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Mandolin Side Bending and Construction
This week I started bending and assembling sides as part of my mandolin build. In the past, I’ve bent each piece individually over a hot copper pipe. As…
4 min read
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A Renaissance Repair
I sometimes receive unusual instruments needing repair, but recently I took on my first Renaissance instrument repair. A local musician brought me his Orpharion, in need of a…
4 min read
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The World of CNC
Computer Numerical Control (CNC), a process which uses a computer to operate tools like mills and routers, has taken hold in the instrument building world over the past…
4 min read
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Testing Mandolin Topwood
Luthiers for centuries have agreed that the wood on the top of an instrument affects its tone far more than any other part of the instrument. Spruce is…
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100+ Year-Old Mandolin Restoration
This Oscar Schmidt mandolin, built in the late 19th or early 20th century, came to me several months ago in virtually unplayable condition. Years of string tension had…
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Combining Tradition and Modern Technology
I’ve completed the first significant step in my 2025 mandolin build! Rough construction of a mandolin neck involves 12 distinct steps including cutting and squaring the main shaft,…
4 min read
What’s On My Bench
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