For the long weekend, here’s an interesting Breedlove Cascade Mandolin from 2008, sporting an arm rest and a Tone-Gard! Not only is it in great shape, but staff feel it’s one of the best mandolins in the shop at present.
The National RM1-E A-style mandolin hearkens back to the early days of Resophonic instruments, when the concept was being applied wherever more volume was needed.Here we have the Maple-Walnut version, which isn’t just a great ice cream flavour. Walnut was used as an instrument wood for centuries, and brings a slight mellowness to the tone.
Here we’re looking at a Gibson A Junior model mandolin in Sheraton brown – basically the only colour available for this model. It’s built like other A-Style mandolins, the key differences being wood quality and low decoration level. The arched, carved top features an oval soundhole and is Adirondack Spruce, while the arched, carved back is Maple, as are the sides and neck.
Here we’re looking at a Gibson Style A mandolin in overall good and largely original condition. The A-Style or ‘Teardrop’ body is built with a hand-carved, arched Spruce top paired with a carved, arched Mahogany back. The sides and neck are also Mahogany, with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.
The Eastman MD815-V F-Style F-Hole Mandolin is one of the most recognisable mandolin designs, based on the groundbreaking work of Orville Gibson in the late part of the 19th century, blending traditional mandolin and violin construction principles. The F-Style mandolin has become one of the benchmark instruments for country, bluegrass, celtic, and traditional music forms. And, if you take a listen to Chris Thile, they can do Bach to the full potential of the player. Closely related to the Eastman MD814-V model, the F soundhole and its enhanced treble attack tilts the Eastman MD815-V towards Bluegrass and Country repertoires, compared to the F-holes on the MD815/V.
Just In – a brand new Collings MT2 A-Style mandolin in natural finish, with Adirondack Spruce top and Eastern Flame Maple sides, back and neck.
We’ve received more instruments from Godin Guitars, including the Godin A8 mandolin, a logical progression from the Gibson Chet Atkins CE solidbody classic.
New! The Seagull S8 Mandolin is based on the Seagull Merlin dulcimer body, and is one of the most innovative mandolins we’ve seen for a while.
We’ve just received another of the rare and wonderful Gibson F-5L Fern Mandolins!
The Collings MT2 Mandolin is nearly the top of the heap for A-Style mandolins. Featuring a carved Red Spruce top and premium grade maple for the sides, carved back, sides and neck with ebony for the fingerboard, headplate and bridge, the Collings MT2 mandolin is an extremely attractive, exceptionally good sounding, and great playing instrument.
The Collings MT2 Mandolin is nearly the top of the heap for A-Style mandolins. Featuring a carved Red Spruce top and premium grade maple for the sides, carved back, sides and neck with ebony for the fingerboard, headplate and bridge, and rounded off with faux tortoise binding, the Collings MT2 mandolin is an extremely attractive, exceptionally good sounding, and great playing instrument.
Just in! We’ve very recently received a new Weber Yellowstone Mandolin. These are top – quality, handmade mandolins with carved red spruce top and AAA-grade curly maple for the sides, neck and carved back.
Weber Black Ice F-Style mandolin, brand new. Hand graduated red spruce top with tone bar, AAA Flame maple back and sides, ebony fingerboard and headplate. Stunning black finish with ivoroid binding. Weber case included.
We’ve just received another Collings MF5 mandolin, and as usual it’s beyond impressive. Built using the best materials Collings can lay their hands on, this is a top-shelf instrument.
The MF5 is a traditional F-style mandolin featuring understated elegance – until you start to play it. Then it steps right out to the front!
Here’s a very nice Eastman 815V mandolin. This is the ‘Vintage’ version of the popular 815 F-style model, and is often considered the best-sounding Eastman Mandolin.
How could you improve on the already beautiful Collings MTO, well add a gloss top of course! The beautiful sunburst and wood sets on the Collings MTO GT mandolin really provide a visual impact to go along with the impeccable craftsmanship and wonderful sound on this mandolin!!
Eastman makes a range of solid, well built and great sounding mandolins and here’s an example of the 615 “F-Style” with a built-in Schertler low-impedance (380 ohms) pickup. It’s ready to plug into a microphone channel on a mixer and compete with the loudest of banjo players or drummers!
A very interesting mandolin, promoted by David Grisman. Designed by Corrado Giacomel in Genoa, Italy.
The MD515 was the mandolin that re-shaped the entire mandolin market in my opinion. a couple of years ago it was unthinkable that an all solid wood, true hand carved & graduated f-style mandolin could be offered in the under $1100.00 price point.
After the success of Eastman’s line of handcarved, solid mandolins it was only a matter of time before the master luthiers brought their skills to bear on other members of the mandolin family. The Eastman mandocello utilizes all the best features of a great Eastman archtop guitar. By accenting the lower fundamentals with ringing archtop overtones they have produced an instrument that matches and perhaps surpasses any mandocello in the market today!
Eastman Strings was founded in 1992, yet it is already an integral part of the long and glorious history of one of the most fascinating musical traditions the world has known. Through our violin and bow making activities, we at Eastman Strings are attached to a tradition nearly 500 years old, and we strive to maintain a level of artistic and commercial achievement worthy of our predecessors.
Today we are featuring a very cool contemporary F style mandolin from Eastman’s new DAWG Collection. The DGM1 model is based on the Giacomel J5 from David Grisman’s personal collection. This mandolin features a hand carved Adirondack spruce top, highly flamed hand carved maple sides and back, a two point body design with a very unique scroll and stylized f-holes.
The Collings MT2 Varnish Mandolin is definitely a head-turning, neighbors-thumping-on-the-wall-yelling-TURN-IT-DOWN, nuclear-tone-generator of a mandolin that is REALLY effortless to play and bee (eh?) U-tiful … no, Beauuuuuuuuutiful … no, BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously … if tone was a phone, this sweetheart would be ringing!!! It is THAT good.
The “Blacktop” finish has a rich history in the mandolin world, dating back to the very early 1900’s. Bill Collings occasionally builds one of his popular Collings Custom MT Blackface Mandolin model with upgraded gloss black top finish and adds grained ivoroid top binding to set the whole thing off. What a great look!
We have just taken delivery of another Collings MF5 f-style mandolin from Bill Collings’ Austin Texas workshop. At last count, we had over 40 mandolins in stock. There is always one that stands out above the rest; always one that just has that warm throaty midrange bark; that sparkling presence; that low end chunk; that power. This is the one. THE ONE! The numero uno!!!!!
A welcome addition to the very popular professional level MT series of mandolins, the Collings MT-20 Oval Hole Mandolin is a real knock out! This pre-sold custom order mandolin has a stunning one piece figured maple back and a true carved and graduated Engelman spruce top. These excellent pieces of wood are augmented by a gorgeous Honey Amber stain, varnish finish and tortoise binding. The oval sound hole, ebony pickguard and headstock also feature the tortoise binding which gives the mandolin a great unifying theme. Like all MT mandolins there is tones of cut and power in its tone. The oval sound hole on this model helps to open up the overall sound and add some warmth to the bell like high end. This is one superb looking and sounding mandolin!!!!
