Nice job, I've taken many inexpensive instruments over the years and made them better just by adding a few decent parts and a good setup. A good tip for using steel wool is to use a bar magnet in your hand while holding the steel wool, this will attracts the small steel fibers instead of leaving them behind on the instrument.
As someone who has taken great pleasure for many years in rehabilitating and improving neglected, unloved, and often broken stringed instruments found in pawnshops, garage sales, and online listings, Kudos on he job that was done here. About the only thing I probably would have done differently is the steel wool- I still keep some 0000 around, but almost never use it anymore. I use a single edge razor blade pulled with the grain between the frets to lightly scrape “finger cheese” off of the fretboard, and in the process to also at least partially level out the divots from fingernails which are usually found in the cowboy chord positions on instruments which have actually been played a fair bit. For some other operations where I used to use steel wool I usually use scotchbrite abrasive pads these days. You didn’t really get into levelling frets- this instrument probably didn’t need that, but I often find instruments with some serious fret wear in the open chord positions, and also find that frets will often be high where the fretboard extension joins the body, as wood movement over time under string tension often tends to flex the fingerboard extension up in relation to the neck. When needed, I’ll mark tops of all frets with a sharpie, and I have an old 2’ aluminum level with some 180 grit sandpaper glued onto the face which I use as a levelling beam. You always want to take off as little as possible, leaving a bit of sharpie still showing in the lowest spots, then recrown each fret. These days many purpose built concave crowning files are available, but for many years I just used a simple triangular file with a rolling motion to recrown frets.
Hey AOAT! I just want to encourage you. You’ve been instrumental in helping this 65-year old retired guy become adept at sharpening, restoring old planes, restoring and cooking in inherited cast iron! I’m having fun, feeling successful, and giving my arthritis hands a valuable workout. In addition to all of that, I’ve carved 8 spurtles and spoons out of found wood. I’m not proud of the quality of the product, yet, but very proud of the growth! Thank you for all your courage and effort. Oh, and your coasters and shirt are proud possessions! How many thousands are growing and living new joys because of you!
This makes my heart so happy. Thank you so much for taking the time to send that. It means so much to know that putting my heart and soul into these silly videos is making a difference, even for one person. Makes a whole lot of work wholly worth it :)
That was incredible, what a fun video, bringing a good instrument to greatness, you always do such meticulous work, of course, the best part was you and Adam playing, always a treat, if only a small treat, thank you so much for sharing this rebuild
Instrument setup is hugely important. I enjoy working on instruments almost as much as playing the music, as it's so fun to see how affordable instruments can become so much more enjoyable and welcoming to play. More of these woodwork and music related videos!
My own take- Beyond materials voodoo, idol worship, and advancements in PR, what separates good from great is fit and finish. And it's liberating to take a well setup POS where your custom shop dealie fears to tread. Jim Lill's vid on tone was particularly eye-opening.
This channel is awesome. My wife and I just got a 15 acre property in Whites Creek, TN and I mentioned that I wanted to have a shop and learn how to do woodworking. It’s going to be a journey for sure as I’ve always wanted to learn but never had the space or time. Channels like this make a huge difference.
Because of your first video of making a mandolin, I checked with some musician friends, and found the local community college has a stringed instrument class in their Cabinet and Furniture Technology program. I'm taking the co-requisite Fundamentals of Woodworking class along with the Ukulele/Tenor Ukulele I course and Stringed Instrument Lab. I can't wait to finish the basics so I can make my own mandolin and maybe a bandura. Thank you so much for these videos.
My mom bought a Stella mandolin for me for $10 at a pawn shop (in Manhattan, Kansas) in 1961 or -62 and I really wish I'd known there were possible things to do to make it more playable. It ate my fingertips as I tried to learn to pick out little tunes. I bought a Gibson mandolin in the summer of '64 and it was a dream (and still is) but I fear it probably needs a good cleaning! This was a most informative and enjoyable video, thank you , Anne.
I found a mandolin in a "free" pile a few months ago and decided to grab it, figuring that I could clean it up and maybe learn to play. Then it fell into the "projects I'll get to someday" pile. But this video has reinspired me to get working on it!
Great little inspirational video, should help people see that it's not always about having the absoluter best, but setting it up properly. No clue about music or musical instruments, but for years I did photography professionally with mostly "amateur" equipment, with a few choice, higher quality lenses, only 2 ever that would be considered "pro" - as you say, it's knowing how to set it up and use it.
Spot on there! I am a big fan of photography and I can’t even tell you how many times I get the comment “that’s such a great photo, what camera did you use?” And the answer is almost always “a 10 year old low end camera I found in Adam’s closet and learned how to use well”
Hi, homesteader form Eastern Wa here. I bought my son a Fender Squire Strat. The neck was crazy bad. I had to tighten the truss rod a bunch. It was sketchy but now it stays in tune. The action is perfect. Hope you do some more instruments. I want to pick up a mandolin. I have a banjo. Deering. We have a market garden and we breed Nigerian goats and specialty hens. Considering moving to TN. How I found your channel.
Thanks for sharing, nice mandolin. I think the most important thing is to check out and evaluate the fingerboard/neck for spots that is to high or to low with a notched straightedge before adjusting the trussrod.
Great upgrade for that mandolin! Plain ole mineral oil is my go-to for fretboards. It is DRY here in Colorado and mineral oil does a good job keeping that thirsty fretboard satisfied. I think most fretboard conditioners are just mineral oil with some other stuff in it, anyway, but it is more expensive than a big bottle of mineral oil from the neighborhood Walgreens!
If you run a piece of painters tape lengthwise along the neck before you mask off each fret, by lifting the long piece when you are done, all the little pieces come up alot easier. Now that you've opened the door of instrument set-up expect to have a part-time job from your community.
Nice video Ann. It's definitely a hot topic in the instrument world. I wood say that one material on that instrument affects the sound more than anything else... oh did i give it away, ya its wood. The soundboard is made of spruce, there are a few sub species that are known for their sound quality, Swiss spruce is well known to produce a top quality soundboard, Engelmann is the Canadian sound wood of choice. Grain width, wood density, winter cut, and a whole pile of other things can produce a piece of wood from which really expensive and undeniably better sounding instruments can be made. Music is great.
Like people, sometimes all an imstrument needs is a little TLC to get back up and running smoothly again. And of course, a little strategic hardware upgrade doesn't hurt either. 😁 Nice refurb job on this baby! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Anne! I love your content and am so pumped about your budding luthier skills! I have lots of (unsolicited) comments and suggestions, but I'm going to limit myself to just one. For your next quick woodworking project, i'd suggest making a simple, padded, cradle-style neck rest for working on instruments. The vice is great for some things, but I think they're a poor choice for setup work since you're going to be constantly picking up the instrument. And you really don't want to be constantly putting the instrument down on your bench with upward pressure on the tuners - just asking for a headstock crack. Stew-Mac sells some, but making your own is a great project.
@@AnneofAllTrades Thanks for your reply! You're an amazing person and an inspiration. Concerning the neck rest - there's a bunch of styles and they all have their fans and detractors. So, grain of salt, these are my preferences. I like a wide, flat base that I can easily shim up for working on different instruments. (I'm a repairman, so I see everything from bowl-back mandolins to Flying V's. You might not need that much versatility if you're just working on your own stuff.) Hard padding is a must - not too squishy, and something non-reactive with delicate finishes. I like leather. Cork is ok, but can get crumbly. I like a wide-ish mouth that can handle every width of neck, but I use a narrower cradle for mandolins with a padded V support that gently pinches the neck when I push down. My only strong dislike is for the "roller" style cradles. They'll tip over if you bump them, and, um, they roll, so that's not great for keeping things still. I know people who use them, but I don't get it. The tripod stands are fine for a quick string change backstage, but way too flimsy and tippy for serious work. Anyway, sorry to nerd out on neck supports - I've been repairing and building instruments for over twenty years now, so I tend to sweat the small stuff 😂
If I’m not mistaken that was “St. Anne’s” reel there at the end? Coincidence? I’m a little surprised you didn’t check the bridge’s placement. I bought a mandolin off ebay and the intonation was horrible. Spent a little time tweaking the bridge till the 12th fret was in tune and it sounds much better. Anyways, nice instrument and nice video. Thanks!
It sure was! Good ear :) I cut the part of the video with bridge placement because it was boring hahaha but actually intonation was spot on at the start so I wanted to leave it right where it was
I had no idea the bridge wasn’t attached! I’m a sax player, what do I know haha. But I got my sax cheap because it didn’t play right. Replaced ONE cork pad and it’s fine!
Delightful piece, thanks for going through the mandolin tune up. UNRELATED QUESTION… have you ever compared orthopedic surgical chisels to woodworking chisels? According to a friend of mine the orthopedic chisels are more than sterile, they sharpen to a much more precise edge and hold their edge longer. I would really love to have a wood worker make a comparison; I’ve not seen anyone consider the comparison.
Oh interesting. I didn’t know such a thing existed, but I have talked to surgeons about their scalpels and sharpening methods and let’s just say keeping your chisels surgery sharp makes a big positive difference :)
Mandolins are floating bridge instruments, so yes, the bridge is held in place entirely by string tension. There's plenty of force to keep it there, and leaving it floating lets you adjust its position to get the intonation just right.
$500 is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for an octave mandolin. You might be lucky to get a decent regular mandolin for less, but octave mandolins are pretty rare. I’ve been looking for one at this price for almost ten years 🤷🏻♀️
I mean, good for you and all, but I feel the title is a big cheat - 500 bucks aint cheap for most people, and it was only easy, because of all your knowledge. I could not have done any of this!
To clarify, $500 isn’t cheap for me either, but when it comes to a fairly rare instrument that is not commonly made, $500 is a pretty cheap price tag. And for what it’s worth, I learned how to do this from an article online, and confirmed what I’d read in a 10 minute phone call with Austin. It’s not rocket science, just takes time and care.
@@AnneofAllTrades I couldnt tell from the thumbnail what it was and "cheap" made me think of a guitar (like a 25$ guitar would be dirt cheap) - using a rare, high class instrument just isnt on the "cheat" side for me, no matter how you turn it. Still admiring your trademanship
Nice job, I've taken many inexpensive instruments over the years and made them better just by adding a few decent parts and a good setup. A good tip for using steel wool is to use a bar magnet in your hand while holding the steel wool, this will attracts the small steel fibers instead of leaving them behind on the instrument.
Smart trick! I’ll add that to the Arsenal!!
Watching Adam look at you so adoringly makes my jaded old heart melt.
As someone who has taken great pleasure for many years in rehabilitating and improving neglected, unloved, and often broken stringed instruments found in pawnshops, garage sales, and online listings, Kudos on he job that was done here. About the only thing I probably would have done differently is the steel wool- I still keep some 0000 around, but almost never use it anymore. I use a single edge razor blade pulled with the grain between the frets to lightly scrape “finger cheese” off of the fretboard, and in the process to also at least partially level out the divots from fingernails which are usually found in the cowboy chord positions on instruments which have actually been played a fair bit. For some other operations where I used to use steel wool I usually use scotchbrite abrasive pads these days. You didn’t really get into levelling frets- this instrument probably didn’t need that, but I often find instruments with some serious fret wear in the open chord positions, and also find that frets will often be high where the fretboard extension joins the body, as wood movement over time under string tension often tends to flex the fingerboard extension up in relation to the neck. When needed, I’ll mark tops of all frets with a sharpie, and I have an old 2’ aluminum level with some 180 grit sandpaper glued onto the face which I use as a levelling beam. You always want to take off as little as possible, leaving a bit of sharpie still showing in the lowest spots, then recrown each fret. These days many purpose built concave crowning files are available, but for many years I just used a simple triangular file with a rolling motion to recrown frets.
Hey AOAT! I just want to encourage you. You’ve been instrumental in helping this 65-year old retired guy become adept at sharpening, restoring old planes, restoring and cooking in inherited cast iron! I’m having fun, feeling successful, and giving my arthritis hands a valuable workout. In addition to all of that, I’ve carved 8 spurtles and spoons out of found wood. I’m not proud of the quality of the product, yet, but very proud of the growth! Thank you for all your courage and effort. Oh, and your coasters and shirt are proud possessions! How many thousands are growing and living new joys because of you!
This makes my heart so happy. Thank you so much for taking the time to send that. It means so much to know that putting my heart and soul into these silly videos is making a difference, even for one person. Makes a whole lot of work wholly worth it :)
That was incredible, what a fun video, bringing a good instrument to greatness, you always do such meticulous work, of course, the best part was you and Adam playing, always a treat, if only a small treat, thank you so much for sharing this rebuild
Thank you my sister ji ❤👍👌👌👌
Instrument setup is hugely important. I enjoy working on instruments almost as much as playing the music, as it's so fun to see how affordable instruments can become so much more enjoyable and welcoming to play. More of these woodwork and music related videos!
You've got it! We've been doing a lot more music lately and it's been a hoot. I've really missed it.
My own take-
Beyond materials voodoo, idol worship, and advancements in PR, what separates good from great is fit and finish. And it's liberating to take a well setup POS where your custom shop dealie fears to tread.
Jim Lill's vid on tone was particularly eye-opening.
"Like a glove." 😂😂😂 Nice Ace Ventura reference.
This channel is awesome. My wife and I just got a 15 acre property in Whites Creek, TN and I mentioned that I wanted to have a shop and learn how to do woodworking. It’s going to be a journey for sure as I’ve always wanted to learn but never had the space or time. Channels like this make a huge difference.
That makes my heart happy to hear. Congrats on your new acreage! Many good memories waiting to happen there :)
Your talent flows like your music! Looks like you turned a sow's ear into a silk purse!!🎼🎵🎶
Thanks!
Anne, we've missed you!
What an incredible Transformation in Appearance n Sound! You are Absolutely Amazing Anne!! ❤🎉
I absolutely love playing this thing. It’s been such a hoot to have, and it plays soooo well now!
Because of your first video of making a mandolin, I checked with some musician friends, and found the local community college has a stringed instrument class in their Cabinet and Furniture Technology program. I'm taking the co-requisite Fundamentals of Woodworking class along with the Ukulele/Tenor Ukulele I course and Stringed Instrument Lab. I can't wait to finish the basics so I can make my own mandolin and maybe a bandura. Thank you so much for these videos.
This makes my heart so happy. Thank you for taking the time to share!!
My mom bought a Stella mandolin for me for $10 at a pawn shop (in Manhattan, Kansas) in 1961 or -62 and I really wish I'd known there were possible things to do to make it more playable. It ate my fingertips as I tried to learn to pick out little tunes. I bought a Gibson mandolin in the summer of '64 and it was a dream (and still is) but I fear it probably needs a good cleaning! This was a most informative and enjoyable video, thank you , Anne.
Amazing Anne. Thank you for sharing this. Even a so-so instrument needs love and someone to play it well.
Very encouraging post. Thanks for the inspiration. 😃
You're great! Was just thinking of you. Thanks!
I found a mandolin in a "free" pile a few months ago and decided to grab it, figuring that I could clean it up and maybe learn to play. Then it fell into the "projects I'll get to someday" pile. But this video has reinspired me to get working on it!
Heck yes! Get to work!
So nice to see you. Great rework. Peace from WV
LOL. Fast thinking there, Anne. Happy to see a new video from you. 👍👍🤦♀🤦♀
Awesome Anne! I’d love to fix up an old guitar sometime. Adding another project to my list!
You should! It's so easy and makes such a huge difference!
Great little inspirational video, should help people see that it's not always about having the absoluter best, but setting it up properly. No clue about music or musical instruments, but for years I did photography professionally with mostly "amateur" equipment, with a few choice, higher quality lenses, only 2 ever that would be considered "pro" - as you say, it's knowing how to set it up and use it.
Spot on there! I am a big fan of photography and I can’t even tell you how many times I get the comment “that’s such a great photo, what camera did you use?” And the answer is almost always “a 10 year old low end camera I found in Adam’s closet and learned how to use well”
Awesome work Anne! 😃👍🏻👊🏻 .... Looking forward to Adams video!
Good Job Anne 👏👏👏👏👌👸🏻🎸🪕❤❤❤
Hallo Anne aus Düsseldorf Germany super Video und tschüss und Weck !!!
Hi, homesteader form Eastern Wa here. I bought my son a Fender Squire Strat. The neck was crazy bad. I had to tighten the truss rod a bunch. It was sketchy but now it stays in tune. The action is perfect.
Hope you do some more instruments.
I want to pick up a mandolin. I have a banjo. Deering.
We have a market garden and we breed Nigerian goats and specialty hens. Considering moving to TN. How I found your channel.
It sounds like we are definitely kindred spirits! I love TN, and am really pleased we moved here.
Thanks for sharing, nice mandolin. I think the most important thing is to check out and evaluate the fingerboard/neck for spots that is to high or to low with a notched straightedge before adjusting the trussrod.
Great upgrade for that mandolin! Plain ole mineral oil is my go-to for fretboards. It is DRY here in Colorado and mineral oil does a good job keeping that thirsty fretboard satisfied. I think most fretboard conditioners are just mineral oil with some other stuff in it, anyway, but it is more expensive than a big bottle of mineral oil from the neighborhood Walgreens!
If you run a piece of painters tape lengthwise along the neck before you mask off each fret, by lifting the long piece when you are done, all the little pieces come up alot easier. Now that you've opened the door of instrument set-up expect to have a part-time job from your community.
Nice video Ann. It's definitely a hot topic in the instrument world. I wood say that one material on that instrument affects the sound more than anything else... oh did i give it away, ya its wood. The soundboard is made of spruce, there are a few sub species that are known for their sound quality, Swiss spruce is well known to produce a top quality soundboard, Engelmann is the Canadian sound wood of choice. Grain width, wood density, winter cut, and a whole pile of other things can produce a piece of wood from which really expensive and undeniably better sounding instruments can be made. Music is great.
That the second time I heard you speak about that mando but joint. Great jobs can be braged about. It like a arm rest being built on acoustic guitas
Another great video Mrs Anne 👍🏼
Thank you! 😃
Check out Daves would of fun stuff. Havent seen a mandolin on his channel but he does do basses and guitars of all sorts. Learn a lot there.
Like people, sometimes all an imstrument needs is a little TLC to get back up and running smoothly again. And of course, a little strategic hardware upgrade doesn't hurt either. 😁 Nice refurb job on this baby! Thanks for sharing!
Nice!!
Hi Anne! I love your content and am so pumped about your budding luthier skills! I have lots of (unsolicited) comments and suggestions, but I'm going to limit myself to just one. For your next quick woodworking project, i'd suggest making a simple, padded, cradle-style neck rest for working on instruments. The vice is great for some things, but I think they're a poor choice for setup work since you're going to be constantly picking up the instrument. And you really don't want to be constantly putting the instrument down on your bench with upward pressure on the tuners - just asking for a headstock crack. Stew-Mac sells some, but making your own is a great project.
I love it! Keep the unsolicited advice coming! A cradle is a great idea!!
@@AnneofAllTrades Thanks for your reply! You're an amazing person and an inspiration. Concerning the neck rest - there's a bunch of styles and they all have their fans and detractors. So, grain of salt, these are my preferences. I like a wide, flat base that I can easily shim up for working on different instruments. (I'm a repairman, so I see everything from bowl-back mandolins to Flying V's. You might not need that much versatility if you're just working on your own stuff.) Hard padding is a must - not too squishy, and something non-reactive with delicate finishes. I like leather. Cork is ok, but can get crumbly. I like a wide-ish mouth that can handle every width of neck, but I use a narrower cradle for mandolins with a padded V support that gently pinches the neck when I push down. My only strong dislike is for the "roller" style cradles. They'll tip over if you bump them, and, um, they roll, so that's not great for keeping things still. I know people who use them, but I don't get it. The tripod stands are fine for a quick string change backstage, but way too flimsy and tippy for serious work. Anyway, sorry to nerd out on neck supports - I've been repairing and building instruments for over twenty years now, so I tend to sweat the small stuff 😂
Very nice job. So glad to see you getting back in the swing of things.
nice !
If this interests you check out Tom Woodford. A real master luthier at work with history and techniques thrown in.
amazing woman 🤩💪
Old friend I haven't seen her for a long time
Wow, Waverly tuners will double the value of this thing!
If I’m not mistaken that was “St. Anne’s” reel there at the end? Coincidence? I’m a little surprised you didn’t check the bridge’s placement. I bought a mandolin off ebay and the intonation was horrible. Spent a little time tweaking the bridge till the 12th fret was in tune and it sounds much better. Anyways, nice instrument and nice video. Thanks!
It sure was! Good ear :) I cut the part of the video with bridge placement because it was boring hahaha but actually intonation was spot on at the start so I wanted to leave it right where it was
I had no idea the bridge wasn’t attached! I’m a sax player, what do I know haha. But I got my sax cheap because it didn’t play right. Replaced ONE cork pad and it’s fine!
Nice vice.
You did good work there. But then yiou always do!
@Whatsapp①③①④⑦④⑧⑨②⑨⓪ Who and what are you?!
Delightful piece, thanks for going through the mandolin tune up. UNRELATED QUESTION… have you ever compared orthopedic surgical chisels to woodworking chisels? According to a friend of mine the orthopedic chisels are more than sterile, they sharpen to a much more precise edge and hold their edge longer. I would really love to have a wood worker make a comparison; I’ve not seen anyone consider the comparison.
Oh interesting. I didn’t know such a thing existed, but I have talked to surgeons about their scalpels and sharpening methods and let’s just say keeping your chisels surgery sharp makes a big positive difference :)
Good tools, there is little difference. Leonard Lee of Lee Valley had a bit of a side hustle designing and making surgical tools.
Almost there. You didn't check to see if the bridge was in the right location before marking the location with tape. Twelfth fret harmonic?
Ah! I did that but it got cut in the edit. An oversight to have forgotten to mention it for sure
What kind of hoodie is that I need it!
Good ok
Anne, do you ever plan on building an acoustic guitar?
Beautiful restoration job Anne. I am confused, do you leave the bridge loose?
Mandolins are floating bridge instruments, so yes, the bridge is held in place entirely by string tension. There's plenty of force to keep it there, and leaving it floating lets you adjust its position to get the intonation just right.
What Silas said :)
Very much looking forward to Adam’s guitar build and a great video as always
He did such a killer job on it, I can't wait to share!!
😊👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Nice post Anne, look forward to Adam’s guitar build….👍🇺🇸
Hallo hier meine Tipps Love of Mexiko von Carmen Maria und ELO 10 Stunden frei hören und tschüss Weck !!!
Note to self: Wear safety glasses when tightening strings.
SRLY?
500$ - a cheap mandolin that needs to be fiddled with?
$500 is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for an octave mandolin. You might be lucky to get a decent regular mandolin for less, but octave mandolins are pretty rare. I’ve been looking for one at this price for almost ten years 🤷🏻♀️
I mean, good for you and all, but I feel the title is a big cheat - 500 bucks aint cheap for most people, and it was only easy, because of all your knowledge. I could not have done any of this!
To clarify, $500 isn’t cheap for me either, but when it comes to a fairly rare instrument that is not commonly made, $500 is a pretty cheap price tag. And for what it’s worth, I learned how to do this from an article online, and confirmed what I’d read in a 10 minute phone call with Austin. It’s not rocket science, just takes time and care.
@@AnneofAllTrades I couldnt tell from the thumbnail what it was and "cheap" made me think of a guitar (like a 25$ guitar would be dirt cheap) - using a rare, high class instrument just isnt on the "cheat" side for me, no matter how you turn it.
Still admiring your trademanship
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