dave farmiloe
Author's posts
Gatekeeper mandolins
Gatekeeper mandolins Charles and I have just finished. All have back and sides of rare dark English walnut. 2 feature tops of, at least, 40 year old prime western red cedar, cut from a piece given to me back in the 80’s. Previously it was earmarked for use as part of a double bass top. …
Gatekeeper Mandolins
Ending 2021 with a small batch of three Gatekeeper mandolins, started earlier this year. This model is a little bit larger than the fritillary model and has a slightly longer scale. The woods used are premium Spruce and Red Cedar, English Walnut, Maple and Ebony . Custom features are a handmade brass tailpiece and decorative …
new and old
Some workshop images from 2018
2017 the first and last post
The rear view; just a few of the activities of 2017, 70’s Guild bass; Vintage pot repair; 50’s Gibson soapbar; A trip out to The Forest of Dean, a wonderful place for trees in their glory; Here’s Flint, getting in on the act; …
life is a minestrone
10 cc served this up with parmesan cheese. ‘orrible. Here is some of the stuff that’s been served up in the workshop lately; Firstly, completed just last week is this 5 string mandolin. This is for sale direct at £400 and is the last one of a batch of 6. All custom hardware and pickups …
ovation legend
Ovations tend to polarise opinions for sure. At the time of their introduction in the 60’s it was a bold approach to guitar making that gained a lot of ground with the broadminded. This Legend is a design from those early days, very similar to the Glen Campell model. Having spent a couple of years …
bridging the gap
Another regular turn for repairers…the gap under the bridge scenario. The bridge is a crucial element inherently under stress and needs to be structurally sound, as of course it’s a big factor in transferring energy from the strings to the top for ‘the sound’. The gap thing is more commonly seen on mass produced acoustics from the (ahem..) far east than on …
blog for life
The trouble with doing a blog is that if you don’t do one regularily it looks as if you’ve been doing nothing… and thats not the case, its been hectic. So much so that I regret to say that I am not in position to take on any more major restorations and build projects until …