The previous interviews I've done were with professional builders that are well known in the field. This issue features Durl Jones of Fort Collins, Colorado. Durl is a hobbyist who has built six mandolins over the past 25 years. I spoke with Durl at Camp Bluegrass in July, 2004.
Joe Mendel: How did you become involved with the mandolin?
Durl Jones: In college, I started playing with friends. We played simple tunes and I was attracted to the mandolin.
JM: What made you decide to try and build a mandolin?
DJ: In 1976 my sister loaned me the money to buy a Gibson F-5 and I had seen Roger Siminoff's "How to Build a Bluegrass Mandolin." I had built a dulcimer for a friend and when I saw Roger's book I thought, "l'll bet I could do that." I was in the Navy, stationed in Newport, Rhode Island and there was a big wood shop there. I bought the book, went downtown to the local lumber yard and bought some straight grained maple. I didn't know where to get sitka spruce so I went down the road to a ship builder and asked if they had any. They sold me a cutoff from a mast, that's what I used for my first mandolin. I built two more over the next few years; I think the third was finished in 1980. The first one had a lot of flaws and was overbuilt, and the top and back were much too thick. About ten years later, after I'd seen several good instruments, I took it apart and re-graduated the top and back, more or less rebuilding the whole thing. Now it sounds good!
JM: What sound are you trying to achieve?
DJ: I'm after the Loar sound, they have a particular sound that I like. I play bluegrass so that is the type of tone I like to hear. I want my mandolins to sound like Bill Monroe's.
JM: What do you do to get that tone?
DJ: I think you need a fairly thin top. I try to balance the force of the strings pulling the tailpiece toward the neck and the downward pressure of the bridge on the top. I think that allows the top to move a lot. I try to match the shape of the back to the top. The back needs to be thin and that also allows the back to resonate with the top. I carve the tops to .200 of an inch in the center, down to about .100 to .110 in the recurve. The back goes from .200 to about .090 in the recurve. One thing I do, just before I'm through carving, is to hold the top in front of a light. I want to see a uniform band of light all the way around the recurve. I try to place the tone bars the same as the ones in Bill's Loar. I have a picture of Bill's mandolin with the back off while it was being repaired.
JM: What type of finish do you use?
DJ: I was using acrylic lacquer; I've used nitrocellulose on the last two. I think I'm going back to the acrylic because it gives a harder finish. I try to put the finish on very thin so that it doesn't affect the sound.
JM: Do you make all of the wooden parts yourself?
DJ: I usually buy the bridges but I did make a mesquite bridge for a mandolin that I built for my sister. The bridge is very light and I like it a lot.
JM: What do you think makes the great builders great?
DJ: I think they've built enough mandolins to find out what works. They've achieved excellent consistency. I think that's why they're considered great.
JM: It's been great talking with you and getting to play three of your mandolins. They sound very good and play very comfortably. Keep up the good work!!
DJ: Thank you!
Durl can be contacted via e-mail at: durlj@comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~durlj/
