Thursday 4 November 2021

Archtop Mandolin

2018 saw the introduction of Archtop (or carved top) mandolins to my range. My archtops are not intended to be replicas of classic American instruments. The objective is to build a mandolin that is true to my aesthetic values and constructional techniques, based on decades of designing and making, whilst offering an instrument that has different tonal qualities to my popular and much-loved flat-tops. Each archtop mandolin is carved entirely by my hands from carefully selected, solid tonewoods- no CNC machinery or out-sourced pre-shaped plates are used.
Below is the first and you can see how it was made in a series of YouTube videos

Here is #2 and again you can see how it was built in its own series of YouTube videos.








#3; somewhat unusual as the back & sides are made from differing species of wood- Brazilian rosewood & figured maple respectively. Here is the series of build videos.




#4 Sitka spruce top, pommele sapele back and sides, maple neck. You can see aspects of its construction in these videos, in particular the French polishing process. 


#5- Sitka spruce top plate, black walnut back & sides, maple neck.

Currently available (see website)

Here are some videos of various aspects of its construction.






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