Small-ish Bouzouki, 14.75" body width ; 25.25" Scale length Douglas Fir top ; Walnut back and sides Walnut neck ; amazon rosewood binding www.nyberginst...
Must be fun being a musician, making such fine instruments - and then also working with such a diversity of woods; of textures, natural patterns, and finishes! Just love all of your instruments, and while at first I thought the octave mandolin was the one for me, I had to accept, that when I heard your boouzoukis, I couldn't really make up my mind. And even your 'normal' madolins attracted me too. I have a story on 'why.' First of all - I don't play - not really! So I remembered seeing some sort of instrument in my wife's parent house, and 30 yrs later I asked my wife where it was. I 'rescued' it from a sister-in-law, and found myself looking at a cross between a mandoln and a banjo - circa 1910. And relatively crudely made as well. I was tuning it, but broke a string, so restrung it with just four single strings - yeah, complete...novice; see! :) {I have now restrung it properly with all new strings :) } Started to look up mandolin music on youtube to try to see if I could play it - all this in my sixties (now 72). Was going through heaps of mandolin videos, and at the back of my mind was, 'too high' for my personal taste. Had played guitar, Peter Paul & Mary songs in my youth - just bashed away in strumming. One day I was watching a video that had Sierra Hull doing a review for Reverb, playing a Gibson Mandolin and a Weber Octave Mandolin. as soon as she stroked those strings on the Octave Mandolin, I realised that there was a sound that I really really liked!!!!!! So I kept looking our for Weber Bridger Octave Mandolin stuff, and along that journey came across a guy called Lawrence Nyberg... sound familiar! :) Played all your vids; focused one the octave mandolins at first, then the bouzoukis. Yes, the citterns sound interesting, but the other two more interesting, personallyt! So i love to replay your videos to hear your descriptions, and to play those samples - of which you also have a bunch on Soundcloud. Anyway, I was happy to suddenly see a new video in the sidebar of UA-cam - it seems to remember what one has watched before, and brings up 'suggestions'! If I just want to earth myself, after watching news, or preferred christian ministry shows, I play one or two of your videos! :) Keep it up; you have a lovely gift and a lovely vocation! Cheers Gregg (Perth, Western Australia)
Thanks Gregg. That is a non direct journey to music, but you made it just the same. And curiosity is a powerful force. That is why I ended up becoming a luthier :) Very pleased to know you enjoy my videos. I am always self conscious about how basic and somewhat unprofessional they are, but to hell with it, I want to bring the sound and images to people in the end. Keep staying tuned in!
@@nyberginstruments401 "Unprofessional' !!! That would depend on your definition of such, I think. Hey, you have a personal desire (and focus) to make fine instruments out of fine wood; you expertly judge what gauge strings you need; you 'thin out some woods' till you get what resonance you want reproduced; so you obviously have a number of gifts, or giftings, that allow you to produce something beautiful, something of quality, something that sounds amazing - and a whole range of amazings across your diversity of instruments! Lawrence, 'unprofessional' need not apply for residence in either your workshop or your heart, mate - your 'up close and personal' pursuit of quality resonates takes precedence. And from the comments on various pages, people are very happy and inspired by what you do. Now don;'t forget to play with the kids, cook for the wife, and drink barista coffee with donuts or croissants! Actually I was just now listening again to some of your vids while I'm doodling! ;) :) :) :) Gregg
@@nyberginstruments401 I am lucky enough to now own this fabulous instrument. I can’t thank Lawrence enough for entrusting it to me. It is, if anything, even more beautiful than it shows in this video. The workmanship is off the scale stunning and it’s been made by a man who really understands how to set up an instrument exactly the way a musician wants to play. Buy this man’s instruments if you can, he’s a genius and you will have an astonishing instrument for life.
Beautiful instrument, sounds great. I have been hoarding Doug fir for a number of years. All very old growth, perfect quarter. Most of it now 20-40 years in my stash. I am in So Oregon... good old growth Doug fir is difficult to find. I use it for cavaquinho tops. There was a violin maker near Mt Shasta who was using Doug Fir for tops as far back as the 1920s. Exquisite. Phoenix Mandolins were occasionally topped with Doug Fir. And his line of mandolins prior to the Phoenix were Doug fir. He discontinued use because of brittleness and cracking. However the tone was fantastic. I imagine that some controlled bracing and careful attention to thickness may be the key to longevity.
Thanks Jeff. It is interesting to hear of others using doug. It is a great sounding wood, and I believe no more brittle than redwood. Perhaps less so. As you say, it is hard to come by in decent pieces. But well worth hoarding! Thanks for sharing :)
@@nyberginstruments401 I have yet to warm up to redwood. Craig Carter, redwood down fall and sinker pioneer, was a close friend. I drum sanded hundreds of sets of his best wood and samples sent around the world. I have a few of those samples. I also have (again) been hoarding redwood. Much of it from a pre WWII CCC camp in So Oregon. Wood that was harvested and re-sawn to perfect quarter, bundled and never used. A friend bought the CCC camp property and buildings and the wood was secreted away in the attic of the main bunk house. He gifted it to me for helping with the refurbishing of the building and converting it to a home. A 6 year project. The wood has been in my possession for 20 years. I also have "drops. 8 Ft long, 3/8ths thick, 11 inches wide and perfect quarter. Perfect for one piece Ukulele or cavaquinho.. or...cut 22 inch (give or take) flips and used them as guitar tops. I may just try that. I have not compared the stiffness of the redwood to the Doug Fir, I'll do that.
Once again, just a stunning instrument! I am not sure how much the camera has to do with this but both the top and back and sides have a very even, almost austere look when you are zoomed out and then both just dazzle when you get a close up of the grain. I love the complexity in both! I also love the idea that you are a Canadian builder using woods native to your region. Per usual it seems... I am blown away by the look and sound of your instruments. GREAT WORK!
Thanks so much, John. Austere is my direction when possible :) I admit that I did feel an affinity with the fir top. I use a lot of BC woods, but this one is an outlier. It is legendary as a hard softwood around here, used as high end edge grain flooring and beams and trim, due to it's strength and appearance. I have a few more sets of it and look forward to working with it again.
I have a question about your instruments, who are your intended customers... Irish/Celtic? Seems you have a niche and have filled it well. Where can I here some of the players, are there you tube videos. I would like to see and hear more. As I no longer build for sale (that was years ago) and have no intent of doing so, I am happy to make for family and friends and for the pure joy and exploration and investigation. Wood is a miracle material. Instrument making is an endeavor of the highest order. My compliments for your achievement. Edit... I just checked out your web site.. spectacular.
Thanks Jeff. My customers are mostly celtic platers, sometimes klezmer and world music. Most aren't pros. One that I can think of who isn't is Owen Marshall, who plays one of my zouks with seamus egan.
That Douglas Fir Irish Bouzouki sound great Douglas Fir is really nice looking too.
Another Masterpiece of playable Art
Thanks Scott 😊
Such an even volume balance/mix across the range yet so easily transforms into sweet fruity lead. Amazing.
Thanks. I agree. It has a well balanced tone.
Beautiful wood ..❤❤❤❤
Thanks.
Beautiful instrument..👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you.
Very nice. I thought about doing a top with Douglas fir. Sounds great.Beautiful work.
Thanks. Fir is easy to work with and smells great!
Must be fun being a musician, making such fine instruments - and then also working with such a diversity of woods; of textures, natural patterns, and finishes!
Just love all of your instruments, and while at first I thought the octave mandolin was the one for me, I had to accept, that when I heard your boouzoukis, I couldn't really make up my mind.
And even your 'normal' madolins attracted me too. I have a story on 'why.'
First of all - I don't play - not really!
So I remembered seeing some sort of instrument in my wife's parent house, and 30 yrs later I asked my wife where it was. I 'rescued' it from a sister-in-law, and found myself looking at a cross between a mandoln and a banjo - circa 1910. And relatively crudely made as well. I was tuning it, but broke a string, so restrung it with just four single strings - yeah, complete...novice; see! :)
{I have now restrung it properly with all new strings :) }
Started to look up mandolin music on youtube to try to see if I could play it - all this in my sixties (now 72).
Was going through heaps of mandolin videos, and at the back of my mind was, 'too high' for my personal taste.
Had played guitar, Peter Paul & Mary songs in my youth - just bashed away in strumming.
One day I was watching a video that had Sierra Hull doing a review for Reverb, playing a Gibson Mandolin and a Weber Octave Mandolin. as soon as she stroked those strings on the Octave Mandolin, I realised that there was a sound that I really really liked!!!!!!
So I kept looking our for Weber Bridger Octave Mandolin stuff, and along that journey came across a guy called Lawrence Nyberg... sound familiar! :)
Played all your vids; focused one the octave mandolins at first, then the bouzoukis. Yes, the citterns sound interesting, but the other two more interesting, personallyt!
So i love to replay your videos to hear your descriptions, and to play those samples - of which you also have a bunch on Soundcloud.
Anyway, I was happy to suddenly see a new video in the sidebar of UA-cam - it seems to remember what one has watched before, and brings up 'suggestions'!
If I just want to earth myself, after watching news, or preferred christian ministry shows, I play one or two of your videos! :)
Keep it up; you have a lovely gift and a lovely vocation!
Cheers
Gregg (Perth, Western Australia)
Thanks Gregg. That is a non direct journey to music, but you made it just the same. And curiosity is a powerful force. That is why I ended up becoming a luthier :) Very pleased to know you enjoy my videos. I am always self conscious about how basic and somewhat unprofessional they are, but to hell with it, I want to bring the sound and images to people in the end. Keep staying tuned in!
@@nyberginstruments401 "Unprofessional' !!! That would depend on your definition of such, I think. Hey, you have a personal desire (and focus) to make fine instruments out of fine wood; you expertly judge what gauge strings you need; you 'thin out some woods' till you get what resonance you want reproduced; so you obviously have a number of gifts, or giftings, that allow you to produce something beautiful, something of quality, something that sounds amazing - and a whole range of amazings across your diversity of instruments!
Lawrence, 'unprofessional' need not apply for residence in either your workshop or your heart, mate - your 'up close and personal' pursuit of quality resonates takes precedence. And from the comments on various pages, people are very happy and inspired by what you do. Now don;'t forget to play with the kids, cook for the wife, and drink barista coffee with donuts or croissants!
Actually I was just now listening again to some of your vids while I'm doodling! ;)
:) :) :) Gregg
Thanks so much, Gregg, this means a lot to me.@@quasialien
@@nyberginstruments401
I am lucky enough to now own this fabulous instrument. I can’t thank Lawrence enough for entrusting it to me. It is, if anything, even more beautiful than it shows in this video. The workmanship is off the scale stunning and it’s been made by a man who really understands how to set up an instrument exactly the way a musician wants to play. Buy this man’s instruments if you can, he’s a genius and you will have an astonishing instrument for life.
Beautiful instrument, sounds great.
I have been hoarding Doug fir for a number of years. All very old growth, perfect quarter.
Most of it now 20-40 years in my stash. I am in So Oregon... good old growth Doug fir is difficult to find. I use it for cavaquinho tops. There was a violin maker near Mt Shasta who
was using Doug Fir for tops as far back as the 1920s. Exquisite.
Phoenix Mandolins were occasionally topped with Doug Fir. And his line of mandolins prior to the Phoenix were Doug fir. He discontinued use because of brittleness and cracking.
However the tone was fantastic. I imagine that some controlled bracing and careful attention to thickness may be the key to longevity.
Thanks Jeff. It is interesting to hear of others using doug. It is a great sounding wood, and I believe no more brittle than redwood. Perhaps less so. As you say, it is hard to come by in decent pieces. But well worth hoarding! Thanks for sharing :)
@@nyberginstruments401 I have yet to warm up to redwood.
Craig Carter, redwood down fall and sinker pioneer, was a close friend. I drum sanded hundreds of sets of his best wood and samples sent around the world. I have a few of those samples. I also have (again) been hoarding redwood. Much of it from a pre WWII CCC camp in So Oregon. Wood that was harvested and re-sawn to perfect quarter, bundled and never used. A friend bought the CCC camp property and buildings and the wood was secreted away in the attic of the main bunk house. He gifted it to me for helping with the refurbishing of the building and converting it to a home. A 6 year project. The wood has been in my possession for 20 years. I also have "drops. 8 Ft long, 3/8ths thick, 11 inches wide and perfect quarter. Perfect for one piece Ukulele or cavaquinho.. or...cut 22 inch (give or take) flips and used them as guitar tops. I may just try that.
I have not compared the stiffness of the redwood to the Doug Fir, I'll do that.
@@jeffhildreth9244 Nice stash. Redwood is a bit stiffer than doug. About the same as port orford cedar.
Once again, just a stunning instrument! I am not sure how much the camera has to do with this but both the top and back and sides have a very even, almost austere look when you are zoomed out and then both just dazzle when you get a close up of the grain. I love the complexity in both! I also love the idea that you are a Canadian builder using woods native to your region. Per usual it seems... I am blown away by the look and sound of your instruments. GREAT WORK!
Thanks so much, John. Austere is my direction when possible :) I admit that I did feel an affinity with the fir top. I use a lot of BC woods, but this one is an outlier. It is legendary as a hard softwood around here, used as high end edge grain flooring and beams and trim, due to it's strength and appearance. I have a few more sets of it and look forward to working with it again.
I have a question about your instruments, who are your intended customers... Irish/Celtic?
Seems you have a niche and have filled it well.
Where can I here some of the players, are there you tube videos.
I would like to see and hear more.
As I no longer build for sale (that was years ago) and have no intent of doing so, I am happy to make for family and friends and for the pure joy and exploration and investigation.
Wood is a miracle material. Instrument making is an endeavor of the highest order.
My compliments for your achievement.
Edit... I just checked out your web site.. spectacular.
Thanks Jeff. My customers are mostly celtic platers, sometimes klezmer and world music. Most aren't pros. One that I can think of who isn't is Owen Marshall, who plays one of my zouks with seamus egan.