We have always been fond of Breedlove mandolins. Produced in the USA they are, yes, made by actual people using hand tools and machines. They are all solid woods, in this case curly maple for the sides and back, plainer maple for the one piece neck, and a piece of spruce whose grain pattern is so tight that somebody with only fair visual acuity might not see the grain atoll. There is, on this arched and resonant top, occurring a festival of medullary madness last seen when Herman Albert Medul made his way over the crest of Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing nothing more than a thin but colorful Batman™ suit. Suffice it to say -- the town went wild. Quality touches abound including the unbound black ebony 20-fret fingerboard housing 7 small mother of pearl dotmarkers in 6 positions, a matching ebony heel cap and adjustable bridge, and a black chrome, simple but practical tailpiece. Tuners are unlabeled nickel-plated, brass and oval plastic-buttoned; they keep the instrument in tune nicely, the pointy elongated headstock is ebony veneered and displays the “flying …B” distinctive pearl logo while the truss rod cover is similarly ebon, conveying a crescent at its ventral crest. The sound of an oval hole mandolin is warmer, more fervent and hospitable than that of an f-hole mandolin. It is thought of as being perfect for Celtic and folk.
The Breedlove List Price is $1999