1988 Flatiron F5 Artist Mandolin
(Serial #88060328) Excellent condition showing some picking wear, "ice tea" sunburst finish. I call it an "ice-tea sunburst' as that was the color when the mandolin was built, but it has faded to beautiful golden sunburst. When Gibson went to the NAMM show in 1987, these were the high quality mandolins they were competing with. They couldn't beat them, so they bought the company. This mandolin was built the year after Gibson bought them so they still were figuring things out. This is an "Artist" model, but unlike most it does not have a radiused fretboard. It does have a big frets. Excellent sounding and playing F5 scroll mandolin with highly flamed maple back, sides and neck, carved Sitka spruce top with X bracing, side bound like Monroes on the top, back, fretboard and peghead, "The Flatiron" and Gibson Fern peghead inlay in abalone and pearl, 1 1/8 inch nut, V profile neck, elevated and bound flat ebony fingerboard with dot inlays, bound pickguard, and replacement gold tailpice and gold Schaller tuners with pearl buttons. There is a some picking wear evident but there are no breaks or cracks. Frets are in good shape. Fitted with an internal pickup and a tailpiece jack. This one has a good chop and bark - excellent bluegrass mandolin. Signed by Dennis Balin. Bozeman built Flatirons are always heavily in demand. Most pickers won't part with theirs - once you play this one you'll know why. Comes with an original shaped hardshell case.
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