Joe Zumwalt moved from the Bay Area to the Sierra foothills some eight years ago, so we haven't seen so much of him lately. Today he stopped into the shop and brought along the mandolin that Richard and I made for him in 1972. It was our first "F-5" style instrument, and we adhered strictly to the specifications of the 1923-4 Gibson F-5s introduced by Lloyd Loar. As you can see, it has aged well and it shows the good honest wear of a vintage mandolin.
Richard went the extra mile, applying all the coloring as aniline dye, rubbing it into the bare wood before the lacquer was applied. He also designed the modified peghead inlay. We collaborated on the rest of the construction, including making the vintage style case.
