Another A style oval hole in oil varnish, just completed in June 2020 and currently available. This is the first one I’ve built from a stash of Englemenn spruce wedges I acquired a few years ago from a log out of Chilliwack, Britich Columbia. I’m delighted with the results and will certainly be making many more from this source. This mandolin also features:
- Red maple figured sides and back
- fully bound in classic ivoroid: top, back, headstock and fingerboard
- Golden Age “Relic” tuners with ivoroid knobs in vintage nickel finish w/ matching tailpiece
- 1 3/16″ width ebony nut
- Shop made ebony adjustable bridge/saddle
- Adjustable truss rod and 3 piece laminate neck construction
- Soft “V” neck profile
- 10″ Radiused fingerboard with MOP dots and side markers
- oil varnish finish
- Hardshell case
- Full lifetime warranty
“Hi Don, I wanted you to know that the beautiful mandolin arrived safe and sound and almost still in tune! It looks, sounds, smells and plays wonderful.Congratulations on your beautiful work. I just love the old Gibson design. I particularly like how the fingerboard meets the carved top. I like that much better than the cantilevered fingerboards. I just think it looks great. I was very pleased with the sustain. I can’t believe how beautiful it sounds. I will write more after I get a chance to make friends with it. Thank you again for your fine work. Sincerely, Dave” Dave Dumont, owner #262, Aug.2020
“Good morning, Don.
I was able to get a good look at the mandolin (finally) this past Sunday. Josh did a great job on all his joinery- not one bit of “gap crap” as we say in the trade. He did an absolutely beautiful job in the matching of the figured maple on the backside. It always bothers me when woodworkers don’t pay attention to their matches, especially when it’s fairly easy to buy or saw consecutively sawn boards “en boulle” with the popularity of Wood Mizers. The playability is so much easier than my Kentucky 600- I’m kind of (annoyed) that I didn’t upgrade sooner. The sound and the sustain of the mandolin is wonderful- the kids come downstairs when I start playing. I love the simplicity of the varnish finish, and the practicality of the speed neck. I have always considered myself an intermediate player but in one week my playing has bumped to a higher level and I expect that trend to continue. Thank you both so much; being a craftsman myself, I know I have to take care of the business side of things in order to survive in this world. But still, everything I’ve ever made has a bit of my heart in it, and I can definitely see your hearts in this mandolin.
Hope I’ll be able to shake your hands someday,
Jay Hafner
Edinburg, VA”
