It’s one of those: a close friend, a few drinks, a challenge, a little freedom and a little time.

Isn’t it lovely? It sounds just like a banjo without the metal.

The body is a medium size mandola shape that I don’t use very often, with a lightly arched and braced Sinker Redwood soundboard with a Claro Walnut body and neck. Ebony bindings and fingerboard with a tunneled fifth string and “capo spikes”, plus a frailing scoop, and slightly tweaked headstock to allow the strings to avoid contact with the edges of the slotted head. It’s been a joy to make, everything worked out just right.