The Mandolin has been part of Hans Brentrup's life for as long as he can remember. His father was a member of a mandolin orchestra in Germany. He once built a mandolin from an apple crate using tuners salvaged from a destroyed instrument. Hans' father always had a mandolin around the house and played a lot of classical music.
After serving in the military and deciding that college wasn't for him, Hans went to a vocational school to study cabinet making. While there he built his first guitar. After completing the course in cabinet making he attended Red Wing Vocational School for their first instrument repair class. At that time the course was strictly violin repair, but Hans built his second guitar and forms for three different sizes of guitars. He worked at a couple of music stores during the 1970's building guitars, mandolins, and doing repairs. He returned to cabinet making in the 1980's when the market for acoustic instruments collapsed.
Joe Mendel: Hi Hans. In the 70's there weren't many people building instruments, what made you decide to try it? What style were the guitars that you built?
Hans Brentrup: Joe, I thought that I could build a better instrument than I could afford, which is how, I suspect, most folks get into instrument building. At that time I was into fingerpicking, so I made fingerpicking guitars. My first was a mid size, but then I built jumbo and parlor sizes also. I was especially fond of 12 strings. I slowly realized that I wanted to build mandolins.
JM: Do you still build guitars? When & why did you switch to mandolins?
HB: I don't build guitars currently. There are a huge number of fabulous guitar builders out there. I got into mandolins when I realized my old Washburn bowlback wasn't going to do it for me. I had bought a Gibson F-2, and after studying it carefully, started building an F-5. Well, that did it. I was hooked. I built my first mandolin in '73.
JM: You gave up building and repairing in the 80's, how did you get back into it?
HB: I quit building altogether in the '80's, and my interest was revived when Dakota Dave Hull, a musician friend of ours, suggested I start building again. That was in '98. I immediately turned to mandolins again, and I haven't stopped. Mandolins are just in my head...I can still hear my father playing those old classics.
JM: I've seen and played a couple of your recent mandolins, an F-5 and a 3-point oval hole, they're very nice. How many models of mandolins do you build and what do you get the most orders for?
HB:Thanks Joe. I build both F and A style instruments with oval or F-holes. I build three different models of F-5, a bluegrass model with red spruce, and for those that prefer a richer fuller tone, I build Italian spruce and German spruce instruments. I am also building the 3 point mandolins and mandolas. At some point I hope to start some 2 point designs, but my plate is pretty full, and I don't get a lot of spare time to experiment. I get the most orders for the bluegrass mandolin and also the Italian. I get quite a few orders for A-5 types also. Most of those are built using Italian spruce.
JM: Would you tell us a little about your methods and philosophy of building?
HB: My methods are pretty orthodox with the exception of using an inside mould. I used to use an outside mould, but switched to an inside. I don't know if there is any advantage, but it works for me. I do use a pattern router to rough out my soundboards and backs. Most of the graduation is done with hand planes and scrapers. I use power tools that save time (bandsaw, edge sanders, Dremel routers etc), but a lot of the work is done by hand. I don't think I could get into the learning curve of a CNC router. I always strive to make the best instrument possible. When you spend 200 hours on an instrument, mediocre is not a wanted end result. I also stay away from making "batches" of instruments. I may make up 4-5 neck blanks and finish off the pegheads, but I will build one box at a time.
JM: What woods and other materials do you use?
HB: The tonewood that I use is the most expensive that I can find. I use Italian spruce, German spruce, and West Virginia red spruce. Backs are Bosnian maple, red maple, rock maple or silver maple, depending on the tone wanted. I use ebony for fingerboards, pickguards and peghead overlays. I stopped using lacquer in favor of varnish because of the tone.
JM: What is your favorite part of the process and why?
HB: That's a tough one. There are a lot of them that I dislike, but it is a process. I guess staining and finishing is my favorite because that's when the real beauty of the wood shines.
JM: Do you farm out any of the work or parts of your instruments?
HB: I buy bridges because I can get them cheaper than I could make them. I'm not into repetitive tasks so making 100 bridges does not appeal to me. Other than that the instrument is wholly made by me.
JM: The mandolin seems to be an addictive little beast to many of us. What is it about the mandolin that attracts you to it?
HB: Aside from that sound ringing in my head for the rest of my life, it seems to be the complexity and challenge of building them. Couple that with the fact that they are so beautiful to look at: I've been hooked for 30 years.
JM: How many have you built over the years? Do you still have the first one you built?
HB: I'm currently building number 104. I don't have the first one I built, but I did a fret job on it last year and it's still in the neighborhood.
JM: Are you currently taking orders? (If so) How long is the typical wait?
HB: I am taking orders and the wait list for an F is about 14 months. An A is about 8 months.
JM: It used to be that builders had their secrets and wouldn't reveal them to anyone. On mandolincafe.com you are very helpful to people with questions regarding building mandolins. What lead to the openness that now exits among luthiers? Have you benefited from it?
HB: I believe that Mandolin Cafe is responsible for the openness and willingness of builders to help others attempting to build instruments. It is a wonderful resource and a wealth of accumulated knowledge. Cafe has brought players and builders together in a unique mix of camaraderie that could not happen anywhere else. I have learned many things from other builders on Cafe.
JM: Anything you'd like to add?
HB: Just a thank you for what you are doing Joe!
I met Hans at Mandofest 2005, and had the opportunity to play a few of his mandolins. Hans is a wealth of information about mandolins, and very much a gentleman. His mandolins are beautifully made. Elegant is just one word I would use to describe them. They play well, and sound very good. If you get the opportunity to try one, it will be a real treat.
Hans can be reached by phone @ 612-522-9342,
And by e-mail @ johann@brentrup.com
