Posted on January 5, 2010May 23, 2025 by Dale Phillips Review: The Mandolin Project by Graham McDonald Review: The Mandolin Project by Graham McDonald Reviewed by John Calkin Originally published in American Lutherie #97, 2009 The Mandolin Project Graham McDonald ISBN (paperback): 9780980476200 Graham McDonald Stringed Inst., 2008, $37.50 It’s funny how the cover of a book can prepare you for what’s inside. The cover of The Mandolin Project is about the same color as a brown paper bag, with type in a darker brown — in other words, nicely plain. It looks like a work book, which put me in a pretty good mood for what was inside. This is serious stuff, the making of instruments. Save the glitz for the useless coffee table books. “Roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work,” the cover says. I like that. But first, (snore) a little history. Most instrument building books feel compelled to explain the origins of the instrument before the woodwork begins, as if we didn’t know. Much of the time it just seems to pad out the book to help justify a higher price. But McDonald is a cerebral kind of guy with serious intent and he wouldn’t jerk us around like that. The first thirty pages of his manual trace the life of the mandolin using some very nice color graphics and text that you may or may not find interesting, depending on how eager you are to finish your mandolin and finally learn to play “The Rights of Man.” Suffice it to say that if you wish to place yourself amid the human calender as a mandolin builder, the first chapter is for you. If not, well, the photos are so good that I’ll be surprised if you don’t at least find yourself skimming the text for the names that match the pictures. And you know what? There was a lot of information I didn’t already know. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
Posted on January 1, 2010May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips Sideways Sideways by John Monteleone previously published in American Lutherie #91, 2007 See also, “There’s a Hole in the Bucket” by Cyndy Burton “Herr Helmholtz’ Tube” by Mike Doolin “Three Holes are Better than One” by Robert Ruck Archtop builder John Monteleone is famous for his avant-garde approach to these instruments. He explains how sideports came into his mix. The concept of incorporating the use of alternative soundholes in the side of my guitars came to me at an early age when I had built my first acoustic guitar, back around 1963. I would place my ear on the side of the guitar and wonder how I could make the guitar sound just like that. I figured that the only thing preventing me was the side of the guitar itself. Even then I knew that you couldn’t just cut out a hole into the side of the instrument without inviting structural failure. There had to be some kind of reinforcement to permit it to happen. How could I make this happen on my guitar? Some years went by before I actually got to revisit this idea and to address the best and most precise method of execution. While still in my old workshop in the 1980s I had done several drawings for this system of side soundhole placement but never got to build it. Then in 1995 Scott Chinery put the challenge to me to come up with a way to hear the projection of the guitar in a better and more effective way for my contribution to his Blue Guitar Collection. Scott, unbeknownst to me and the other blue guitar makers, had also challenged a couple of the other luthiers during this time by planting this seed with them as well. It seemed to me the perfect invitation, if not an excuse, to explore this avenue of tonal possibility. Experimentation of design is historically not novel to the idea of trying to make improvements to nearly all musical instruments. A visit to the US Patent and Trademark Office will provide a staggering volume of inventions for fretted instruments alone. Many ideas never made it to fruition. But it is wonderful to see the many recognizable ones that did. Become A Member to Continue Reading This Article This article is part of our premium web content offered to Guild members. To view this and other web articles, join the Guild of American Luthiers. Members also receive 4 annual issues of American Lutherie and get discounts on products. For details, visit the membership page. If you are already a member, login for access or contact us to setup your account.
