This episode of Hand Made Music embarks on the final steps of mandolin building. Master luthier Lynn Dudenbostel joins the instrument's neck with the body after the labor-intensive task of carving the neck is finished. Viewers finally see the instrument "in the white" which is what luthiers say when the mandolin is complete except for the finish. This episode demonstrates why finish is about more than appearances. In fact, the finish is just as important to an instrument's sound. Stain, shellac and varnish all contribute to the final product, and then Lynn "finishes the finish" with a technique called French polishing. The practice comes from the old-school pages of the luthier handbook. After a quick set-up, this show wraps up in the recording studio with the bluegrass band Kentucky Thunder as they christen another edition from the Dudenbostel workshop!
