I hope I get to where I can carve out a top of similar quality one day...I've been to Mountain View a couple of times & really enjoyed the jamming in the square there...it's always a great time...👌🏿😎👍🏿
Great song. Your daughter in law has such a pure voice. I know you use electric tools, but one good thing about pneumatic tools, is they don't heat up so quickly. Looks like such a tough job. I'm amazed every time I watch your videos!
You are a true 'artist' - it's 'Boxing Day -16' -(in the UK) and I jus' finished this set of 4 vids..yours and Randys' sites in the last week have taught me a lot - and all I wanna do is 'learn to play' (a guitar - at 68..lol)..I can sing a bit - (my 'claim to fame' was 'bout 8 years back - on honeymoon with (3rd wifie) Lorrie..over in Gran Canaria - on a 'dolphin-seeing' trip -'cept the dolphins didn't appear - so I grabbed the mike (wasn' any backin') and took off wi' a 'Jim Reeves love song' - and waddya know - them dolphins came right up there to sing along..I even gave them an 'Adios Amigo' as we came back into port - and me an' Lorrie was promised 'a free trip'..tho' we ain' been back - lol)...I guess what I'm really sayin' is I like the musical 'inserts' especially Emeri, she gotta sweet voice - kk..more later.. thks agin..
Even through the camera speakers I could tell that mandolin has an amazing voice! If I was a betting man I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find a Kentucky mandolin on this Earth that could match that tone or craftsmanship. Well done!
Jerry, you are a true craftsman, I have been watching your video's for a long thme, you amaze me how you seem to be able to fix just about anything. You are tops in my book.
Ever used a coping saw with yarn mounted to dye into the curl? Put a wick in the stain and draw the center of the "bow" over the wick to pick up stain then "saw" into the curl to dye that decreasing opening. You could also use alcohol on a clean piece of yarn to help blend in tight spaces. It would give you a round blending brush, diameter controlled by the size of the yard and tension on the coping saw bow. Also would work to put lacquer deep in the curl.
It was really ironic that you made this comment at the moment you made it. It is the truth that we were in Mountain View Arkansas when I saw the comment and believe it or not the man who owns the mandolin was there as well playing it. And he sent it back home with me to do more work on it this week. I will be making another video on it in the near future. Thank you so much for watching
Keep learning a lot from you...Loved that song Brother John...new to me.. gonna have to learn that one... Also remember Mountain View Arkansas days... during the Outhouse Race and Bean fest ..I used to strap my mandolin on and literally play for 8-10 hours Only stopping to eat or walk over to sit in another group...
Well what can I say? Incredible! This is "the best" video yet. You are the best on RUclips! I'm so glad I found your channel. Can not wait for your next. Thankz
I didn't know you were color blind. I found out years ago a doctor found out I was 1/3 color blind certain pastel shades i cant distinguish. This has been one of the most impressive things you have ever done on video not to mention see all of the painstaking work that goes into making a complete top for that Kentucky mandolin. Thanks for bringing us along Jerry
Thank you. According to my eye doctor after his test, his words... "you are profoundly colorblind" I found out in my senior year of high school. But didn't know how severe until about 10 years ago.
Yeah i found out when i was in Junior high that I was 1/3 color blind the eye doctor showed me a bunch of sheets with different colored dots and you are supposed to read the number they spell out if you aren't color blind. But solid colors i'm ok so 2/3's not color blind is better than being totally color blind i suppose. About a month ago I started doing more videos for my you tube channel after getting encouragement from the garage gang on here so its been fun and gives me something else to do in my retirement lol
I just caught this channel & am inspired by your intense attention to fine detail. When I saw other videos on your channel I was impressed by some of the nearly impossible repairs you tackled! This retop of the mandolin was a greatly informative piece of footage. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, sir! I just subscribed and look forward to spending much time learning from your years of experience.
You did an amazing job on the mandolin. It turned out great. I really enjoyed this video. I hope you will do more like it in the future. Thank you for sharing the video.
I bought a Gibson Les Paul guitar in 2015 for £2,000 which is about $2,400 US. I sent it back because the binding had a ridge all around it on the side although it is smooth on the top. The frets were sharp on the ends too. The reply I received was that it was within "factory specifications" and they even made no attempt to address the frets when they had it in their care. Having watched you it is clear that it takes so much skill and time to do a proper job they just don't bother (not that you charge as much). Gibson doesn't care so long as they sell guitars. I have bought two Epiphone guitars over the last year (at a quarter of the cost) or so and the binding is perfect- no ridges at all. They were made in China (don't know whether they used machines or not). Its a shame that Gibson USA doesn't bother about quality. Wish I lived near you - not going to send my guitars all that way but am so impressed by your care and attention. Love the videos. I wish you continued success.
Thats why I do not buy Gibson for the same price I can geta five time better sounding handmade guitar. That is what I do The issues you mention are more or less the same I've had with my Gibson J200. I later purchased a second hand Epiphone 200SCE and after properly set up which involved no small finger board and fret jobs, the action tuned up and also a bridge and saddle replaments, sounds much better than the Gibson does. In what concerns distance I'll bet that I beat you hands off. I'm in Portugal and I'll be sending a 120 year old classical guitar to Jerry in order to be restored to a good standard. I'm sure he'll make a video as the guitar is in a terrible condition. US$ 120/30 shall be the cost of postage (more or less) + 80,00 bucks for a US$ 3000,00 insurance policy for the duration of Three months after expedition and another US$80,00 for a packaging and expedition survey, and unloading and opening survey when I finally get it back from jerry, just to avoid the usual liability disclaim that Insurance companies love to write you back, if anything happens to the goods, namely, if the guitar arrives back to me within a damaged package and sustaining itselfitself damages, during transportation, unloading and delivery. For what we all have seen already its worth it. I could get the job done back home, at a fraction of the cost but, this kind of repair needs something that jerry inspires a proffessional approach and an escellent caracter. keep to the good guys and you seldom go wrong.
Beautiful. Enjoy the bluegrass band too. Maybe sometime you might explain the differences between the various finish treatments? I am not sure where shellack ends and Lacquer begins, varnish, etc. The differences and uses? All the best. Marvelous series.
I can see this for a Gibson. For a Kentucky, I guess if the customer pays for it so be it. The craftsmanship is awesome. I can see why it is impossible to get in for service!
+Fitz's Fixes Glad to hear it! I just glanced through your site. Looks like you are in pretty deep yourself. I'll take a look at some of your videos too.
Really enjoyed watching this was great, now I wish I didn't trade off that Kentucky km 860 ?? Or was it what ever it kept up with my friends Gibson F-5 oh well someone has it and is in love with it....flower pot head stock and all... wah ok I'm done crying you are the Best!!!
songbyrdsings1 thank you very kindly my friend. Believe it or not. I just finished a jam session with that guy and the mandolin just moments ago. We're down in Mountain View Arkansas having a real fun time jamming. The guy that owns the mandolin is from Oxford Mississippi.
That was great set of videos Jerry -- about as A to Z as you could ever get for making an F-style mandolin top. And you ended up with a terrific looking AND sounding mandolin. I found it very interesting as I am half way through making a carved top for a mandolin I am building. I would have loved to see you do the sunburst as I find spruce about 10 times more difficult to stain than something like maple for example. (I use a set of azo-based, water soluble dyes by Transfast). Some of the techniques you do are a little different then you might find in a book like Siminoff's Ultimate Guide so it opens a person's options to see them and think about using them. You must put in an unbelievable amount of time to make these videos and must have to have a lot of RAM of process it? Oh one other thing -- more of a comment. You performed what by any definition is MAJOR surgery on that Kentucky mandolin. You can buy a very nice used KM-1000 these days (which is just a peach of a mandolin BTW) for $1000 if you shop around -- the one you worked on looked like a lesser model? It could not be cost effective to do that repair could it? I know people have emotional attachments and that also has "value"! (
Thanks for watching and the nice comments. I'd say you are correct in terms of cost effectiveness. On the other side of the coin, though he still will not get his money back in terms of cost/value, he has a mandolin that looks good and really sounds good that will sound even better in about a year after the finish hardens. He is very pleased and has sent me several notes reagrding the sound compared to other mandolins hes played. Thanks again.
Jerry, at 2:32 you use a "spiral cutter". Try to get "cross spiral" cutters from a dentist and it will serve your problems with chipping and it will be easier to work on details.
Love your videos your a awesome player and Luther keep up the great work and videos my friend love them and you made this mando better than it was when it was made awesome.
Well, it was like watching an ugly duckling turning into a graceful swan! I knew you are good, but this I did not expect...such a pleasure to see that happening,..Question : why in your opinion the antler saddles sound better (which they do!) because, bone seem to me, is denser and easier to polish ? I have never had a chance and neither the oportunity to put on my guitars anything else. Nobody sells antler saddles or nuts! Stay happy and healthy dear Sir!!!
When hand cutting the binding slot, is it possible to make an "L" shaped foot from an old blade, ground with rounded edges, placed in the handle with the cutting blade to provide a depth gauge both down and into the top? You could make a left and right with two handles. A small touch of brazing or weld on the "foot", ground flat on the top would give you a repeatable depth by fitting tight to the jaws of the handle as you change blades. It would also stiffen scalpel blades for sharper cutting into the curl head?
Great job Jerry! As usual! You mentioned Crimson Guitars, there was an episode with Susan Gardener, you may want to check out her channel. She has a 100 year old parlor guitar she bought that she is restoring, she has filmed lots of detailed videos documenting her progress.
Sorry to ask a lot of questions Jerry, I think you matched the colors very well on the replaced top.. looks very very nice. I was wondering, if you can remember when you 1st took the wood for the top out of the box, you had said "the wood looks okay, not necessarily what I would have picked" What did you mean by that? Would you have picked something with some flame to it? Anyway it really did come out nice.. You make it look easy..
It's been a while but I believe I was referring to the grain pattern in the top wasn't the grain pattern I would have picked. It seems like the grain pattern was pretty wide I prefer a little more narrow pattern but wide is pretty good for the softer sound.
Great job! I hate to see snippers anywhere around strings. I have been hooked too many times and especially around children they shouldn't be used. I always bend them off and then there is no chance of getting stabbed.
Looking good Jerry, finish touch up and refins can be brutal. You pulled off very nicely. Those scrolls on F type mandos just look like a ton of work do they make a difference tonally? Or are they just ascetics?
Followed the whole series. That's an amazing amount of work and real craftsmanship. Makes me understand why mandos cost so much. How long did it take you to build the mando in the opening?
Thank you Rick I appreciate that. The mandolin in the opening was custom built for Carmine D Amico. He is the fellow that played the mandolin through The Godfather movies. I would say I probably had a hundred and fifty hours in that mandolin. It was also on display at the national guitar Museum in New York City for a while.
Jerry, was thinking of replacing the tailpiece. The fellow that built it . By the name of Leonard short or{ LT Short} added a small piece of wood to lift it up the tailpiece off the body. Will it hurt if I removed this piece off the tail ?
as always Sir a joy to watch quick question for you if I may; I made the mistake of using leather to tie to the head stock of my mandolin and it has a French Lacquer Finish do you have any videos that would be of help to me in fixing my mistake? Thank you Sir and hope to hear from you and on my Guitar I use Mothers Scratch X Remover with there Gold Polish and it took My Martin from a satin finish to a mirror finish and brought out the rosewood in my guitar as well Prior to doing this you couldn't even tell it was rosewood Take care and will be on the watch for our next project Paul
Paul thanks for watching. I don't recall any of my videos dealing with that type of finish problem. To be perfectly honest, I don't consider myself to be an expert when it comes to finishes. I could probably tackle it if I had to, but I don't feel confident enough to make a recommendation. Sorry.
you are amazing! but I do have a question without getting to personal. this looked like a time intensive project. I know Kentucky is a well thought of brand but where is the line (money wise) where it is not worth it. I am not asking what this one cost the customer..not getting that personal...it just seems like a lot to me.
From what I have seen that model Kentucky mandolin selling for, was it worthwhile to have an expert luthier like yourself replace the top rather than just replace the instrument entirely?
Concerning what you mentioned about polishing the instrument, many expert vintage instrument dealers have recommended using an automotive polish like Meguiar’s since after polishing it leaves no residue on the instrument whatever. What are your thoughts on this?
What are the odds I can get the chords for brother John? Love what you are doing on the channel by the way sir. Let me know if you ever want an apprentice from Michigan haha.
Jdyke2059 send me an email to rosastringworks@gmail.com and I will see if I can find the chords for Brother John. I would love an apprentice but it's pretty far commute from Michigan. Unfortunately I don't really have the money to pay anybody at least not very much. Thank you for watching.
Rosa String Works lol if you were in the area or vice versa I would do it for free. Believe me. I will send you an email in the next couple days. Thank you sir!
Sorry I'm not really sure I understand your question. If you're referring to the crooked neck, putting a wedge under it seem to be the easiest way to fix it. Had I tried to thin the fretboard down, I would have remove too much wood.
I meant to say you removed the upper frets... then thinned down the fret board in that area, like you do on your mandolins.. Is it because they are spaced too small to be useful to be fretted anyway's? Thanks, Tom
maddogpicker yes I do build mandolins. You can see them on my website at: www.rosastringworks.com There are also a few videos on my channel that feature mandolins I've built. They start out at $6,000 and go up from there.
Someone please tell me, why put a florida on the fretboard if you don't like the frets they originally were designed for? It looks dumb to me, like fake shutters on a house. But at least shutters add a cutesy look to a house. Floridas don't add anything aesthetically to Mandolins. You may as well paint fake frets on the florida to make it look better. But I've seen some very attractive things done on mandolins to do instead of the extended florida without frets, like a bracket similar to this "{". That would look much better than the look of a florida that's been de-fretted and scooped down.
3rd or 4th time through this video....still don't understand the courage to take a dremel to the top you just put SO much work into. So well done.
I will always be amazed by your freehand skills with a dremel tool
I hope I get to where I can carve out a top of similar quality one day...I've been to Mountain View a couple of times & really enjoyed the jamming in the square there...it's always a great time...👌🏿😎👍🏿
I have watched all the video's on this Ky great looking mandolin now but the thing that I was amused with was the sound WOW !!! sounds great.
Thank you Bobby. I appreciate the views and your comments.
Great song. Your daughter in law has such a pure voice. I know you use electric tools, but one good thing about pneumatic tools, is they don't heat up so quickly. Looks like such a tough job. I'm amazed every time I watch your videos!
A perfect ending. Fine work, Jerry!
You are a true 'artist' - it's 'Boxing Day -16' -(in the UK) and I jus' finished this set of 4 vids..yours and Randys' sites in the last week have taught me a lot - and all I wanna do is 'learn to play' (a guitar - at 68..lol)..I can sing a bit - (my 'claim to fame' was 'bout 8 years back - on honeymoon with (3rd wifie) Lorrie..over in Gran Canaria - on a 'dolphin-seeing' trip -'cept the dolphins didn't appear - so I grabbed the mike (wasn' any backin') and took off wi' a 'Jim Reeves love song' - and waddya know - them dolphins came right up there to sing along..I even gave them an 'Adios Amigo' as we came back into port - and me an' Lorrie was promised 'a free trip'..tho' we ain' been back - lol)...I guess what I'm really sayin' is I like the musical 'inserts' especially Emeri, she gotta sweet voice - kk..more later.. thks agin..
Your wife has a good eye. The color is spot-on!
Thanks
DAAAAAAAMN! Jerry you always kill it! All the detail that you put into every instrument is just amazing!😁😁🤙🤘
Even through the camera speakers I could tell that mandolin has an amazing voice! If I was a betting man I'd say you'd be hard pressed to find a Kentucky mandolin on this Earth that could match that tone or craftsmanship. Well done!
The owner is very happy with it that's for sure.
Jerry, you are a true craftsman, I have been watching your video's for a long thme, you amaze me how you seem to be able to fix just about anything. You are tops in my book.
Dennis Kopp thank you very much. Nice to hear.
Just an incredible job! It was worth all the tedious hours when you heard the customer give you such high praise! Congrats!
You are so right. It was worth it. Thanks for watching.
Ever used a coping saw with yarn mounted to dye into the curl? Put a wick in the stain and draw the center of the "bow" over the wick to pick up stain then "saw" into the curl to dye that decreasing opening. You could also use alcohol on a clean piece of yarn to help blend in tight spaces. It would give you a round blending brush, diameter controlled by the size of the yard and tension on the coping saw bow. Also would work to put lacquer deep in the curl.
Turned out really nice Jerry. Good job
Thank you Victor.
Man, that Mandolin looks like a brand new one! Great job!
Jim Akin thank you very much I really appreciate that. The customer really likes it.
JERRY, get yuorself a good SHOP APRON for these messy jobs. THEY REALLY WORK...........TRUST ME. CHEERS...! watching from Sydney , N.S. Canada
I'm honestly blown away at details and knowledge you have applied to this amazing instrument .
Hi I really appreciated that little series about the re-topping of the Kent. Mandolin. Very instructive and enjoyable. Amazing craftsmanship.
Marcus M. thank you so much.
Yes absolutely amazing craftmanship. The best I've seen in my whole life.
I don't know how much that cost, but that looks like at least 1-2 thousand dollars worth of skill and sweat! You do an impeccable job Jerry!!!!
It was really ironic that you made this comment at the moment you made it. It is the truth that we were in Mountain View Arkansas when I saw the comment and believe it or not the man who owns the mandolin was there as well playing it. And he sent it back home with me to do more work on it this week. I will be making another video on it in the near future. Thank you so much for watching
Keep learning a lot from you...Loved that song Brother John...new to me.. gonna have to learn that one...
Also remember Mountain View Arkansas days... during the Outhouse Race and Bean fest ..I used to strap my mandolin on and literally play for 8-10 hours Only stopping to eat or walk over to sit in another group...
Well what can I say? Incredible! This is "the best" video yet. You are the best on RUclips! I'm so glad I found your channel. Can not wait for your next. Thankz
Thank you very much. You are too kind.
just ran across your channel, you are a master, just a pleasure to watch. I can't wait to see the mandolin you are building finished.
tom carol thank you very kindly.
That sure was a lot of work. You made it look and play great and I see the customer was very pleased with the results.
Thank you Dale!
Jerry I am truly impressed. May God keep Blessing You and Your Family! You have a fan in Minnesota.
A wonderful job as usual and the music was other worldly, just loved it.
Outstanding repair on the Kentucky! You have also renewed my love for bluegrass. Take care
Thank you very much.
very good work Mr Rosa I like you're style.
Thank you Terry. I appreciate the comment and the view.
Tedious work, and a lot of it! Nicely done Jerry! That bass player is pretty slick!
Thanks Randy. Yes, he's done a lot of studio work too. One of the best.
I didn't know you were color blind. I found out years ago a doctor found out I was 1/3 color blind certain pastel shades i cant distinguish. This has been one of the most impressive things you have ever done on video not to mention see all of the painstaking work that goes into making a complete top for that Kentucky mandolin. Thanks for bringing us along Jerry
Thank you. According to my eye doctor after his test, his words... "you are profoundly colorblind" I found out in my senior year of high school. But didn't know how severe until about 10 years ago.
Yeah i found out when i was in Junior high that I was 1/3 color blind the eye doctor showed me a bunch of sheets with different colored dots and you are supposed to read the number they spell out if you aren't color blind. But solid colors i'm ok so 2/3's not color blind is better than being totally color blind i suppose. About a month ago I started doing more videos for my you tube channel after getting encouragement from the garage gang on here so its been fun and gives me something else to do in my retirement lol
Great job Jerry, sounds amazing. and looks superb. Peace and love to you and yours from bonny Scotland.
Andrew Reynolds thanks my friend.
I just caught this channel & am inspired by your intense attention to fine detail. When I saw other videos on your channel I was impressed by some of the nearly impossible repairs you tackled! This retop of the mandolin was a greatly informative piece of footage. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, sir! I just subscribed and look forward to spending much time learning from your years of experience.
Dennis Allport thank you my friend I appreciate the nice note.
You did an amazing job on the mandolin. It turned out great. I really enjoyed this video. I hope you will do more like it in the future. Thank you for sharing the video.
You are welcome. Thanks for watching.
I think it turned out fantastic and sounds great! It was really cool to see the customer's reaction also.
Thanks Jeff. Bruce is a very kind man. I think he liked it pretty well. Sure hope so.
I bought a Gibson Les Paul guitar in 2015 for £2,000 which is about $2,400 US. I sent it back because the binding had a ridge all around it on the side although it is smooth on the top. The frets were sharp on the ends too. The reply I received was that it was within "factory specifications" and they even made no attempt to address the frets when they had it in their care. Having watched you it is clear that it takes so much skill and time to do a proper job they just don't bother (not that you charge as much). Gibson doesn't care so long as they sell guitars. I have bought two Epiphone guitars over the last year (at a quarter of the cost) or so and the binding is perfect- no ridges at all. They were made in China (don't know whether they used machines or not). Its a shame that Gibson USA doesn't bother about quality. Wish I lived near you - not going to send my guitars all that way but am so impressed by your care and attention. Love the videos. I wish you continued success.
Andrew Bryan thank you so much. I really do appreciate it.
Trust me, you're better off with Epiphone.
Thats why I do not buy Gibson for the same price I can geta five time better sounding handmade guitar. That is what I do The issues you mention are more or less the same I've had with my Gibson J200. I later purchased a second hand Epiphone 200SCE and after properly set up which involved no small finger board and fret jobs, the action tuned up and also a bridge and saddle replaments, sounds much better than the Gibson does.
In what concerns distance I'll bet that I beat you hands off. I'm in Portugal and I'll be sending a 120 year old classical guitar to Jerry in order to be restored to a good standard. I'm sure he'll make a video as the guitar is in a terrible condition. US$ 120/30 shall be the cost of postage (more or less) + 80,00 bucks for a US$ 3000,00 insurance policy for the duration of Three months after expedition and another US$80,00 for a packaging and expedition survey, and unloading and opening survey when I finally get it back from jerry, just to avoid the usual liability disclaim that Insurance companies love to write you back, if anything happens to the goods, namely, if the guitar arrives back to me within a damaged package and sustaining itselfitself damages, during transportation, unloading and delivery.
For what we all have seen already its worth it. I could get the job done back home, at a fraction of the cost but, this kind of repair needs something that jerry inspires a proffessional approach and an escellent caracter. keep to the good guys and you seldom go wrong.
Beautiful dye and lacquer work!
Sounds really good, looks awesome. Nice work...
Thank you very much. Sorry about the delayed reply, didn't receive notification, just happened to see the note scanning the comments.
No worries...I dont really expect to get replies, but if I do thats nice.. Take care God speed...
Beautiful. Enjoy the bluegrass band too. Maybe sometime you might explain the differences between the various finish treatments? I am not sure where shellack ends and Lacquer begins, varnish, etc. The differences and uses? All the best. Marvelous series.
I can see this for a Gibson. For a Kentucky, I guess if the customer pays for it so be it. The craftsmanship is awesome. I can see why it is impossible to get in for service!
Yes Jerry. I have seen all your videos and i am watching some of them for the second time and some three or four times ;-)
micheloderso thanks.
Simply amazing! I've got no other words to evaluate this excellent job!
Mario Tulio thank you very kindly my friend.
My attempts at free handing a dremel tool on a guitar have ended in total failure. I am amazed how well you manage a dremel tool
I think that has been your best video yet👍
Jerry you are amazing!!just watched all 3 episodes great work!!much respect!!Cheers
blkjckgtrnut thank you very much.
Amazing work.
i love watching the videos you post .!
Terry Hack thank you vety much.
Great craftsmanship.
Thank you. Appreciate the veiw and the comment.
+Rosa String Works I found you from watching elderlyiron. now I'm hooked!
+Fitz's Fixes Glad to hear it! I just glanced through your site. Looks like you are in pretty deep yourself. I'll take a look at some of your videos too.
+Rosa String Works well thank you, sir! I appreciate the views as well. Cheers to you
I agree! With Jerry's help, I might become a luthier myself. Thankz
Really enjoyed watching this was great, now I wish I didn't trade off that Kentucky km 860 ?? Or was it what ever it kept up with my friends Gibson F-5 oh well someone has it and is in love with it....flower pot head stock and all... wah ok I'm done crying you are the Best!!!
songbyrdsings1 thank you very kindly my friend. Believe it or not. I just finished a jam session with that guy and the mandolin just moments ago. We're down in Mountain View Arkansas having a real fun time jamming. The guy that owns the mandolin is from Oxford Mississippi.
Fantastic job
I enjoy watching your channel
amazing transformation.
Thank you Michael.
That was great set of videos Jerry -- about as A to Z as you could ever get for making an F-style mandolin top. And you ended up with a terrific looking AND sounding mandolin. I found it very interesting as I am half way through making a carved top for a mandolin I am building. I would have loved to see you do the sunburst as I find spruce about 10 times more difficult to stain than something like maple for example. (I use a set of azo-based, water soluble dyes by Transfast). Some of the techniques you do are a little different then you might find in a book like Siminoff's Ultimate Guide so it opens a person's options to see them and think about using them. You must put in an unbelievable amount of time to make these videos and must have to have a lot of RAM of process it? Oh one other thing -- more of a comment. You performed what by any definition is MAJOR surgery on that Kentucky mandolin. You can buy a very nice used KM-1000 these days (which is just a peach of a mandolin BTW) for $1000 if you shop around -- the one you worked on looked like a lesser model? It could not be cost effective to do that repair could it? I know people have emotional attachments and that also has "value"! (
Thanks for watching and the nice comments. I'd say you are correct in terms of cost effectiveness. On the other side of the coin, though he still will not get his money back in terms of cost/value, he has a mandolin that looks good and really sounds good that will sound even better in about a year after the finish hardens. He is very pleased and has sent me several notes reagrding the sound compared to other mandolins hes played. Thanks again.
Jerry, at 2:32 you use a "spiral cutter". Try to get "cross spiral" cutters from a dentist and it will serve your problems with chipping and it will be easier to work on details.
micheloderso thanks for the note. Thanks for watching.
Jer,xllnt job again.!you really work hard on your repairs and builds.!!!! Good luck,eat and drink well,alright....??????
Amazing work!
ASK JDOG thank you very much.
Love your videos your a awesome player and Luther keep up the great work and videos my friend love them and you made this mando better than it was when it was made awesome.
Thank you Todd. Very much appreciated.
I LOVE harmony singing, so beautiful!
Looks really good.
Thank you Michael.
Well, it was like watching an ugly duckling turning into a graceful swan! I knew you are good, but this I did not expect...such a pleasure to see that happening,..Question : why in your opinion the antler saddles sound better (which they do!) because, bone seem to me, is denser and easier to polish ? I have never had a chance and neither the oportunity to put on my guitars anything else. Nobody sells antler saddles or nuts! Stay happy and healthy dear Sir!!!
At least, that is, probably a bit more....wow!!
Nice job!
Thank you very much!
Much more interesting to watch than crappy tv series😄😄😄
When hand cutting the binding slot, is it possible to make an "L" shaped foot from an old blade, ground with rounded edges, placed in the handle with the cutting blade to provide a depth gauge both down and into the top? You could make a left and right with two handles. A small touch of brazing or weld on the "foot", ground flat on the top would give you a repeatable depth by fitting tight to the jaws of the handle as you change blades. It would also stiffen scalpel blades for sharper cutting into the curl head?
Renaissance wax just got top rating in this month's Fine Woodworking comparison.
Thanks for the view and the note. It seems like pretty good stuff.
Great job Jerry! As usual!
You mentioned Crimson Guitars, there was an episode with Susan Gardener, you may want to check out her channel. She has a 100 year old parlor guitar she bought that she is restoring, she has filmed lots of detailed videos documenting her progress.
Thank you Dean. I believe I have seen at least a portion of her restoration.
Sorry to ask a lot of questions Jerry, I think you matched the colors very well on the replaced top.. looks very very nice. I was wondering, if you can remember when you 1st took the wood for the top out of the box, you had said "the wood looks okay, not necessarily what I would have picked" What did you mean by that? Would you have picked something with some flame to it? Anyway it really did come out nice.. You make it look easy..
It's been a while but I believe I was referring to the grain pattern in the top wasn't the grain pattern I would have picked. It seems like the grain pattern was pretty wide I prefer a little more narrow pattern but wide is pretty good for the softer sound.
""BEAUTIFUL"❤
Great job! I hate to see snippers anywhere around strings. I have been hooked too many times and especially around children they shouldn't be used. I always bend them off and then there is no chance of getting stabbed.
Yeah we get laughed at for coiling our strings on the headstock, but I laugh at the people who think they hear a difference and get stabbed lol
Looking good Jerry, finish touch up and refins can be brutal. You pulled off very nicely. Those scrolls on F type mandos just look like a ton of work do they make a difference tonally? Or are they just ascetics?
Thanks Dane, they are just for looks and tradition.
A Rosa Kentucky WOW
Very nice repair.
Thank you Richard.
Followed the whole series. That's an amazing amount of work and real craftsmanship. Makes me understand why mandos cost so much.
How long did it take you to build the mando in the opening?
Thank you Rick I appreciate that. The mandolin in the opening was custom built for Carmine D Amico. He is the fellow that played the mandolin through The Godfather movies. I would say I probably had a hundred and fifty hours in that mandolin. It was also on display at the national guitar Museum in New York City for a while.
If I had to start all over again I'd do what you do....
Thanks John, never too late.
Jerry, could you tell me what you used for a "filler" in the binding cracks?
Jerry, was thinking of replacing the tailpiece. The fellow that built it . By the name of Leonard short or{ LT Short} added a small piece of wood to lift it up the tailpiece off the body. Will it hurt if I removed this piece off the tail ?
Steve Newland I'm not sure I have enough information to make the call. Can you send me a couple of pictures. rosastringworks@gmail.com
I look like to see how you actually go about buffing it. Could you include that in a video?
I think I included some buffing in the St. Louis and other mandolin build videos. Thanks for taking a look.
Thanks!
amazing restoration! it is possible to hear more Emeri songs somewhere? I really like the song.
Rafael Castillo thought I had replied sorry. My latest video features her on The Star of Bethlehem. Thanks.
thanks
I like your music
bill schofield thank you very kindly.
as always Sir a joy to watch
quick question for you if I may; I made the mistake of using leather to tie to the head stock of my mandolin and it has a French Lacquer Finish do you have any videos that would be of help to me in fixing my mistake?
Thank you Sir and hope to hear from you and on my Guitar I use Mothers Scratch X Remover with there Gold Polish and it took My Martin from a satin finish to a mirror finish and brought out the rosewood in my guitar as well
Prior to doing this you couldn't even tell it was rosewood
Take care and will be on the watch for our next project
Paul
Paul thanks for watching. I don't recall any of my videos dealing with that type of finish problem. To be perfectly honest, I don't consider myself to be an expert when it comes to finishes. I could probably tackle it if I had to, but I don't feel confident enough to make a recommendation. Sorry.
thanks for getting back to me will seek some help from a local Luther who fixed my guitar
once more thank you and so enjoy your videos
Paul
you are amazing! but I do have a question without getting to personal. this looked like a time intensive project. I know Kentucky is a well thought of brand but where is the line (money wise) where it is not worth it. I am not asking what this one cost the customer..not getting that personal...it just seems like a lot to me.
From what I have seen that model Kentucky mandolin selling for, was it worthwhile to have an expert luthier like yourself replace the top rather than just replace the instrument entirely?
It's what the customer wanted and was willing to pay for it. He's very happy with the day even still today.
Concerning what you mentioned about polishing the instrument, many expert vintage instrument dealers have recommended using an automotive polish like Meguiar’s since after polishing it leaves no residue on the instrument whatever. What are your thoughts on this?
I prefer paste waxes over liquid polishes. Many car paste waxes are very good.
What are the odds I can get the chords for brother John? Love what you are doing on the channel by the way sir. Let me know if you ever want an apprentice from Michigan haha.
Jdyke2059 send me an email to rosastringworks@gmail.com and I will see if I can find the chords for Brother John. I would love an apprentice but it's pretty far commute from Michigan. Unfortunately I don't really have the money to pay anybody at least not very much. Thank you for watching.
Rosa String Works lol if you were in the area or vice versa I would do it for free. Believe me. I will send you an email in the next couple days. Thank you sir!
Are you overwhelmed still. With work,right...?????
Hi Jerry, Excuse my ignorance, but why did you remove than thin down the fret board in the upper register? Just curious.. ,Thanks Tom
Sorry I'm not really sure I understand your question. If you're referring to the crooked neck, putting a wedge under it seem to be the easiest way to fix it. Had I tried to thin the fretboard down, I would have remove too much wood.
I meant to say you removed the upper frets... then thinned down the fret board in that area, like you do on your mandolins.. Is it because they are spaced too small to be useful to be fretted anyway's? Thanks, Tom
Bucyrus Erie12 that is part of it. The main reason is just for pick clearance so that the pic doesn't hit that. Thank you for watching.
Enchroma glasses may help.👍
I've tried them. They don't really do much for me.
Good work. What's your take on the tail pieces.stamp or cast ? Thanks
Kathy Parker thank you. Generally speaking a heavier tail piece like I cast tailpiece, will have more sustain.
Rosa String Work. Ok so you cast your on as well and if so what is your price for one . Thanks
Kathy Parker sorry typo... should have said like a cast tailpiece. I buy they cast and have them engraved with the rosa.
Soap in the wet sand bath! Noted.
Thanks for taking a look Howard.
I'm sure you've been asked, but do you build mandolins?
maddogpicker yes I do build mandolins. You can see them on my website at: www.rosastringworks.com There are also a few videos on my channel that feature mandolins I've built. They start out at $6,000 and go up from there.
Someone please tell me, why put a florida on the fretboard if you don't like the frets they originally were designed for? It looks dumb to me, like fake shutters on a house. But at least shutters add a cutesy look to a house. Floridas don't add anything aesthetically to Mandolins. You may as well paint fake frets on the florida to make it look better. But I've seen some very attractive things done on mandolins to do instead of the extended florida without frets, like a bracket similar to this "{". That would look much better than the look of a florida that's been de-fretted and scooped down.
An "Artisan" took the top off with an axe?
Don't know what he used, but it was rough. Thanks for watching
my walmart does not have this glue.
They keep it kind of hidden.
What is thickness of the kerf on the saw you used on the nut?
I'm not sure but roughly around .020
Thanks
Ever have a neck screw break on an electric? Uuuuuuugghh