Hugh J. Hansen Model A Carved Top Mandolin (2018), ser. #1818, black rigid foam case.

Hugh J. Hansen Model A Model Carved Top Mandolin (2018), made in Nashville, TN, serial # 1818, natural finish, maple back, sides and neck, spruce top, ebony fingerboard, black rigid foam case.

This lovely natural finish A-5 style mandolin is the work of Hugh Hansen, one of Nashville's most highly respected mandolin repair specialists and custom builders. Hansen previously worked in repair at Gruhn in Nashville and with Stephen Gilchrist, considered the finest mandolin builder of the last century or so. His shop is regarded as a premier source and destination for high-end mandolins, the stateside warranty and repair depot for Gilchrist as well as historic instruments from the Roy Acuff Collection at the Grand Ole Opry.

This beautiful blonde A-5 is a slightly atypical instrument from Hansen; most of his builds are F-5 models. It is based on the single quasi-mythical Lloyd-Loar era A-5, a model Gibson prototyped but never put into production. The one-piece flame maple neck has the classic soft "V" profile of the 1920s topped with the traditional "snakehead" peghead design Loar favored. The body is built from dramatically flamed maple with a very even grained spruce top; Hansen's instruments are known for the superb wood selection as well as his exemplary craftsmanship. This is displayed to good advantage by the lightly ambered natural finish; the body is single bound while the fingerboard is unbound.

While not a flashy piece this is a superb player's instrument in every way, an extremely fine sounding mandolin with a deeper, richer tone the most A-5 models, and really many F-5s as well. This is the first of Hugh Hansen's instruments we have handled up here in Brooklyn and a very impressive piece, perhaps not the ultimate bluegrass mandolin but it would really shine in a Celtic context or pretty much any all-around playing situation.

Overall length is 26 3/4 in. (67.9 cm.), 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm.) across at the widest point, and 2 21/32 in. (5.2 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 13 3/4 in. (349 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).

This mandolin shows some general light wear but nothing too serious. The finish shows small shallow dings, scuffs and dents but no really serious wear. The headstock has a couple of surface marks that appear to be from the rubber feet of a clamped-on tuner; there is a bit of tarnish to the silver plated tailpiece. The instrument has no apparent alterations; a strap button on the treble side of the heel matches the endpin, so was likely put there by the builder or added soon after. The original frets have only very minor wear and this is a superb playing instrument, a testament to this very highly regarded builder's skill and attention to detail. Overall Excellent Condition.