Nashville flatiron

[RichM]

I just added a Nashville Flatiron Festival F to my aresenal. I knew these had a good reputation, and I bought one from a fellow sight unseen, figuring it would be a nice utlitarian instrument.

I am AMAZED-- this is one of the best sounding mandolins I've ever laid my hands on. I knew Flatirons were supposed to be good, but this is spectacular (and the "bottom of the line," at that).

Guess I don't have a lot new to say, but sometimes you get an instrument that just shreds your expectations, and you gotta tell someone. Are all Nashville Flatirons this good, or did I just get really lucky?

[Jonathan James]

Congrats Rich. I regret selling my '99 Flatiron Festival a few years back...it was a good one.

[Mikey G]

I have a 2001 Flatiron Festival: For five years, it was all I ever wanted, (till MAS came along again.) Seriously, I think these are undervalued on the mandolin market. They are well built and hey, they're not makin' them anymore!

[Willie Poole]

Rich...I went with a friend to a music store to pick up a banjo that he was having set up and hanging on the wall was about #eight mandolins so I tried them all while I was waiting for him and as soon as I struck a chord on the Flatiron Festival I knew I would buy it even though I had three playable mandolins..The shop was preparing to relocate so the owner gave me a special price if I paid cash so I left a deposit and ran home and got the rest...a great sounding mandolin and I play it at all of my regular gigs...Good luck with yours....Willie

[KevinM]

I gave up my 2001 Nashville Flatiron only so I could subsidize my purchase of my new 2006 Duff. I highly recommend them. If you are looking for a Gibson sound in an F5 on a tighter budget, this is the mandolin for you - go play (and price) a F5G and then buy the Flatiron here or on eBAy - you're getting essentially the same mandolin.
Simple as that. Now this Duff.....whoooo weeee.

[jim_n_virginia]

Yeah you can't go wrong with a Flatiron. I'm they are out there but I've never played a bad one. I played one for 4 years until MAS hit and I had to have a Gibson Fern.

I had an A style Flatiron before that one and it too was a smoker. I think they are very undervalued on the market and if people knew how greta they really sound they would be going for a lot more than what they are going for now.

[Mikey G]

Jim, I had the same story line: I had to have that Gibson Fern, but I kept the Flatiron, and the Ibanez 524, and a couple of other ones, too. I played my Flatiron last night for a couple of hours, and really enjoyed that. It is, as you said, a great sounding mandolin, and very easy to play.

[Markelberry]

I loved my Gibson Fern b ut was fortunate enough to get hold of a good Flatiron Performer that does a dandy job!!

[cooper4205]

from the comments i have seen, i think it would be safe to say that the flatiron a-styles are consistently good mandos. like jim said above, i'm sure there are dud's out there, but most people seem to really love their flatirons. i know my pre-gibson flatty is as loud as you'd want a mandolin to be and plays great.

i think their a-styles are about the best deal going right now for an american made mandolin, i have seen quite a few recently priced in the $800 to $1200 range.