Official Luthiers Forum!

hey everyone i have been tinkering with the thought of building a mandolin for quite some time, and i would like to start doing some research on how its done, what are the best places to start?

_________________
~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

There are a number of good books out there but for my money Graham McDonald's is the best http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/themandolinproject.html He covers flat top, bent top and carved construction and is the only tome I know of that is so broad. There is Roger Simonoff's excellent books http://www.siminoff.net/pages/siminoff_books.html which covers carved American style mandolins (Gibson A's and F's).

Depends what you want to build really, I am still to find a book on Roman style mandolins.

i think i am probably more interested in the american style a's and f's. i was planning to try building an a style mandolin, i guess i didnt realize there was so much variety. is the flat top more of a celtic instrument?

_________________
~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

Well I dont know that there a historical Celtic Mandolin tradition but mandolin family instruments are being increasingly used by celtic musicians. There is along tradition of flat top mandolins from America as well as Europe. Carved mandolins are essentially an American tradition started by Orville Gibson AFAIK. Check out the Mandolin Archive for lots of mando pron with a Gibson leaning.

If its an A you are building its hard to past Siminoff's books.