Question:
Hand made mandolin on Ebay NOW!!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MESE%3AIT&rd=1

Here is something a little special. A unique handmade mandolin, my third instrument, completed in May '06 and I'm selling it to free up a little space and capital to fund my next build.
The back and neck are 40 year old mahogany, so there won't be any warping (unless you leave it out in the rain for a week!!), rather than bent sides it's hollowed out from a solid block. this makes it VERY strong and the sides won't seperate from the back along a glue line because there isn't one. I suppose it's a little like a Rigel mando except they made a solid shell and then fit the top and back to it. this back is the same piece of wood as the sides with no join at all.
the top is pine,
fingerboard is rosewood, bought with fret slots precut, so they're in the right place!!!!!
nut is bone,
bridge (compensated of course) is ebony.
What makes this stand out from the crowd (apart from it's uniue looks, of course) in the fingerboard width.
I bought a mando a year ago. the neck was so thin that I couldn't get my fingers anywhere near it. As a woodwork teacher for 20 years I reckoned I could make myself a mando which had a neck which felt more like a 12 string guitar. I'd already built a bass and an acoustic guitar, so why not?
This little sweetie is the result.
the nut width is 40 mm with a 2mm gap between strings and 7mm between pairs of strings.
It's perfect for a guitarist who wants to learn mando or someone with big podgy fingers (like me!!)
One of the moderators on the Jam session guitar forum saw the pic and demanded a left handed version. she LOVES it, and is dead chuffed to have a unique handmade instrument that her guitarist's fingers can find their way around. the link below takes you to the thread about it, & shows the build of the lefty version (with a LOAD of pics). sadly I didn't take many pics when building this one.
http://guitar.zentao.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41345
As for tone, it's bright & zingy and if ebay will permit this link.....
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/song...songID=4117842
that's a two track recording of lonesome fiddle blues played on this instrument.
Everyone who has played this instrument has loved it. A pro guitarist who owns a McIlroy, a Seagull, Two Takamines and Lowden Custom series 00001 (he knows quality when he sees it right?) asked me to build him one the same, and George Lowden's Father said it was a really good job too.........
Starting price is what it cost me to make. postage to UK is £20, worldwide is £50 and it will be really well wrapped in foam.
there are a few minor scratches and dings, but nothing that's visible enough to stop you posing with your hand made!!
Answer:
Sweet work martin...I'll try to spread the word for you...hopefully you get some good $ for this.
Answer:
first bid in at £70 ($130). That covers materials cost so I'm happy if no-one else bids!!
Mind you, if it were to go to £1000 I wouldn't refuse!!!!!
the money from this sale will be turned around & sent straight to Stewmac for parts for a doubleneck acoustic that a friend wants me to build.
Answer:
sold after 1116 views and 64 watchers for £137 + post (less fees)
roughly 3 times what it cost to make and as a result I've got a few orders for other mandos
Yay!!
Answer:
Item sold. Thread closed.
(If you wanted to take offers from CGR, you could set up a thread like others have done, and I'll sticky it for you.)