In 1999, Phoenix Mandolins moved to Maine, where the upstairs of a two-story garage/barn has been reworked into a modern professional mandolin shop.

Foundation work on the 100-year-old barn came first, and then reinforcement of the supports and floor beams of the upstairs to allow it to hold the three tons of wood and equipment that would live there.

A study of other shops and personal experience dictated the best use of the space, which was: a main work area with cathedral ceiling and lots of natural light (including a picture window looking west at sunsets over the St. George River), a small "warm room" kept at the best temperature for glue and finish curing, a spray room with exhaust fan, two wood storage rooms with precise climate control which also include the buffer and compressor (for now), a large L-shaped room with all the larger power tools and dust control, and a loft over part of the power tool room for storage of boxes, cases and other stuff. The sanding area in the power tool room was worked out to have a large window bringing in sunlight in the morning, looking across the road to a large field and woods and an occasional moose.

The original unfinished space was re-roofed, insulated, over two thousand feet of wire run with 110 and 220 industrial outlets, walls and doors hung, and the loft built. Professional workbenches, including a special jeweler's bench for inlay work, were installed. Plumbing was built into the walls for the compressed air system. Precise climate control is achieved by a combination of baseboard heat, air conditioning, and commercial humidifying and dehumidifying units resulting in industry standard conditions.

Internal windows and a glass door between the main room and the power tool room bring natural light into every room and provide a measure of safety since anyone entering the shop can see what is going on in any room. Since the house and barn/garage are connected, in typical rural New England style, the shop is easily accessed from the house. Best of all, the space is quadruple the size of the previous shop in Virginia, and the dedicated power tools and equipment have all set up for efficiency.

In 2003, a CNC router was added to the shop then replaced a few years later by a top-grade Techno Isel model for precision initial carving of top, back, and neck. Jenny's presence in the shop has meant changing some of the tools and fixtures for her comfort and efficiency but also a doubling of the mastery of woodworking tools, inlay skills, and the artistic eye. Plus, she is widening the shop perspective into some projects involving ukuleles and guitars. With two luthiers working full-time, the shop can now produce fifty fine mandolins a year.

 
View a Slideshow of Phoenix Workshop Photos
by photographer Liz Grandmaison