Brand: Ratliff
Instrument Categories: Mandolins, SOLD
The Ratliff R5 mandolin is built by hand in Church Hill, Tennessee, part of a small lineup of F style and A style mandolins. The company was originally started to produce left-handed F-Style instruments, but has grown to produce right hand models, and offers both F hole and oval hole versions.
This Ratliff R5 seems to be a discontinued model, superseded by the slightly more elaborate R5 ‘Master Model’. It uses a carved Sitka Spruce top paired with flame Maple for the sides, neck, and carved back, and Ebony for the bridge and bound fingerboard. The headstock has a tasteful floral inlay along with the Ratliff logo, and the instrument is finished in a nitrocellulose lacquer tobacco sunburst. The tuners are chromed with faux mother of pearl buttons, and the tailpiece cover is engraved. With gold hardware, this model would have a ‘G’ addition to the model name.
This Ratliff R5 dates to September 01, 2005 and is in very good condition with only light wear and natural finish sinking.
The original hard shell case is included.
The ‘F Style’ (F for Florentine, describing the scroll and points) mandolin is one of the two primary mandolin styles pioneered by Orville Gibson and Lloyd Loar, the other being the teardrop ‘A’ style. Orville merged the mandolin concept with violin family design and construction techniques. This resulted in a louder, brighter and easier to construct instrument than the predominant European style bowl-back mandolins. These same principles were also applied to the guitar, leading directly to what we now call arched-top guitars.
- Model: R5
- Year: 2005
- Finish Gloss Sunburst
- Class: Used
- Serial Number: 090105, dates to September 01 2005 at Church Hill TN
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Very Good
- Date Posted: 05/04/2023
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 2.244lbs 1.02kg
- Scale Length: 13.82in 351mm
- Nut Width: 1.133in 28.78mm
