(Serial No. 16138) Excellent plus condition, sunburst lacquer finish. Martin is best known for their flat top guitar and rightfully so. However, thye have made other instruments over the years, one of which is this beautiful 2-15 style mandolin. Prices of Martin mandolins are much less than their Gibson counterparts, yet they exhibit the same high build quality as Martin guitars. Most Martin mandolins are flat-top style, which are great folk instruments but lack the volume and cutting power required for bluegrass. Although the 2-15 was the majority of the carved top mandolin models made by Martin, production was very low and as a consequence they have remained obscure even if they match Gibson for build quality.

That is not to say that they sound like their Gibson counterparts, as they do not. The tone is somewhat different. They have tremendous cutting power, but the bass is not as strong as the Gibsons. The construction of the 2-20 is completely different from Gibsons, with the top and back are graduated like a violin, and the top has a ramp carved into the center where it rises to meet the fingerboard. Has an Adirondack spruce top with F holes, highly figured maple back and sides, ebony fretboard and bridge, and a maple neck. All hardware and finish is original. The 12th fret neck joint, combined with the narrowness of the body near the joint, makes upper-fret accessibility easier than most Gibsons I have played. Comes with a very nice condition original hard shell case.

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