Post a pic of your army/navy style pancake

[Jim MacDaniel]

I've always liked the simplicity of the Army/Navy style of mandolin introduced by Gibson way back when, and revived by Flatiron in the 80's; and I've often engtertained thoughts of picking one up, or even trying out one of those Stew-Mac campfire mandolin kits. Quite recently I've seen multiple new Army/Navy style mandolins in the classifieds listed first by our own Dave in Tejas, and now by Steve over at Cumberland Acoustics, both of whom have revived my interest in this fun little style of mandolin. This in turn led me me to start this thread, where I wanted to ask anyone out there with pics of their Army/Navy mandolins, regardless of who built them, to post them here for all our viewing pleasure.

NB, Maybe this thread may also answer any questions any of us have about the various, and sometimes mysterious, model number disignations assigned by Flatiron to their multiple series of Army/Navy models. (e.g., I think I know what most of the letter suffixes mean, with a few exceptions, but what differentiates the 1 series, 1 series, and 3 series from each other?)

[Jim MacDaniel]

I guess since I started the thread, I might as well start things off with a pic...

Although this is not my mandolin, this is my favorite Flatiron model, a Cadet in an opaque red finish. (Not sure of the model #, 1R or 2R perhaps?)

[Eric F.]

Jim, IIRC the 1 series was plain, unfigured wood, the 2 series had nicer back wood, the 3 series also had nicely figured wood and a rosette. I have pics somewhere of a couple of the Flatirons pancakes I've owned. I'll try to find them and post them. I've had a 2K (koa), 2MW (western maple) and 2MB (birdseye maple). Each was very nice.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Thanks for the info Eric. I do recall seeing a maple one once with body binding and soundhole rosette, so that must have been one of the 3's, but I don't remember if it was birdseye or just highly flamed. (I guess since the wood is painted over in the red one above, it might very well be a 1R, since I guess it wouldn't make sense to take nicely figured wood and cover it up with a layer of paint ;)

[fatt-dad]

as shown on page 9 of THIS THREAD (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=13;t=15802;st=200)

Yeah, it has a refinshed blister, but I love my pancake!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/uploads/post-13-95925-1N_in_case.jpg

Here's some information from page 3 (curtesey of JimM. - just let me add - the pre-Gibson pancakes do not have adjustable truss rods):

All of those flat Flatirons had adjustable truss rods. All had spruce tops, no cedar. The difference between 1, 2 & 3 was wood and finish details.
1 = Plainer woods, no binding or rosette, rosewood fingerboard
2 = Fancier maple (koa was an option) binding but no rosette, ebony fingerboard
3 = Same as 2 but had binding and rosette

I don't know all the letters but some are:
MB = Birdseye maple
MC = Curly maple
#N = Natural finish
CH = "Chocolate" finish
#C = "Cherry" finish (I think)
#K = Koa

f-d

[Eric F.]

A 2M I had a few years back.

[Eric F.]

Hmm. ...

[Eric F.]

The front:

[epicentre]

Here's a scratch build not too many months old.
Hard maple neck
Spruce top
poplar back
rosewood fretboard and bridge
Nice rounded tone, plenty loud if required.

[John Flynn]

This is a slightly modified Army/Navy design made by Will Parsons in 2001. Spruce top with a great-looking walnut back. I use it as a beater, but it is a great little mandolin in its own right. Plays well and has a sweet tone, very even all over the fretboard.

[cooper4205]

and here's an example of the most recent (and the last) one he built. Red spruce top with rosewood binding, sugar maple back and sides

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/FlattopFront1.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/flatback1.jpg

[tumblewead]

Here's my most recent result of MAS. Had to reset the neck and remove the back to repair a top crack and reattach the back brace. Wonderful sound from this thing. BTW has tail and neck blocks are made of spruce.

[fatt-dad]

I can resist! Touche, tumbleweed!

f-d

[David Newton]

Thanks for mentioning that I was "first" sort of, Jim.

I don't know if anyone else was making a Army/Navy reproduction when I started doing mine a few years ago. There were other flat-tops going, but none that I could see that had the style of the original Gibson. Although there are lots of Flatirons around, they were out of production and I felt there was something missing about them. I'm not dogging them, don't misunderstand, but I thought I could take it a little furthur.

I started by studying the original and figuring out what made them so likeable. I lump the Gibson Army/Navy model and the Alrite together, although they were different instruments in a lot of ways, purfling, binding, and bracing, and quality of build. I didn't want to build an Army/Navy, but I did want to use the name. I wanted to build an Alrite.

I spent a considerable number of hours defining the shape. I won't go into that here, but I have a secret about that. Also, I think Walnut, and Maple, though I haven't made any, is the material of choice for these.

There are lots of other things that I've done with my "New Navy" to raise the bar, but I'll not blather on any more.

[Nathan Sanders]

Here's a picture taken a few years ago, which I probably posted in the "Compulsive Purchase" thread fatt-dad mentioned earlier. The 1N on the end is my keeper, the first pancake I bought. The bouzouki and the f-hole are with other owners now.

[JeffD]

When I bought my mandola, I also got a raft of these.