Totally random thread here. I have become obsessed with building one of these. I have carved Les Pauls and a 356, but I am feeling intimidated with these. Anyone built one before? Not a kit, from scratch. Once done with my latest projects I am taking this on.
Obsessed with building an F5 Mandolin.
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Freeman Keller
Poster Extraordinaire
I did build one but it was from a Siminoff kit
Start by getting his book on building the bluegrass mandolin
Start by getting his book on building the bluegrass mandolin
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Freeman Keller
Poster Extraordinaire
You may also want to start reading up on Lloyd Loar. The F5 was his crown jewel and Roger wrote several good books and articles on what Loar was hearing as he voiced his instruments.
I have done a bit of research on Mr Loar. I have also watched a lot of videos of builds. This will most likely not happen until next fall/winter. I may start getting the wood together this summer. Slow build. I am lucky to have a local retired doctor that has built quite a few of them. I will most definitely be picking his brain a lot.
Freeman Keller
Poster Extraordinaire
My kit came with all the little scrolly blocks precut and the top and back were rough shaped on a duplicarver. The dovetail was cut - tiny little thing. I did a lot of tapping and listening and trying to figure out exactly what Loar and Siminoff were talking about. I actually got to sit in a voicing course by Siminoff at one of the GAL conventions. A lot has changed since then, I would certainly use that FFT software that I used on the archtop. I'm pretty sure Siminoff has retired, his website is still up but just barely
www.siminoff.net
Siminoff
Guitar, banjo, and mandolin strings developed by Roger Siminoff. Historical information on Lloyd Loar, Orville Gibson, and Roger Siminoff.
www.siminoff.net
Sometimes a decent kit build can be darn instructive, particularly for something that's on a completely different highway than one normally travels.
RickyRicardo
Friend of Leo's
Back in the late 70's a friend bought a 1912 F2 from Mandolin Brothers which he still has today and is in beautiful shape. He wanted to build an F5 and had a great book with full size blueprints. I don't know if it's the same one Freeman pointed out but I thought it was a fantastic idea but way too challenging at the time. He never did build one.
I'd like to see how you make one so looking forward to it!
I'd like to see how you make one so looking forward to it!
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
I'd watch videos of Jerry Rosa. He has built pretty much everything but specializes (and loves playing) in F5 mandolins. He has a uniquely common sense approach that is easy to follow, especially on tap testing. You won't be sorry 
P.S. He highly recommends redwood for the top (as do I). It works like butter and will get you the maximum volume in pretty much anything
P.S. He highly recommends redwood for the top (as do I). It works like butter and will get you the maximum volume in pretty much anything
It is Mr. Rosa’s fault I have this obsession. I started watching his Worlds greatest Mandolin series. Sigh. He owns a Loar, he dismantled it and took all the measurements of everything! The problem is he is very possessive of those measurements, to the point of blacking out portions of video that may show them. Still fun to watch.I'd watch videos of Jerry Rosa. He has built pretty much everything but specializes (and loves playing) in F5 mandolins. He has a uniquely common sense approach that is easy to follow, especially on tap testing. You won't be sorry
P.S. He highly recommends redwood for the top (as do I). It works like butter and will get you the maximum volume in pretty much anything
Jim,
I am not being critical of kits at all. My guitar building journey started with a $90 tele kit. Great way to learn the process. It is how I tell a newbie to get started. I just want to experience the entire build from a pile of wood to an instrument. I should have been a bit more clear to start with.
howardlo
Tele-Afflicted
I built one from scratch back in the early ‘80’s using that same book and blueprints of a 1920’s Gibson F-5 while I was playing mandolin in a very good bluegrass band. Still have the book.
It was the first instrument I ever built. Nothing like starting out on something really hard to do! I did it with minimal tools and no experience (other than furniture making). Hand carving the back and top was really time consuming, especially the maple back. I made a long reaching dial indicator to measure the thickness of the top and back. They are thicker in the center, taper toward the edges, then thicker again at the edges. I managed to get them correct within a couple thousandths. The binding (especially around the headstock and curl on the upper bout) was by far the hardest part. Turned out well and played it in that band for years and still have it. It does need a refret now.
Building that took an amazing amount of time and made me understand why F-5 mandolins are so expensive. Not a project I would ever care to do again.
crazydave911
Doctor of Teleocity
He has MANY other mandolin build videos, often 8 part or more. Look up some of the older ones to get an idea of a standard build. The one you referenced will drive you CRAZY
. That one is only his second with quilted maple. And as he says many times, if he had started with quilted maple his first would have been his last 
. The older videos also give you his overall philosophy which is sound and grounded in experience (he has built more than 40 Mando's. Guitars are in the teens and fiddles before YouTube). I'd recommend redwood or spruce top and curly maple or sycamore back and sides. Not my bias BTW, he still has his best sycamore Mando and it's outstanding
I absolutely understand. I guess my statement should be more of a general thing that there's no harm in learning from a decent kit if one is more comfortable with that. I think that folks with a lot less woodworking and building experience than you may benefit more from that approach. You, however, have a lot of skills that can adapt to this kind of challenging project! (I'd also be prone to just jumping in, too...)
I agree about the comments regarding Rosa's videos...I've enjoyed quite a few of them and found them to be inspiring toward maybe tackling some acoustic instruments of some sort. Maybe even a mando at some point.
telepraise
Tele-Afflicted
I built one. The carving, binding, and finishing of the scroll adds like another 40% to the work load. One was enough, my subsequent 4 builds were all A's.
For a scratch build, get familiar with finger planes, gouges, and curved scrapers. You definitely need a deep engagement dial caliper.
Haven't seen Rosa's videos but you'll need a good set of plans and a hot pipe for bending rims. For a first build, stay on the heavy side. Going 0.010" too thin, especially in the recurve area can have a dramatic impact on tone and volume. Some string them up in the white to see how they sound, then enlarge the F holes or thin the top and back plates to get the tone they're looking for (but they of course know what they're doing).
If you haven't been there yet, The Mandolin Cafe is THE place to go for all things mandolin. Be patient and enjoy the ride (you're probably looking at a 100 hour investment).
For a scratch build, get familiar with finger planes, gouges, and curved scrapers. You definitely need a deep engagement dial caliper.
Haven't seen Rosa's videos but you'll need a good set of plans and a hot pipe for bending rims. For a first build, stay on the heavy side. Going 0.010" too thin, especially in the recurve area can have a dramatic impact on tone and volume. Some string them up in the white to see how they sound, then enlarge the F holes or thin the top and back plates to get the tone they're looking for (but they of course know what they're doing).
If you haven't been there yet, The Mandolin Cafe is THE place to go for all things mandolin. Be patient and enjoy the ride (you're probably looking at a 100 hour investment).
Like he said.https://www.mandolincafe.com/
These guys are hard core. Mandolins 24/7 365.
Freeman Keller
Poster Extraordinaire
For what it is worth, I am a great believer in building your first one or two acoustic instruments from a good quality kit. Most first time builders do not have a thickness sander or side bending setup, and having all the bits and pieces in one box makes things much easier. Depending on the kit you can have the rosette routed for you, neck rough shaped, fretboard slotted. Some suppliers like LMII allow you to customize your kit as you order it. An acoustic kit is totally different from most electric kits (just as acoustic guitars are very different from electric). My first two acoustic guitars were made from quality kits - they are fine instruments as is my mandolin.
Siminoff no longer offers his kits, here is an F5 from LMII
F-style Mandolin Kit Wizard - price determined by choices
The Mandolin Kit Wizard is set up to allow you to easily select items that are typically used in mandolin construction. The Kit Wizard provides you with 10% off retail on all parts and 30% off on customizations (services). To get this discount, you only need to include the "required items" in...
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Thanks for the info. I usually have 80 hours into an acoustic build, so 100 does not seem bad.
jimmywrangles
Tele-Holic
I've read that book, It convinced me to make electric guitars simply because the tap tuning had me so intimidated.
I've also considered building a tele that is fully tap tuned but that's a project for another day.
Go for it! 95% of what I learned about building instruments was in the late 70's in Bob Givens' shop, watching and helping him build mandolins and guitars. (If you don't know who Bob is, look up Robert L. Givens. His F styles are among the most coveted mandolins ever made.) If you can build a good F-5 mando, you can build anything.
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