New! Tone-Gard II : The best thousand dollar improvement you can make to your mandolin for only $79! We don't usually feature an accessory so prominently, but these things really work. By keeping the back of your instrument off of your body, the Tone-Gard allows the back to vibrate and contribute to the instrument's resonance. You'll get more lows, more highs and more volume - all good things to have in a mandolin. And as a bonus, the Tone-Gard helps protect against the odd button scratch and keeps you from sticking to the mandolin when the pickin' gets hot and sweaty. Try this test at home (but close the curtains so your neighbors don't think you're a total loony): Face a wall about two or three feet away so you can hear the sound of your own instrument and chop a couple of chords with your mandolin held against your body, then chop them again while holding the instrument an inch or so away. You'll be amazed at the difference. Used by David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, Mike Marshall, Roland White, and many other great players. Black powder coated lightweight steel "sunrise" frame with rubber and leather protection at the contact points. The Tone-Gard II has no welds and is plasma cut from steel. The rubber has been upgraded as well. The original was superb, this one is even better. Not recommended for soft varnish finishes. Fits most mandolins. Usually fits in the case while on the instrument. Models for Rigel and customs available. BuffaloBros. price: $79 PHOTO
Tone Gard II now available for larger vintage instruments. (pre-war Gibson A styles for example). $79
New! Eastman MD814: Way cool oval hole F style mandolin. Eastman has got this one right. Based on the old Gibson F-4, this hand carved import from China is built with a carved solid Adirondack spruce top and highly figured Maple back and rim. It has a radiused Ebony fingerboard that is inlaid with blocks of Mother of Pearl. This one is finished in a Cremona sunburst finish. While this isn't your Grandfather's F-4, it is a seriously good sounding and playing mandolin for a fraction of the price. With hard case. LIST: $1950. Our price: $1560. Stock# NMB21339 photo
New! Eastman MD915: Is it true that Blondes Have more Fun? One way to find out is to obtain this beautiful natural blonde MD915 and find out for yourself. The MD915 is hand carved from Master grade quality Adirondack Spruce for the top and AAA grade highly figured flame Maple for the back & sides. Finished in a high gloss nitro-cellulose lacquer that really allows the beauty of the wood to show through. The tone comes right on through too. Rich tonality with plenty of projection and that great Bluegrass chop that all those folks cannot do without. (msrp: $2850) With hard case. $CALL Stock#NMB32411 PHOTO
C. 1904 Gibson A: It's apparent that originally, Gibson never expected any of their acoustic instruments to last over 100 years. If they had, they would probably not have used pencils to write the serial numbers on the labels. But careful scrutiny by those of us with good eyesight determine that this Spruce top, Birch back & sides A style with the picture of Orville Gibson inside was probably made in late 1903 or early 1904. The tone is nothing short of marvelous. Rich and throaty, it's equally at home in Bluegrass, Old Timey Jazz or classical styles. A real treasure that is a valuable antique as well as a viable instrument. $1000 Stock#UMB33555 photo
1916 Gibson A: At a recent Bluegrass festival, some one walked into our booth and said, "You fellers shore seem to got too many o' them there Gibson mandolins ain't ya?" Not only almost single handedly destroying the English language, but also incorrect from our standpoint in that you can never have too many of these vintage Gibson A style instruments. If you've heard one, you know that their rich, mellow tone cannot be duplicated anywhere else. In addition, who doesn't like having a choice? With hard case. $1500 Stock#UMB31760 photo
1914 Gibson A-2: A Fine sounding Gibson A style mandolin in the Sheraton Brown finish. Perfect for Old Time or Celtic tunes, This one has that great warm tone that only comes from old wood. With soft case. $1450 Stock# UMB32500 photo
1919 Gibson A-3: Outstanding example of a 'teens' Gibson A-3 in the hard to find white face finish. The back and sides are a red stained Maple that contrasts beautifully against the white face top. This one is not a glass case museum piece. The tuning machines and bridge are newer (with the originals tucked safely in the original hard case). The sound is rich and mellow, a perfect mandolin for the Bluegrass, Old Timey or Celtic player..it just sounds that good! With original hard case. $1800 Stock#UMB20728 photo
1956 Gibson A-50: As one of our friends from below the Mason-Dixon line said recently, "this one is slick". Meaning that the condition is exactly what you'd hope to find in an instrument approaching 60 years of age. Sporting the Gibson tobacco sunburst over its Spruce top and Maple back & sides, it looks extremely clean and well maintained. It has one of the nicer Gibson mandolin necks that's not so thin that your finders knock into each other when trying to form full chords, yet comfortable enough that even the more difficult tunes, such as David Grisman's rendition of "Boston Boy" flow under the fingers effortlessly. A great sounding, easy playing example of a vintage Gibson mandolin. With case. $1250 Stock#UMC33840 photo
Used Arrow Style G: Paul Lestock creates excellent sounding and immense projecting mandolins in his workshop in The Dalles, Oregon. An avant garde design combined with hand carved Spruce atop and hand carved Maple back & sides combine to produce an amazing amount of volume and aggressive mandolin tone. Finished in a dark sunburst, this mandolin from Arrow's "Jazzbo" series is a likely candidate to end up in the hands of a great player. With hard case. $1750. Stock#UMC34617
New! Breedlove American 00: A fine sounding oval hole A style mandolin in the tradition of the original Orville Gibson design of the late 19th century. Spruce top and Maple back and sides with plenty of tone. With hard case. $1099. Stock#NMB33282 photo
Used Flatiron Festival F: This finely made Florentine style instrument was made by Gibson in their Nashville factory. A beautiful sunburst finish over a carved Spruce top and Maple back & sides. The Flatiron Festival Series offers a whole lot of tone and volume as well as excellent fit & finish for your mandolin dollar. With hard case. $1800 Stock#UMC34847
1910 Garozzo Royal No. 100: Exceedingly rare and unusual looking instrument crafted in Catania, Sicily in 1910. The carved top featurs a star shaped rosette with an inlaid wood pickguard. The hand carved bridge stands on the primary top, while a secondary bridge (probably added much later) stands on the second top. The back & sides are hand carved Walnut. The mandolin has four courses of three strings each tuned in the standard mandolin tuning. The last one we saw for sale was at least 6 years ago in Europe for 1500 euros (in today's dollars $1900). With newer foam core hard case. $1150 Stock#UMB34755
New! The Loar LM 600VS: Here's an amazing vintage sunburst A style with a hand carved solid Sitka Spruce top that has the most tone you can get for the least amount of money. A superbly crafted instrument, this one offers value for players from beginner to working pro. The Loar LM-600-VS was developed using hand-shaped x-bracing with a solid carved spruce top and solid maple back and sides. The maple neck has a comfortable rounded v-profile to fit in the hand perfectly. High-quality Grover tuners, nickel hardware and an extremely thin polyurethane lacquer finish all combine to make this professional-quality instrument an amazing value and a first for the professional mandolin market. (msrp: $1067) BuffaloBros. price: $799.99 Stock#NMB34705, NMB34706
c. 1925 Lyon & Healy Model C: REAL mandolin players are savvy enough to give a good long look at the Lyon & Healy mandolins that are now approaching their 100th birthday. Led by the famous model A with its offset cutaways and continuing down the line to the model C as seen here, the tone of these Spruce top instruments id wonderful. Extremely well balanced with great articulation at every octave and all points in between. If you're a player who longs for a great sounding instrument, be it for classical, old timey or stops in between, this is one you will be proud to play. With original hard case. $1800 Stock#UMC34974
New! Red Line Traveler 1: Steve Smith of Cumberland Acoustics is dedicated to producing the most sound for the least money. Just like his resonator guitars, the Traveler series of mandolins sound really great, are easy to play, and don't cost a fortune. Based on the early 20th century Gibson Army-Navy models, this version has a Spruce top and Mahogany back & sides. The tone is sweet and fits easily into the Bluegrass or Celtic ensemble. With gig bag. $699 Stock#NMB32244
Used Regal Mandolin: Well known in traditional Irish music circles ~ you can find the mandolin in hands of great players such as Brian McDonaugh and Andy Irvine. With four double courses of strings tuned in fifths (to the same pitches as a violin) fiddle players can double on both mandolin and fiddle. This example features a slightly larger body than other mandolins thereby providing more volume and a bigger tone. You're sure to love this Regal as it offers a lot of sound! With chipboard case. $800 Stock #UMB31976 photo
Used Rickenbacker Electric Mandolin: Here's an extremely popular instrument from the Rickenbacker folks who are best known for the Ric-O-Sound 12 string guitars so often heard in'60s pop music. This all natural finish beauty belongs in any style of music where you need to be amplified. It definitely has that crystal clear tone one associates with Rickenbacker instruments, and offers the mandolinist to stretch out a bit and explore new musical territory. With hard case. $1600 Stock#UMC34846
New! Savannah SA-100: Call it thrifty, cheap, affordable, budget priced, entry level or what you will, but these are extremely playable instruments at an incredibly low price. A great value for the money. BuffaloBros. price: $99.99 Stock#NMB34724
New! Savannah SF-100: The most affordable solid Spruce top Florentine mandolin being made Today. So popular in fact, that this Spruce top, Maple back & sides sunburst beauty is hard to obtain. A real bargain for the aspiring mandolinist. BuffaloBros. price: $299 Stock#SOLD OUT MORE SOON.
New! Savannah SF-200: Our in house mando-maniacs are constantly on the search for better quality instruments for students at a reasonable price.. Enter the Savannah SF 200, produced by the same folks who created The Loar line of instruments, this Savannah Florentine style features a lot of playability and tone for the money. Hand carved solid Sitka Spruce top with solid hand carved Maple back & sides, and top quality tuning machines, this is one even the "Father of Bluegrass" would recommend. BuffaloBros. price: $399 Stock#SOLD OUT. MORE SOON
Used Stonebridge MA-23SF: Frantisek Furch who hand crafts beautiful instruments in the Czech Republic, is not only a fine maker, but an excellent Bluegrass musician as well. He began his career in the musical field playing banjo & mandolin in various Bluegrass bands in his own country. Dissatisfied with the quality of instruments available to him in his home country, he began to make his own. Now, some 30+ years later, his instruments are recognized the world over for their exceptional tonal quality. This A style features a hand carved European Spruce top and hand carved Maple back and sides. Terrific tone and playability too. With hard case. $1050 Stock#UMB24780 photo
Used Stonebridge MA-23SF: Each day new players discover these finely crafted Czech Republic mandolins. Hand carved by Frantisek Furch from all solid woods including Carpathian Spruce and European Maple back & sides. The sound is magnificent. Rich tones and plenty of that percussive Bluegrass chop. With hard case. $950 Stock#UMB24779
Used Tacoma M3: The M3 incorporates Tacoma’s innovative bolt on neck design, high quality materials and solid workmanship. It has a solid sitka spruce top, solid figured maple back and sides and a radiused ebony fingerboard. Made in America. With hard case $700.00 Stock# UMB34745 photo
ca. 1920 Wm. Stahl Bowl back: A very special instrument created by the Larson Brothers in Milwaukee under an agreement with William Stahl, a guitar and mandolin teacher. This Spruce top, Rosewood multi-ribbed mandolin produces some sweet tones. Grab your gondola and float the canals of Venice playing your Neapolitan favorites on this beauty. With orig. carrying bag. $1000 Stock#UMC32815 photo
1920's Weymann A Style: Sweet sounding short scale (13") A style mandolin. Built with Brazilian rosewood back and rim and a spruce top this fine old mando has a lovely warm voice with plenty of volume. With hard case $700 Stock#UMC33556 PHOTO
C. 1920s Weymann Mando-Lute: This slightly oversized mandolin from the Keystone State has a rounder, fuller tone than most mandolins you will find. That's the reason a lot of players who play old time string band music love them. This particular example is a little rarer than others we have had in the past. The Spruce top and Maple back & sides are stained with a mahogany stain that looks more elegant than the rest. Very nice. With original hard case. $850 Stock#UMB34833
Looking for something special? We can't possibly list all we have so please ask!