Mandolin, Handmade Spanish-Style Flat Top, All Solid Wood, Luthier Setup Video W/Gig Bag

European-style mandolin. Purely hand made. It's not perfect; lots of hand tool marks. Lots of handmade mojo. The peghead slots were hand-carved with a chisel. Two piece top, looks like maple. One-piece neck (no separate fretboard). Book-matched quilted mahogany back. the sides are mahogany but not book matched. The bridge was entirely hand carved out of rosewood. It also had a hand carved rosewood nut, but it was broken and I replaced it. The body is unbound. The rosette looks like hand cut rosewood, mahogany, maple and mother-of-pearl. The tailpiece had been replaced when I got it. It was probably originally one of those flimsy aluminum jobs that always seem to crack if you look at them sideways.

The NECK: looks like it was carved out of one piece of maple without a separate fingerboard, like 1950s Telecasters. It has a pronounced D profile. The side position dots are hand painted. The most unusual thing about the neck is that it has aluminum frets. They were a bit wavy. I set them as flat as they would go. I still had to level them, crown and polish. The whole thing is solid wood! After making the new nut and leveling the frets, I shaved the bridge and recut the slots for a nice low action. Then a new set of strings.

There are a few dents and dings on the top and neck. I tried to show them with the photos. Also don't miss watching the video! Also; comes with a brand new gig bag.

Henry Nelson Luthiery stuff might cost more than other listings, but we think it's worth it. We're not going anywhere. We stand behind our gear. We do research and accurate descriptions. We test our stuff and usually do restoration work; sometimes light, sometimes intense (read our item descriptions for details). I'm an experienced luthier and I use traditional techniques and materials: hide glue and nitrocellulose lacquer. I even make my own French polish and shellac. In addition, our vintage gear holds its value, unlike new stuff. We have a no-hassle return policy. The return shipping is on you, but the item price and shipping to you is refunded. Simply return it in the same condition in a timely manner.