Bio

A Short History

Pomeroy Instruments is a small company dedicated to building individually handcrafted F-style and A-style mandolins. It was initiated about two years ago. My first mandolin curiously dared to come to life. Not only did it look okay, but rather than consign it to the closet- which is where I was sure it would end up when complete- it played very nicely and became the focal point of our local music scene. And so I had an excuse to try another. My second mandolin was immediately taken off my hands by another local picker. 

The F-style mandolin presents great challenges. But to my credit, a carpenter by trade, I have run my own cabinet shops in the past- building custom cabinets, doors and period furniture for over twenty-five years. I have also played fiddle, clawhammer banjo and the mandolin since I was a kid. In the past decade I have been building custom homes in the Aspen area. Going from contractor to luthier happened when I realized I needed to get my actions a little more in sync with my heart. So I imagined that building stringed instruments would be the perfect combination for me, doing something that I could pour my heart into- as well as challenge me as a craftsman to the highest degree.

And Now?
Eighty five mandolins later I'm still carving away, feeling very fortunate to have this opportunity in my life. Now I am doing it full time. I have completely dedicated myself to mastering the carved-top mandolin and am a firm believer that if a person puts his mind and heart to a task it can be accomplished. I am realizing a dream and this process of becoming a luthier is creating a real sense of balance in my life. Pomeroy Instruments (my mother's maiden name) is the result of this endeavor.

 
Shop Approach
So for me, getting away from production-oriented approaches in the shop and the constant whining and buzzing of mind- jarring power tools is critical. I have seen the "time is money" approach taken to the extreme, and believe that it is systematically eating away at our sanity and our planet. Obviously to succeed in any construction business, careful attention must be paid to some degree of efficiency. But simplicity helps to keep overhead down, and setting moderate profit goals helps to reduce the need for machine-like efficiency. With a steady, focused effort, I build each mandolin one at a time- start to finish-with as few power tools as I can justify. I carve the neck, back and top by hand and tune the plates with a more traditional approach of tapping and flexing. I immerse myself totally in the task of building the finest mandolin ever made and though I certainly cannot lay claim to having done that – I am building consistently strong sounding, well balanced mandolins. I have acquired a list of folks that can vouch for that.

"This is the third of Don’s mandolins to pass through The Great Divide. I wish I could get more from him. This one is quite easily the best one that I’ve heard yet. He continues to refine his sound chamber, carving and overall craftsmanship with an eye to becoming one of the top mandolin makers. Don has a really smooth toned but loud instrument here. The bass is very impressive and the E and A strings are most pleasing sounding with nice sustain.” 

-Sandy Monro, owner of The Great Divide music store in Aspen, CO,
commenting on #37, F-style

 

Fine Quality, Hand-Crafted Mandolins for sale by Josh and Don Paine