American Conservatory, Lyon & Healy Bowl Back Mandolin 1890s - Brazilian RW - Great Player - Ships FREE!!!

This mandolin is a masterpiece. Hand crafted in the last decade of the nineteenth century by some of the most skilled artisans of the time. It was built to the highest standards, meant to last a lifetime and has far exceeded that expectation. Comprised of 35 highly figured Brazilian rosewood slats, an old growth Adirondack red spruce top, Honduran mahogany neck and African ebony fret board and headstock overlay. This mandolin is an amalgamation of all of todays most sought after and nearly unobtainable tone woods. Hand scrimshawed Mother Of Pearl inlay adorns the fretboard and headstock, the sound hole rosette is brilliant green Abalone and the mandolin is bound in multi-ply herring bone purfling that still shows its original vibrant green and red purfling strips, unfaded!

The mandolin is in excellent playable condition. To say it plays better then it should after 125+ years is an understatement. The action is low and the mandolin plays clean across the fretboard without buzzing or dead spots. The neck joint is rock solid and there is room for future adjustment at the bridge. The tuners are in great shape, function and hold pitch as they should. All parts and components are original, including the tailpiece bearing the original patent stamp and date from 1891. The mandolin has evidence of honest playing wear, small scratches and dings, all observable in the pictures. Once again it is in amazing shape for a century and a quarter old. Please observe the pictures for a full aesthetic description. The mandolin has just been professionally setup, lightly cleaned and restrung with ultra light GHS strings.

This mandolin exhibits all the tonal qualities one looks for in the most high end mandolins. Designed to acoustically cut through a hall filled withs horns and banjos in a time before amplification, the legendary projection and volume of Brazilian rosewood is apparent in this mandolin from the first strum. The mandolins voice has excellent balance with crisp highs and deep booming lows. The tone produced from this mandolin is irreplaceable without a combination of a centuries playing time on the finest tone woods crafted into an instrument by the most skilled artisans of a bygone era.

I am happy to answer questions.

This mandolin will ship carefully packaged and fully insured as soon as payment is received.

Thank you!