Making Mandolins with Sam Albright

Sam Albright has been working with wood for over 50 years.  He now works out of his solar-powered shop located near Ellenburg, Washington making mandolins.  ArtistWorks had a chance to interview this talented mandolin luthier recently, who's also a student of Mike Marshall's online mandolin lessons. Because he doesn't just build mandolins - he also plays them.

AW:  How long have you been making mandolins?

Sam:  I finished my first mandolin in 2008. Actually I just found an old mandolin neck that I started way back in Art School in about 1975. And I’ve built several electric guitars and a banjo. This is really the first production run of instruments, with the final design really worked out in advance.

Sam Albright has been working with wood for over 50 years.  He now works out of his solar-powered shop located near Ellenburg, Washington making mandolins.  ArtistWorks had a chance to interview this talented mandolin luthier recently, who's also a student of Mike Marshall's online mandolin lessons. Because he doesn't just build mandolins - he also plays them.

AW:  How long have you been making mandolins?

Sam:  I finished my first mandolin in 2008. Actually I just found an old mandolin neck that I started way back in Art School in about 1975. And I’ve built several electric guitars and a banjo. This is really the first production run of instruments, with the final design really worked out in advance.

AW:  How long does it take to make a mandolin?

Sam:  This batch of 4 mandolins was started in November of 2012 and took about 2 1/2 months.  That’s not full time and I did have a couple good friends helping out along the way.  I might run out to the shop and glue up something for 15 minutes then do something else for a while so it’s hard to figure the exact time.  Right now I’m trying to get the time down to less than 100 hours.

AW:  What's the hardest part about making mandolins?

Sam:  The craftsmanship has to be up at the highest level... that is a given. There are a lot of makers that are making beautiful F5 style mandolins, and I’m amazed at the scrolls and the perfect bindings they are getting. I want to do something unique, well at least a little different. The goal with my mandolins is to create an elegant, more simple shape of my own design that is beautiful and sounds fantastic. Mainly it’s that elusive, perfect sound that I am after. To me that is the hardest part. There are so many variables that effect the sound of any instrument, all interacting and any changes to one effects the whole. It’s a lifelong challenge. 

AW:  How long have you been playing mandolin? How did you first get into mandolin?

Sam:  Only about 5 years on the mandolin. Like many others, I’ve played guitar since I was about 12... that’s a while ago. I write a lot of music and I needed another voice. The mandolin’s high register just seemed to fit, so I bought a cheap e-Bay instrument. Of course it wasn’t very good, so I thought I could make a better instrument. All the mandolin parts on the Better Day CDs were played on that first mandolin I made. It recorded really well, and I still like that instrument.

AW:  What's your favorite genre of mandolin music? Favorite players?

Sam:  Wow, that’s a hard one... I like just about anything that’s good. Perhaps the mandolin CD that I’ve listened to the most is Don Sternberg’s Swing 220. And of course there is David Grisman and Mike Marshall. Then there is a CD from Puerto Rico called Jibaro Hasta el Hueso, not exactly mandolin but double stringed instruments (cuatro?) I find that very intriguing. John Reischman’s work; beautiful tone and clarity. Tim Connell from Portland has a couple CDs out that I love. He and Jack Dwyer are tapping into Brazilian Choro and some African styles that work really well on mandolin. My roots go back to an English acoustic psychedelic band called “Dando Shaft” from the late 60s -- there was some wild mandolin on there.

AW:  How long have you been taking mandolin lessons online with Mike Marshall? How has it been going?

Sam:  It’s just been a couple months online. I’m going through the whole curriculum so I don’t miss anything. I want all those fiddle tune finger patterns in my hands.  Over the last few years I’ve taken a few classes from Mike at Mandolin Symposium, so I know just how good a teacher he is. The online format really works for me. I can look at a new lesson at any time day or night.  One thing that I think is important for us as musicians is to be able to go back and fill in the holes in our understanding. Having all the lessons available at any time and getting Mike’s responses to what I’m working on is moving me ahead as an overall musician.

AW:  Has being on Mike's school influenced your playing in any way, how so?

Sam:  So much.... there are things about soloing over changes that I’ve struggled with. I’ve had it explained from many different angles, but Mike’s way of emphasizing the chords and melody and then seeing the arpeggios of the chords as the tune moves along is starting to sink in.

AW:  With more mando players than ever, where do you see the future of mandolin music going?

Sam:  I see it fitting into all styles of music. The mandolin is one of the acoustic string voices we have to enjoy and work with. It’s high, clear sound compliments other instruments in almost any ensemble. And it’s portable.

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Learn more about Sam Albright's Mandolins at http://albrightmandolins.com/