[ePub] The Ultimate Bluegrass Mandolin Construction Manual by Roger H. Siminoff at Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Good Guide and a Great Read...By CustomerAs a teen I became interested in "bluegrass" music. I learned to play guitar and bass but was eventually drawn to the mandolin - particularly the kind with a scroll and two points. like Bill Monroe played. Wanting one like it left me discouraged because I knew I couldnt afford one that was worth owning.In the late 1970s my Dad had become interested in building a violin and was well on his way to completing it. Then. after stumbling across the original. first edition of this book. I developed the notion that I would build one. Even with the book it was slow-go. Dad took pity on me and joined in on the task. As we worked we used Siminoffs book as a "guide" - just as the author had intended. Dads earlier experience led him to do a few things differently - like using an "inside mold" versus the "outside mold" described in the book. I also made some minor modifications in the plans to ensure symmetry apart from the scroll and points. Again. the manual serves mainly as a guide and anyone making a serious effort should learn as much as possible from any lutherie source at their disposal.Roger Siminoffs creditials as a luthier are outstanding. Hes also a compelling author and he makes the reading of this work worthwhile - even if you only have a passing interest in the instrument rather than a desire to build. This book is billed as the "ultimate" manual. In the years since his original version. Siminoff has perfected his skills and has incorporated his experiences in this edition. He has expanded his discussions on "tap tuning" and "voicing." Theres quite a bit of information on wood properties and their sound producing potential. (I was somewhat surprised that this edition seems to discourage the use of Douglas Fir as a sound board material since the original version seemed to encourage trying it as an alternative to spruce - but. with experience. perhaps he now feels its best to stick with traditional woods...)Our first mandolin. completed in 1981. turned out especially well. in large part due to Siminoffs book. But as I finished school. went to work. and as other priorities came up the mandolin-building took a backseat - until recently. I had the desire to finally finish one started and abandoned years ago. Thats when I found that a newer version of this manual was available. I bought this one simply to compare the two. Id highly recommend this edition - even if you have the older one.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A lot of good information and photos. but needs revision.By Michael KnutsonI bought this book to see what insight Roger Siminoff had to offer about improving tone and volume of my mandolins. There are a lot of good photos with associated discussion. I was particularly interested in the discussion on tap tuning and voicing. Unfortunately. some of the information on tap tuning was incorrect as published per discussion with Roger Siminoff and were not corrected in the 3rd printing. He has updated recommendations for both the top and back tap tuning. The discussion on f-hole sizing was interesting and useful. Overall. a good book for beginner and intermediate builders.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The best book bar none for a beginning mandolin builderBy Roger ShieldsThe best book bar none for a beginning mandolin builder. All the information you need to know to build a very good instrument. including what woods to use. how to tap tune. info on finishing. even includes scale drawings of all the parts of the instrument. Excellent