Work Page 9-26
1920's Favilla Bros.
MADE IN N.Y.C.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favilla_Guitars
Banjo Mandolin
10" rim
Maple construction.
VG original condition
OHSC is fair cond.
INITIAL PICS
Disassembly
I love "Blued Steel" from this era.
Did it ever make it to "Pat. Pend" ?
Showing heel angle vs dowel angle.
It will be preserved and re-used.
Example
Dowel angle is off this much.
Fingerboard very loose.
Wow!
That was all the blade it took, to pop the fingerboard off!
Dowel Removal
I had difficulty with this one due to several factors in the design.
I will point them out as I go.
Showing 4 points of interest.
Pic 1
1. dowel hole is offset to treble side, heel wood very thin.
2. Heel cap came off ( normal with heat.)
3. Center laminate separated ( normal with heat.)
4. Dowel tenon is very long, and 5/8" dia.
This left us with even less heel wood.
Pic 2
Heel cap re-installed after all laminates were sealed.
I can see that even being gentle movement a hairline crack appeared.
DAMN IT.
Pic 3
Showing the heel geometry
Laminate is cented
Hole is way off to treble.
1 arrow showing the crack
Pic 4
Dowel geometry corrected.
Pic 5
Showing the dowel/heel offset one last time.
Pic 6
Fingerbord installation.
NOTE:
If you do this work, things are not always going to go as planned.
You soldier on.
At least I am not the guy that breaks your stuff, and blames it on...anything else.
It is very tight and stable, it never broke off.
ONWARD
I had difficulty with this one due to several factors in the design.
I will point them out as I go.
Showing 4 points of interest.
Pic 1
1. dowel hole is offset to treble side, heel wood very thin.
2. Heel cap came off ( normal with heat.)
3. Center laminate separated ( normal with heat.)
4. Dowel tenon is very long, and 5/8" dia.
This left us with even less heel wood.
Pic 2
Heel cap re-installed after all laminates were sealed.
I can see that even being gentle movement a hairline crack appeared.
DAMN IT.
Pic 3
Showing the heel geometry
Laminate is cented
Hole is way off to treble.
1 arrow showing the crack
Pic 4
Dowel geometry corrected.
Pic 5
Showing the dowel/heel offset one last time.
Pic 6
Fingerbord installation.
NOTE:
If you do this work, things are not always going to go as planned.
You soldier on.
At least I am not the guy that breaks your stuff, and blames it on...anything else.
It is very tight and stable, it never broke off.
ONWARD
Rim Asembly
I stripped the rim and refinished it, cleaned the hardware and waxed it.
I will show the cleaning of the original calfskin head.
Envision it as "Dermabrasion"
But in this case it is taking very dead skin, of old dead skin. :)
Also a pic of the warpage of the rim itself.
Many times I see this on banjo mandolins with no tone ring or rim skirt of any kind.
The pressure of mandolin tuning pulls the rim into itself over time, like 100 yrs.
It will be fine, and play the same way it ever played.
I will show the cleaning of the original calfskin head.
Envision it as "Dermabrasion"
But in this case it is taking very dead skin, of old dead skin. :)
Also a pic of the warpage of the rim itself.
Many times I see this on banjo mandolins with no tone ring or rim skirt of any kind.
The pressure of mandolin tuning pulls the rim into itself over time, like 100 yrs.
It will be fine, and play the same way it ever played.
General VG cond. one pinhole.
Starting with 220#
Right side near-done.
Patch cut from old head, glued on.
I use it on the hooks as well.
Main stain goes under fingerboard extension.
New bone nut.
5/8", I won that round.
Best I could do. :(
General surface stains, some deeper.
These long lines are tobacco spit, they can only be cleaned up a bit.
Now for 400#
Re-doing moisture barrier with wax paper.
Perfect pic to show the warp.
Original
See, no one is perfect!
Setup on light gauges- rosewood bridge.
Peace Offering
For cracking the heel :(
I will be tweaking the setup next.
MORE TO FOLLOW