This unique peice was constructed from a string instrument salvaged mandolin from earlier years. The item was stripped down for the neck, the neck heal mount, tail peice, and the tuning machines.
The hand made solid tuning machines were disembled and cleaned for reuse on the neck stock. The broken ebony fret board was removed and a new purple heart fret board was applied. The Neck heal mount was laminated into the Navarro box with stilts ranging from the butt of the heal mount to the tail of the box where the pressure of the 8 strings weighs the most.
This, LBJ believed to stregthen the box for longivity. Once the box was sealed together, it is very crisp sounding without having sound holes routed out yet. The tailpeice, made of typical steal will be brazed with brass and polished to follow the brass look of the instrument. A brass/purple heart bridge will be fabricated, including a brass string nut.
![Thumbnail](http://davidmlane.zenfolio.com/img/s9/v0/p911337566-3.jpg")
