2 mandolins

[peter.coombe]

Here are a couple of arch top mandolins I have just completed. King Billy Pine top, Blackwood back and sides and neck, Gidgee bindings, Lancewood fingerboard, Myrtle pickguard, Ebony tuning knobs with Waverly tuners on one, Schallers with Lancewood knobs on the other.

[Mark McLean]

They look sensational Peter. Really tasteful design and appointments, and quality workmanship. I hope they find a couple of appreciative owners.
Cheers
Mark

[kiwigeo]

Nice work as usual from one of the mandolin masters.

[Nick]

Class........Nuff said.

[Bob Connor]

Beautiful.

[StratoA]

Nice work Peter. How do you find the sound of King Billy compared to spruce?

[peter.coombe]

How do you find the sound of King Billy compared to spruce?

King Billy Pine works very well in small instruments such as mandolins and violins. I think it sounds as good as any Spruce, the best sounding King Billy mandolins I think sound better than any of my Spruce mandolins. It does have a slightly different sound, sweet and clear, and I have found that most women seem to prefer my King Billy topped mandolins. They respond well to a light touch and that may be why they like King Billy. In fact one of those mandolins in the picture is going to a lady who lives near Canberra. I have tried it with Qld Maple, Jarrah and Myrtle but prefer Blackwood with King Billy. The Jarrah instruments were particularly nice, but Jarrah is a bastard to carve, is heavy, difficult to bend and not very stable so I stopped using it. However, one of the Jarrah mandolins is still going fine and still sounding great 20 years later somewhere in France. With Blackwood it tends to sound a bit bright at first, especially the bass, but around 8 weeks later there is a very noticeable change for the better. With a bit more time and lots of playing they sound very sweet and the best of my King Billy mandolins can blow the socks off a Spruce topped mandolin. The problem is it is difficult to get King Billy that is even of remotely consistent quality, so there is a fair bit of variability in the finished instruments. The other issue has been hidden knots. On the outside a piece of King Billy might look perfect, carve it and you find a nasty hidden knot and it becomes firewood. Nowadays I still use it with small knots, because it is just about unobtainable in the sizes I need, but you can still get big ugly hidden knots that are a disaster. Has not been unknown to have to carve up to 3 tops before getting one that is useable.