View Full Version : New Mandolin
Mark Gibbs
Jul-11-2009, 11:14pm
After purchasing my Givens F-5 in 1976 i have had no need to buy another mandolin until now. Briefly, a friend of mine, Wyatt Wilkie just finished a 2 year apprenticeship at Benedetto guitars and now building mandolins again. He made 3 of these and calls them Northern Flyers. The design traditional but the style is influenced by the Benedetto line of arch top guitars. Sitka top, red flamed maple sides and back, curly maple binding (that's right binding) ebony fret board, head. Wyatt designed and tested his hand made bridge. The intonation is better than my Givens. Inlay is amboyna burl and abalone. Finish is a French Polish. The most important quality is the sound which i won't try and describe but will say it's the real deal. 44193
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Bill Snyder
Jul-12-2009, 8:22am
Beautiful mandolin.
Yes a beautiful mandolin. I'd love to play one. The sound holes seem large in the photo. Does Wyatt have a theory about the size? And their shape; very, very nice.
Michael Gowell
Jul-12-2009, 10:01am
Could those soundholes contribute to a hybrid A/F sound?
evanreilly
Jul-12-2009, 10:39am
Well, I hope you now have time to play it!!
Mark Gibbs
Jul-13-2009, 12:14pm
Beautiful mandolin.
Thanks for the good words Bill. I am working on some sound clips!!
Mark
Mark Gibbs
Jul-13-2009, 12:21pm
I'll try and have some info re. size of sound holes. Check out the last 8 guitars Wyatt built while at Benedetto guitars. There the first eight on this page http://www.benedettoguitars.com/bobs-boutique.php
grassrootphilosopher
Jul-16-2009, 5:59am
Soundclips? Videos?
JEStanek
Jul-16-2009, 7:25am
That looks really lovely. I dig the soundholes.
Jamie
Jake Wildwood
Jul-16-2009, 8:12am
That's a very attractive instrument. Great lines, very liquid.
skysail
Jul-16-2009, 5:52pm
Just happened to meet Wyatt by chance today. Good guy.
I love the look of that mandolin. With Wyatt's experience at Benedetto, I think that's got to be one of the best values available in a hand-made mandolin.
I play a Breedlove OF myself, so I appreciate the styling. But Wyatt's touches like the wood binding, dovetail neck joint, french polish and the attention to tuning the top just put this mando in another league entirely, however.
I definitely want one of these when I can get the money together.
Mark Gibbs
Jul-16-2009, 7:29pm
What a truly small world, kinda spooky. I met Wyatt when he lived here on the W. coast 3 years ago before he went to work at Benedetto Guitars. He was making very fine mandos then and i had a chance to play several of them but was not buying at the time. When i found out of his work w/ Bob B. and became familiar w/ Wyatt's work there i just happened to be mando shopping and the rest is history. I have a sound clip thread on this message board of the Wilkie NORTHERN FLYER. Thanks again, M.G.
Skip Kelley
Jul-17-2009, 6:20am
Nice work!! I love blondes!!