Compulsive purchase- Flatiron 1N

**pickinNgrinnin** · Oct-20-2005, 6:09pm

I've played a few of these and I've found the tone to be pretty consistent from Pancake to Pancake. The asking price seems a bit high for the one you are looking at IMO. It would have to be in mint condition - both Mando and case + being a 2N or 3N to get up in that price range. If you are patient, you can find them for less than $750. Even with the pre-Gibson date, it's on the high side. Personally, I don't value a pre-Gibson Pancake over a Gibson Flatiron Pancake. They were made in the same factory by the same people. YMMV.

M.A.S.ing for a Pancake. You just welcomed in the Jr

**Markelberry** · Oct-20-2005, 6:37pm

Yeah I know

its a sickness and I cant get cured!

**racuda** · Oct-20-2005, 8:20pm

Originally Posted by (Markelberry @ Oct. 20 2005, 18:23)

Ok Ive read all of the post on this subject and now I have the fever I located one in near mint condition in hard case an 1982 1N for 750.00 I know there might be a better deal somewhere any thoughts on the price? Mark

I bought mine in February 2004 on eBay and paid $255. It's not "mint" but not too bad either - a couple of minor dings and light scratches. It came with a non-original case that is too big. Someone defaced the label by writing their name with a Sharpie over the serial number (maybe it's hot?).

It almost plays itself and sounds much better than it has a right to. I think it is worth double what I paid ( I wouldn't sell for triple).

**delsbrother** · Oct-20-2005, 10:31pm

I guess it is a Flatcake after all.. But is it a'Zouk or OM (i.e. what scale)?

Darrell

**Nathan Sanders** · Oct-21-2005, 12:05am

Great picture! It looks like the zouk to me. And it looks the like one he plays in the video for the Smoothie Song, which is probably what they were playing when this picture was taken. There was a sunburst Flatiron zouk on Ebay several months ago.

**telepbrman** · Oct-22-2005, 1:11am

Mark, I think the consistancy between Flat's are fine. I think $750 is a bit steep, unless it is ultra mint. I have made purchases and trades and lost money in doing so, so my advice is to hold out just a bit more and get your hands on one. Yet if that store takes trades, it may lower the price on you a bit...later, dy.

**bratsche** · Nov-05-2005, 7:36pm

I've recently committed what some of you would call an act of heresy, but frankly, it feels wonderful! As if tuning my 1N mandola as an OM wasn't radical enough, let's say it can be #surprising what the electricity-less, Internet-less isolation of post-hurricane life can do to both the imagination and the will. #

After becoming more familiar with this fine instrument than I had ever previously been, by learning and committing to memory the rest of the Bach 3rd cello suite on it (I had previously only known the Bouree movements from that work), I decided one fine morning to do what I had always wanted to do with the slow, thickly lacquer-laden neck - I stripped it down to the bare wood! #The result felt so heavenly by comparison that I took things a step further and slathered Citrus stripper all over the back and sides. I could never stand how that damned shiny finish looked anyhow, and the fact that the back maple, apart from still being fish-belly white after 9 years of life in spite of the spruce front being nicely tanned several shades darker (an instrument whose back is much lighter than its front is just SO aesthetically wrong, imo!) also had black stains from when some previous owner had put it on a rubber or vinyl stand. #

It took a full 3 applications of stripper to get off all that mess! #But when I did - oh, my! # The tone I had loved with the OM tuning on this mandola just got so much better after all that goo was removed! #And how could it not? I think the sustain increased by another 50%! #And the maple figure became much more pretty and pronounced even when stripped bare than it had been before. #(I am beginning to hate, yes, HATE nitrocellulose lacquer!!) #There then remained only one thing left to do. #Yes, I de-strung the mandola and removed the tailpiece, and stripped the front as well. #I always hated the way the top got all groady and fingerprinty-looking and hard to clean, as well as the fugly-looking clear stick-on pick guard #that a previous owner had stuck on, that I had no use for, and that I could never even slightly lift, despite applying heat to it several times. #Truth be told, I never could stand the finish on this thing at all, but just the sound and the inherent potential of good looks beneath the horrors of that awful coating. #So off it came!

I am doing nothing to the top except a few coats of hand-rubbed tung oil for protection. #The maple back and sides I have stained just slightly to make it a shade darker than the top, but still keep it within the designated natural "N" range using (horrors!) a Minwax product that does it all - stains, seals and varnishes. #But since I am a Min-imalist (ha!) anyway when it comes to finishes, I doubt 2 coats of that rubbed in by hand will do any harm. #And I love the way it looks now! #Very MidMo-esque. ;-) #I can't wait until it is thoroughly dry enough to string up again. # My mouth waters at the prospect! #

Some will no doubt say that I have ruined my Pancake's original collectors' value, but seeing as I paid just $290 for it, it's perfect, and I have no intention of ever selling it now, I might as well have it the way I like, right? #If any of you disagree, you can just blame Fred Flintstone's windy wife, Wilma. #

And now my mandola (a/k/a world's smallest, shortest scale OM) looks like new again, only better (to me)!

Just got my Internet access back, btw.

bratsche

**telepbrman** · Nov-06-2005, 5:37am

bratsche---That is 100% cool in my book. I am all about playing the instrument, making it your own, making it better to you, so yeah man, rock it...we know the other side, but rock it brother. I'd love to see a pic or two. And if you do need to send her up the road, let me know, I'm in.

I have guitars, Mandolins, and Banjo's that I have done mods to or had them done. All to improve playing and feel and tone. Yep, I have lost $ on trades and sales due to mods, but the instruments inspire me to play more when they feel and sound how I want. It is simple to me, mod that sucker and rock out. My 2MC has that neck feel...you have motivated me to do some research on the unfinished neck theme, I'll keep you posted.....dy.

**Nathan Sanders** · Nov-06-2005, 12:09pm

bratsche, that sounds interesting. I know we'd all love to see pictures sometime if possible.

**delsbrother** · Nov-06-2005, 9:44pm

Just curious, but wouldn't tung oil be even worse a finish for an acoustic instrument (tonally)? Does any professional luthier use it?

**pickinNgrinnin** · Nov-06-2005, 11:14pm

bratsche -

OMG! HERESY!

OK, just kidding. That's an interesting project and it sounds like you are happy with the results. I have a pretty light satin finish on my 1N. No need to strip here.

Send a report when you get it up to playing speed Good to hear you have your electricity back

**delsbrother** · Nov-07-2005, 5:18pm

And on the other end of the pancake aesthetic spectrum...

The elusive...

Gibson Army Navy Custom!

In our own Classifieds, to boot. Follow the link there to this site for more interesting A/N custom pancake pics.

**pickinNgrinnin** · Nov-07-2005, 6:03pm

The Gibson pancake on that site sure is purty! Top O the line.

**bratsche** · Nov-08-2005, 8:22pm

It turned out great, both tonally and in the looks department! Got it strung up now, and can't wait for it get re-accustomed to strings and to hold its intonation better (I had to put the old strings back on, as they're the only ones I have). It's a lot more "lively" now than it was. #I can feel lots of vibrations through the neck and body that I hadn't been aware of before. If someone drives down the street with a boombox booming, I can feel that through the instrument too! Ornaments of 3 and 4 notes are a lot easier to make sound. And I suspect the action is even lower now than it was, which is one thing I hadn't counted on. Who would think of the finish as contributing to an extra .5mm of height at the bridge? #

Sorry there won't be any pictures for a while, but my camera gave up the ghost without warning (no Wilma aftermath pics either; sigh!) #And Doug, I'm a sister, not a brother. ;-) #

Delsbrother - I wouldn't even call what I did with the tung oil a "finish", but just a waterproofing, actually. I didn't let any build up, as my goal was an "unfinished look" finish. I took a small amount, rubbed it in evenly everywhere with my hand, and wiped off the excess with a paper towel. The next day I did the same thing again. The top has no more sheen now than it did when it was stripped, but water will bead on it. It doesn't need any more protection than that, the way I play. I have no idea if anyone else uses tung oil, but most people out there seem to be more fond of finishes than I am.

The back and sides with my Minimalist-wax finish are very thin coats too, and have only a slight satiny sheen.

bratsche

**Eric F.** · Nov-09-2005, 10:01am

I believe tung oil is often used on necks by people who remove the finish from them. Bratsche, I'm glad to hear the experiment was a success. I hope you're getting life back to normal. My friend in Hollywood lost all her grand old trees, but at least the house was unscathed.

**Eric F.** · Nov-09-2005, 5:04pm

And then there's this pancake style up for auction.

**Dan Adams** · Nov-09-2005, 6:06pm

Wow! I didn't know Kentucky tried to jump the retro bandwagon in the early 80's. It probably plays and sounds just fine. Who's going to start the 'Post a Picture of My Pancake Thread?'

Is that there a tennis racket you're travlin with? Dan

**mandocaster** · Nov-14-2005, 2:32pm

I bought a 1CH mandola and a 2MB mandolin from a friend today. The mandola has a uniform brown stain, and the mandolin has a reddish brown stain. These are Gibson era, I think. Anyone familiar with the models?

**Nathan Sanders** · Nov-14-2005, 2:47pm

Mandocaster, here's a link to a page I have set up for a Flatiron 1CH mandolin I sold some time ago:

Flatiron 1CH

Wow, I'd really like to see the 1CH mandola and the 2MB mandolin. If you are planning to sell either anytime, I'd be interested.

**mandocaster** · Nov-14-2005, 2:59pm

I'll post some pics when I get home later. My mandola looks identical to the 1CH mandolin you had. I read somewhere that the "CH" stood for "chocolate".

Thanks for the interest. I did buy the 2MB on a lark because the former owner offered to sell it to me along with the mandola for a reasonable price ($400 for the mandolin, and it's quite clean). I figure I will keep it for an outdoor gig, i.e. renaissance festival, mando. My Givens is getting a lot of wear and tear.

**Nathan Sanders** · Nov-14-2005, 4:33pm

Yep, I'd always understood that the "CH" stood for "chocolate." I sometimes regret selling that 1CH. It had such a nice sound, but I sold it to someone who is getting great use out of it. I have yet to get my hands on a Flatiron mandola though.