New flation link

**jk245** · Oct-08-2007, 6:25pm

Gibson updated their website to include the
Flatiron Festival

Flatirion Festival

The bad news is that http://www.musiciansfriend.com says:
Flatiron Festival F2 Mandolin
Cremona Burst
$799.00
List Price: $1,332.00 Savings: $533.00(40%)
Backordered: Available 77 days

And, the Gibson page says "Case: N/A"
which adds to the final cost.

**fatt-dad** · Oct-08-2007, 8:10pm

Nut width: 1-2/16. . . . Huh?

f-d

**MikeEdgerton** · Oct-08-2007, 8:43pm

Actually, there's another interesting point. It would appear the sides are laminated.

Body Top: Solid Spruce
Back: Solid Figured Maple
Rim: Figured Maple

and a typo to boot:

Peghead Inlay: Fluer di Lis

**jk245** · Oct-08-2007, 8:48pm

Originally Posted by (MikeEdgerton @ Oct. 08 2007, 21:43)

Actually, there's another interesting point. It would appear the sides are laminated.

Body Top: Solid Spruce
Back: Solid Figured Maple
Rim: Figured Maple

and a typo to boot:

Peghead Inlay: Fluer di Lis

They say ALL SOLID WOOD (nothing about laminate)

The all solid wood, fully bound, tone bar constructed Flatiron “Festival” mandolin boasts the classic lines inspired by the famous Gibson-created F-style mandolins. With its solid spruce top, flamed maple back and incredible full bodied tone, the Flatiron “Festival” is bold and reverberating in appearance and sound. From crisp chops to articulate melodic lines, the Flatiron “Festival” satisfies in every way.

**MikeEdgerton** · Oct-08-2007, 9:18pm

Body Top: Solid Spruce
Back: Solid Figured Maple
Rim: Figured Maple

The "rim" doesn't say solid. This is the same way Saga describes the Kentucky's. You'll notice the "solid" conspicuously absent from the specs on mandolins on their page. They say nothing about laminated sides and backs either. This could be simply a mistake in the setup of the Gibson page as they do have a few other obvious errors. I'd question it though.

I just looked at the Epiphone pages. Gibson does the same thing there. They list a Solid Spruce top and then say the back and sides are Maple, no "solid".

**bradeinhorn** · Oct-08-2007, 10:06pm

i am with mike. guild does a similar thing with some of their entry level models, as does martin with the d-1 and others. interestingly no mention of china. but maybe i wasn't readingin carefully.

**KNP String Band Mando** · Oct-08-2007, 10:20pm

Finish:

Poly overcoat??

I hate poly

**Philip Halcomb** · Oct-08-2007, 10:35pm

Looks like a Kentucky, Washburn, or Fender to me... Same stuff different label apparently.

**earthsave** · Oct-09-2007, 11:55am

Why didnt they just call it an Epiphone instead of introducing more confusion with the Flatiron name and line?

Now you've got the original Flatrion model, the Montana Era Flatiron, the Gibson/Nashville Flatiron, and the budget Chinese Flatiron.

**jefflester** · Oct-09-2007, 12:45pm

Originally Posted by (earthsave @ Oct. 09 2007, 09:55)

Now you've got the original Flatrion model, the Montana Era Flatiron, the Gibson/Nashville Flatiron, and the budget Chinese Flatiron.

Paging fatt-dad.......

**Tighthead** · Oct-09-2007, 1:24pm

Of more interest to me is the absence of the word "carved" anywhere in the description or specs.

But then, looking at Gibson's descriptions of their other mandolins, I noticed that not only do they not mention "carved" on any other mandolins, they don't describe them as SOLID at all--so apparently even the DMM is laminate!

I think it's just a quirk of the description, which appears hastily done.

**Bradley** · Oct-09-2007, 1:27pm

I was at OAI a few weeks back and saw 2 of these....
Very Nice introductory mandolins...a bit better than the Epiphones that they had. These will be players in that price area.

**keymandoguy** · Oct-09-2007, 2:56pm

Played one of those dark blue Epiphones ( made in China ) ? Compares to those plastic Ukeleles they sell at Cracker Barrel

**woodwizard** · Oct-09-2007, 3:08pm

At Janet Davis's their discription does say made in China. Wonder why Gibson's doesn't?

**CRowe1118** · Oct-16-2007, 9:33pm

I was in Nashville weekend before last and visited the Gibson Showcase. I got to play with one of the new chinese Flatirons (after I was assured that they contained no lead paint) All in all it was a pretty nice discount mando. Of course being there it was marked at full retail ... $1,300 and some change which was just plain silly. I asked the guy what having these made in china would do to the value of my Gibson/Nashville/Flatiron. He seemed genuinely shocked that I would ask such a question (no he had no answer). It was fun there, I got to get my hands on so many really, really mandolins the Bush and Doyle Lawson models in particular. I was hoping to play around with the Skaggs distressed model but it was on display over at IBMA. I played with the Bush for quite a while and it didn't seem to bother any of the staff, I even joined in on a small jam in the corner.

**Brian Fortier** · Jan-22-2008, 6:58pm

Does anyone know if the new Flatiron has the top integrated with the fingerboard, like the Montana models did?

**woodwizard** · Jan-23-2008, 3:07pm

I think someone mentioned the question ?... Why didn't they just call it an Epiphone instead of a new line called Flatiron ... think for a minute ... would you buy an epi over a flatiron. Flatiron is a much more atractive name because of it's great past history. Probably a good sales move don't you think? Even if most of us think it's like stabbing a good name in the back. They will sell many I bet ya...

I got to pick on one the other day and it wasn't half bad for the money.