber and dark walnut transtint dyes, using alcohol as the medium. The alkyd resinbased varnish finish is very slow to cure and can be relatively soft on new instruments. It these are ignored, you can find yourself doing a lot of work, and still having an unplayable mandolin at the end. From john pearse, we have 8020 or phosphor bronze strings in a medium gauge with loop ends. Gibsons signature series features strings endorsed by musical legends. I did a search of the forum and could only find disparate snippets of info on the subject, but basically, what steps do i need to take to get from inthewhite to a. May 28, 2009 a clean mandolin is a happy mandolin when summer approaches and the opportunity for porch picking and festivals finally arrives, the issue of mandolin cleaning comes up. Repairing a crack on an instrument luthier tips du jour. None of my poly guitars have finish cracks either, except for my ebm. Godin a8 twochambered electroacoustic mandolin cognac burst. Eastman mandolins come with either a straight spirit varnish finish or with a very thin lacquer overcoat which is buffed back almost to the varnish.
It looks really black in the end grain, but when you have applied several coats of your favorite finish, and polished the instrument out, that black will turn into the right color, and the instrument will not look as splotchy. Innovative methods include computer controlled machining, sprayed on finishes, and simplified neck joints. Many mandolins are still made this way, or have minimal innovations applied. If you drop a poly guitar, the poly will crack and sometimes even shatter in that area.
Crystal forest mandolins finely crafted in the foothills of. Concrete walls containing horizontal cracks are serious issues. Elixirs nanoweb coated mandolin strings feature hightech protection against corrosion in a very thin material that most closely approximates the feel of natural, untreated strings. Because water stain raises the grain, it is first raised with clear water and the whole instrument fine sanded a second time which then prepares a flatter surface for varnishing after the actual staining process is completed. Continue layering until glue is just above the finish. How to repair drywall cracks drywall cracks keep coming back. White top a3s are not rare, exactly, but certainly not nearly as common as the other finish colors. How concerned you should be about cracks in the walls.
There is minor finish wear below the sound hole, which i guess would have to be expected and some finish. The model on the label sayscustom hand written and datedapril, 1981. Here are some pics of my ebm that got dropped and resulted in some pretty heinous poly cracks. It was signed by eric lange who apparently was one of the early flatiron employees. The settling of the house can possibly result in the reappearance of minor drywall cracks.
Luthier and instructor, robert obrien, shows how to fix hairline cracks in a brazilian rosewood guitar back and then repair the finish. Mandolin top shown with 2 ply reinforcing patch glued in place. Aside from the finish looking new on the neck and headstock, the previous damage is now undetectable. Ec except repaired curlicue on top edge of headstock, red sunburst, one piece flamed maple back, adjustable bridge, all original, with ohsc 67388. Make an internal form out of 34 plywood that is the exact shape of the mandolin body minus the thickness of the sides. In some places the glue was half an inch thick inside. Finishing the saga mandolin kit shape changing instruments. Blue masking tape was still effective for covering the area where the fretboard would be glued. If youve had much experience playing, collecting or repairing vintage guitars, chances are you are familiar with the sight of tiny cracks all across the finish. Ive decided to just spray a lacquer finish instead of going through the whole varnishfrench polish rigmarole. Handdone alterations to the shape, width, tuning, and more.
Ktm9 is certainly an excellent finish for some applications, but for mandolin work, i had concerns about the possibl. The chips are fairly small but go through to the wood and have cracks that are about 1cm long. Repair chips and cracks in finish discussion in techtalk started by jasonyeah, mar 18, 20. The longest crack should not be in an area of high stress from the strings. Gibson fern mandolin distressed varnish finish mandolin store. Horizontal cracks in concrete walls, however, indicate poor wall designs or pressure buildup behind the wall.
Some light sanding in between coats with 0000 steel wool was all that was required in between coats. Partly this was because we had building works in the house which totally messed up my brain. Then scoop out the patch and spread it on in thin layers. You might also consider that a freshly stained mandolin looks really bad in just the respect that you are talking about. And, once a crack has had the chance to accumulate dirt, it rarely goes back together without a noticeable line. I have a 1999 american strat that has a couple of chips in the finish. Ktmsv remains flexible, as a good musical instrument finish should, so a ding will dent the finish rather than crack or chip it. An ultra thin allnitrocellulose lacquer finish and individually graduated tonewoods provide ringing sustain, a wide dynamic range, and. The factory recommends not exceeding 120 degrees, but i never go over the 8082 degrees of my warm room. Crystal forest mandolins finely crafted in the foothills. It did exactly what you said it would domore volume, more sustain, and a rich, even tone across all strings. Before you patch, use a painters 5in1 tool to rake out the former repair materials. Each one has a progressively greater level of finish and binding.
When i worked on the side crack on the gibson mandolin, at some point i noticed this crack in the top. Repair a crackled finished if it has a cracked appearance all over it like spider webs, then as mentioned above you have whats called a checked finish, this occurs from nitrocellulose lacquer being used and an extreme of heat or cold has happened on the instrument, also checking happens with nitro as it ages. This relationship between the notes is echoed in the middle two notes of a chop c chord as played on the 7th fret of the mandolin. Hairline cracks over doors and windows are likely due to settling. Cracks can spread and create even more damage over time. Additionally, the softer varnish finish is not quite as protective as the harder lacquer finish. On a gibson and many others, the ridge ends before it reaches the domed area. Getting a good lacquer finish archive mandolin cafe forum. The lowerpitched note c is always three frets higher on the fingerboard than the higherpitched note e. August 16, 2014 september 3, 2014 klangular leave a comment. Natural with a satin finish or cognac burst with a highgloss finish.
Often a quite modest appearing mandolin will have excellent construction while a flashy, highly flamed model will be terribly constructed or made of unaged wood that soon shrinks and cracks. Unbeatable sound and good looks with this varnish fern mandolin. Just a little bump on the peghead scroll, or dropping something on the soundboard or splatteringing some dark stain on the instrument can make it or break itits heaven or hell. I completed a solid body electric guitar in december of last year. Antique fhole mandolin vintage for repair fixer upper. The mandolin comes in a black finish and has the paris swing tour eiffel headstock label in m. Mandolin top shown with 2 ply reinforcing patch glued. In this edition of tips from a pro, john shows how to repair stress cracks in load bearing ceilings and walls. I just didnt pay much attention at first, until i realized it was the center seam and it was a crack that needed attention. Ive had poly chip off the side of the neck and other spots too. Houses of any age move and shift subtly over time, and the weakest area in a wall is the most likely to crack. Some players may even hear a rattle or vibration when playing or handling the instrument. Sohn stringed instruments mandolin, banjo, arch top and.
Crack repair on top of 1919 gibson a4 mandolin crawls. It took an already good sounding mandolin up several notches. Mandolin pick for injured hands can be great help when you suffer an issue with your hands. The varnish finish has a beautiful, rich luster, but may include very small imperfections when put under close examination. An ultra thin allnitrocellulose lacquer finish and individually graduated tonewoods provide ringing sustain, a wide dynamic range, and impressive.
I noticed after five months old the finish is developing cracks one just over 2 long between the pickups at the top edge of them. This superb sounding and beautiful mandolin has a red spruce top, sugar maple back, sides and neck, ebony fingerboard with radius and medium sized frets, ebony headstock overlay, fully bound body, neck and headstock with ivoroid and prurfling, adjustable truss rod, varnish finish, silver waverly tuners with ivoroid buttons, silver james tailpiece, ebony adjustable bridge, bound ebony pickguard. I ended up with a laquer finish that pealed off like cellophane tape. If a vertical crack widens at the top or bottom, the wall is either settling or gradually heaving, which may present serious issues. Five minute epoxy was used to glue the cracks together and was a nightmare to get off. The most important piece of wood on a mandolin is the top, else called soundboard. Brushed on finish leveled with abrasives and compounds. Just a little bump on the peghead scroll, or dropping something on the soundboard or splatteringing some dark stain on the instrument can make it. Replacing strings on a mandolin ifixit repair guide. The straight spirit varnish is a mellower, less reflective, more rustic look. Acousticelectric guitars free delivery possible on eligible purchases.
The scroll of a carved fstyle mandolin has a ridge that runs down into the soundboard area. Loose braces on mandolins mandolin top sinking beneath. Black kiwi leather dye available in almost any supermarketshoe care products penetrated the maple easily and made a nice finish. For example, a computer controlled carver can get a mandolin plate very close to finished in short order. Loose braces can cause top deformity, sinking and other structural damage such as cracks and warping. Ktmsv an overlooked finish for mandolins and guitars. Repair chips and cracks in finish fender stratocaster. Had to strip off all the finish, roughup the wood a bit with some 320grit, and do over. The mandolin appears to be in very good shape with no structural cracks or damage. This guide gives stepbystep instructions for replacing strings in the most appropriate manner, ensuring that you can do some seriously righteous jamming on your new yorker.
Montana lutherie offers customization for your mandolin neck and fingerboard. These are points 1 and 2 in red on the followingtriage chart. Just glued the neck on my first mandolin build, so im getting dangerously close to applying a finish. Posts about mandolin repairing written by cambridgeriffs. Mar 18, 20 drop fill the cracks with thin clear super glue. All instruments are stained using water based aniline dyes directly on to the surface of the wood before the varnish is applied. Taking the mandolin through these next steps is a very delicate walk for the luthier. What i discovered is, if you get the wood too smooth before you apply finish, a lot of finishes wont adhere well. Luthiers mercantile international offers the largest selection of tonewoods, professional tools and parts for the custom guitar builder. Godin a8 twochambered electroacoustic mandolin natural. I used a wipe on polyurethane finish over the mandolin s entire surface. Buy godin a8 twochambered electroacoustic mandolin cognac burst. Acoustic guitar top crack repair cleating cracks n sealing.
The satin has the least with a matte finish and only a singlebinding on the top, and the proplayer has a gloss finish with full triplebinding. Drop fill the chips with superglue after the bottom nail polish has hardened. Home inventory previously sold gibson fern mandolin distressed varnish finish. Im starting the mandolin project again after a long delay. This superb sounding and beautiful mandolin has a red spruce top, sugar maple back, sides and neck, ebony fingerboard with radius and medium sized frets, ebony headstock overlay, fully bound body, neck and headstock with ivoroid and prurfling, adjustable truss rod, varnish finish, silver waverly tuners with ivoroid buttons, silver james tailpiece, ebony adjustable bridge, bound. The tape blocked the finish effectively and it peeled right off when i was done finishing. I applied three coats with about 3hrs between the first and second coats as well as between the second and third coats. On my red diamond, and on rigels, webers complete with forked tongue, and some others, the ridge extends down into the domed area.
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