THE FLATIRON MANDOLIN SERIAL 84022640 PROFESSIONAL

Her picture adorns the front and back cover of my book The Mandolin Handbook and she stars in almost every one of my 60 instructional videos I filmed for Watch and Learn. I have dragged her to thousands of gigs and rehearsals and she just sounds better all the time. This mandolin, Flatiron F-5 Artist (Serial Number 85100109) signed by Steve Carlson was born in Bozeman, Montana and has been my loyal, patient and sonorous friend ever since. That lit a fire under me and within a few days I had sold some stuff (a Hofner Beatle bass comes to mind among other things) scrounged up the money and I took her home. I didn't want this one to get away.Įverytime I played my Alvarez or 'The Laird' it drove me crazy that 'my mandolin' was still sitting over at that music store. I sped right over and this mandolin, to my ears and eyes, was even better than the first one! I knew my mandolin had found me and I made a deal to hand over the cash I had and make payments so the store would hold it for me. Sure enough, the folks out at Flatiron were soon finished with another great mandolin and Steve S. told me that he had another one on the way and he would call me when it arrived. about that Flatiron and he said he had just sold it! (I later found out that he sold it to a friend of mine and, like me, he still plays that mandolin and will not part with it.) Steve S. After playing it for a half-hour or so I handed it back and told him I'd start saving my money.Ī couple of months passed and I finally had collected at least enough to put down some kind of down payment on that mandolin so off I went to Jackson's Music with a wad of hundred dollar bills (from playing gigs) in my pocket. I guess all up and coming musicians are in that boat at times. I loved that mandolin but didn't have the bucks. Found the warranty card too.) Remember, this was during the summer of 1985. (Update: 11/2/14 Amazingly I just found the receipts from when I bought the instrument. The price was $1,800 if I recall correctly. handed me the Flatiron F-5 Artist I was immediately in love! I liked it twice as much as the Gibson. (You can click on the images for a higher resolution version.)Ī-5 'It's Bark Is Worth The Bite', June, 1984 Here are some examples of the Flatiron mandolin ads which I scanned from my ancient pile of Frets magazines for your enjoyment and for educational purposes. I also had seen the ads for their A-5 model but had never laid eyes on one. I knew that Flatiron made some flat-top 'pancake' type mandolins because I had seen them advertised in a magazine. It was called a Flatiron and I'd never seen one. suggested that I try out a new mandolin that had just come in. Though the Gibson sounded better than what I was playing, I didn't think it sounded good enough considering the price tag! After I tried out a Gibson and put it back, Steve S. Of course, I was interested in a Gibson but didn't have that kind of money.

THE FLATIRON MANDOLIN SERIAL 84022640 PROFESSIONAL

I was playing an Alvarez mandolin and also had built my own rather crude F-5 (from Siminoff's book) but I was looking for a professional quality instrument.

The salesman who first showed me a Flatiron mandolin was a guy named Steve Standley.

In late 1985 I purchased a Flatiron F-5 Artist mandolin from Jackson's Music in College Park, Georgia. My thanks to Two Very Important 'Steves' by Bradley Laird

The flatiron mandolin serial 84022640