Gladstone Mandolin, Indian Rosewood 004 2025
Gladstone Mandolin
An ‘A’ style Mandolin with a scale length of 352mm and 12 Frets to the Body. This Mandolin S/N - Mando-IRW-004 2025 was built by hand using the materials and methods listed below. This instrument is a combination of Flat Top and Carved Mandolin design and has Carbon Fibre Reinforced Soundboard Bracing. The soundboard top is carved, but the underside is flat. Neck angle is set higher than of a flat top instrument.
Back and Sides - East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
A world renowned tonewood, becoming more difficult to acquire. This set has the typical dark purple/brown hues, with near perfect straight grain.
Sound Board - Adirondack Spruce (Picea rubens)
Adirondack or Red Spruce is considered by many to be The Holy Grail of Soundboards. With too many desirable qualities to list here. Just to mention a few, It’s louder with a higher ceiling volume, and more dynamic than Sitka Spruce and has less distortion when played aggressively.
Soundboard Bracing System –Carbon Fibre Reinforced ‘H’ Bracing
The soundboard bracing system has been made to fit into and was assembled in a 20ft radius dish, which increases its stiffness and structural integrity. The rectangular cross section Adirondack Spruce Bracing is installed over a layer of Carbon Fibre. The Bracing tops are then profiled/carved/tuned to give the desired stiffness gradient across the soundboard, but still maintaining the rectangular cross section. A second layer of carbon fibre is then installed down the middle of each brace, this effectively turns each brace into an ‘I’ Beam, greatly increasing its strength and rigidity. The braces are then carved into a triangular cross section, which decreases their mass but not their strength. This radiused, CF reinforced symmetrical bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Body Construction – High Impedance Double Linings
The joints from Sides to the Soundboard and to the Back are double lined (a Kerfed Lining and an internal Rimband) this increases the rigidity/impedance of the joint which in turn improves the overtones and sound complexity/quality.
Bindings, Headstock, Bridge, Fret Board - Indian Ebony (Diospyros ebenum)
Indian Ebony is an exotic wood endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka. it's a particularly hard, dense, and tropical hardwood, with an awfully fine texture. The heartwood is Jet Black or can be black-brown streaky. It has tight interlocking grain and is well suited from these applications.
Adjustable Floating Bridge a “Brekke Bridge”
An Ebony Floating Bridge with a height adjustable saddle. The height can be set using the supplied 1.5mm Allen Key.
See Bridge information included with the instrument'
Headstock (rear) – Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii)
Famous for its durability and extensively used for boat building in Tasmania.
The Birds Eye variation is quite rare and while not suitable for structural use it is highly sort after for its aesthetic appeal. Huon Pine is critically endangered and no longer harvested.
Neck - American Curly Maple (Acer spp.)
Curly Maple is one of the most popular woods for instruments. It is very stable and can be visually stunning. This is a 3-piece neck, all Maple. It’s fitted with a double action steel trussrod which is accessible through the soundhole with the supplied 4mm Allen Key.
Tail Piece– Hand Made Brass
The 1.2mm Brass tail Piece is designed to accommodate either Loop or Ball End Strings. It’s been polished and coated with pre-catalyzed lacquer.
Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510 Series Cosmic Chrome
Exceptional High-quality tuners, consistently ranked at the top of the industry by musical instrument makers. Manufacturer in Japan and distributed worldwide GOTOH GUT Co., Ltd. began manufacturing stringed instrument parts in 1960. The SG510 Baby series Tuners are the smallest closed gear tuners on the market. These high tech, precision cut, Sealed Gear type tuners are lubricated for life and with an 18:1 ratio.
Nut and Saddle - Northern Territory Water Buffalo Horn (Syncerus caffer)
The Nut and Saddle are handmade and fitted into their respective locations. The 6mm saddle is a firm fit into the Bridge but can be removed if needed. It has a line scribed along the soundhole face; this indicates the orientation of the saddle in the bridge. The instrument’s intonation has been set using the saddle, so it’s important that the saddle goes back with the correct orientation. The Nut has been slotted to suit the as fitted Strings. The Nut is also a firm fit; a small amount of CA glue has been put under it to hold it in place while changing strings.
Finish - Hand Polished High Gloss Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer
A hardwearing lacquer that is chemical resistant and easily repaired. Approximately 20 coats of Lacquer are applied over a 10-day period, after a week of curing time, the lacquer is hand levelled using wet/dry sandpaper, micromesh pads
and finally buffed to a mirror finish.
Instrument Case – “V- Case” Model No. VCS2130
An ‘A’ style Mandolin with a scale length of 352mm and 12 Frets to the Body. This Mandolin S/N - Mando-IRW-004 2025 was built by hand using the materials and methods listed below. This instrument is a combination of Flat Top and Carved Mandolin design and has Carbon Fibre Reinforced Soundboard Bracing. The soundboard top is carved, but the underside is flat. Neck angle is set higher than of a flat top instrument.
Back and Sides - East Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
A world renowned tonewood, becoming more difficult to acquire. This set has the typical dark purple/brown hues, with near perfect straight grain.
Sound Board - Adirondack Spruce (Picea rubens)
Adirondack or Red Spruce is considered by many to be The Holy Grail of Soundboards. With too many desirable qualities to list here. Just to mention a few, It’s louder with a higher ceiling volume, and more dynamic than Sitka Spruce and has less distortion when played aggressively.
Soundboard Bracing System –Carbon Fibre Reinforced ‘H’ Bracing
The soundboard bracing system has been made to fit into and was assembled in a 20ft radius dish, which increases its stiffness and structural integrity. The rectangular cross section Adirondack Spruce Bracing is installed over a layer of Carbon Fibre. The Bracing tops are then profiled/carved/tuned to give the desired stiffness gradient across the soundboard, but still maintaining the rectangular cross section. A second layer of carbon fibre is then installed down the middle of each brace, this effectively turns each brace into an ‘I’ Beam, greatly increasing its strength and rigidity. The braces are then carved into a triangular cross section, which decreases their mass but not their strength. This radiused, CF reinforced symmetrical bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Body Construction – High Impedance Double Linings
The joints from Sides to the Soundboard and to the Back are double lined (a Kerfed Lining and an internal Rimband) this increases the rigidity/impedance of the joint which in turn improves the overtones and sound complexity/quality.
Bindings, Headstock, Bridge, Fret Board - Indian Ebony (Diospyros ebenum)
Indian Ebony is an exotic wood endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka. it's a particularly hard, dense, and tropical hardwood, with an awfully fine texture. The heartwood is Jet Black or can be black-brown streaky. It has tight interlocking grain and is well suited from these applications.
Adjustable Floating Bridge a “Brekke Bridge”
An Ebony Floating Bridge with a height adjustable saddle. The height can be set using the supplied 1.5mm Allen Key.
See Bridge information included with the instrument'
Headstock (rear) – Huon Pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii)
Famous for its durability and extensively used for boat building in Tasmania.
The Birds Eye variation is quite rare and while not suitable for structural use it is highly sort after for its aesthetic appeal. Huon Pine is critically endangered and no longer harvested.
Neck - American Curly Maple (Acer spp.)
Curly Maple is one of the most popular woods for instruments. It is very stable and can be visually stunning. This is a 3-piece neck, all Maple. It’s fitted with a double action steel trussrod which is accessible through the soundhole with the supplied 4mm Allen Key.
Tail Piece– Hand Made Brass
The 1.2mm Brass tail Piece is designed to accommodate either Loop or Ball End Strings. It’s been polished and coated with pre-catalyzed lacquer.
Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510 Series Cosmic Chrome
Exceptional High-quality tuners, consistently ranked at the top of the industry by musical instrument makers. Manufacturer in Japan and distributed worldwide GOTOH GUT Co., Ltd. began manufacturing stringed instrument parts in 1960. The SG510 Baby series Tuners are the smallest closed gear tuners on the market. These high tech, precision cut, Sealed Gear type tuners are lubricated for life and with an 18:1 ratio.
Nut and Saddle - Northern Territory Water Buffalo Horn (Syncerus caffer)
The Nut and Saddle are handmade and fitted into their respective locations. The 6mm saddle is a firm fit into the Bridge but can be removed if needed. It has a line scribed along the soundhole face; this indicates the orientation of the saddle in the bridge. The instrument’s intonation has been set using the saddle, so it’s important that the saddle goes back with the correct orientation. The Nut has been slotted to suit the as fitted Strings. The Nut is also a firm fit; a small amount of CA glue has been put under it to hold it in place while changing strings.
Finish - Hand Polished High Gloss Pre-Catalyzed Lacquer
A hardwearing lacquer that is chemical resistant and easily repaired. Approximately 20 coats of Lacquer are applied over a 10-day period, after a week of curing time, the lacquer is hand levelled using wet/dry sandpaper, micromesh pads
and finally buffed to a mirror finish.
Instrument Case – “V- Case” Model No. VCS2130