Anyone heard of Flite?

[blackbeard]

Hi all,

I picked up this F5 a couple of months ago and was wondering if anyone knew anything about the maker? According to the seller it's a 1990s Japanese import; beyond that, I can't seem to find any trace of the company.

[MikeEdgerton]

Whoever imported that chose a name that's almost impossible to track as the word is too generic. I have no record of the brand. The good news is that it looks pretty nice. Hopefully someone will remember it as a store brand or something.

[Eric C.]

That scroll with the large ridge looks real similar to my Samick F5. Maybe that helps with your search?

[blackbeard]

That scroll with the large ridge looks real similar to my Samick F5. Maybe that helps with your search?

It's possible. I can kind of see the similarity, though it's hard to say for sure. By the looks of it most Samicks branded as such have a much shorter fingerboard extension, but I know they used to make a lot of stuff for other companies in their factories – someone could have ordered a batch with a different specification I guess.

[tonydxn]

A mandolin with the same headstock has just come up on an auction site in UK. The auctioneer has also given photos of the label inside the mandolin, identifying it as a Japanese-made Morris mandolin.

There is a thread about these mandolins here https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/a...hp/t-9506.html which includes a letter from Morris themselves. There may be other threads.
This website http://www.usedprice.com/items/guita...op-182022.html says they were made from 1982 to 1989.

[jimmy powells]

Hi. I just bought it unseen in Carlisle auction. Wondered if you could tell me anything more about it. I expect to get it next Thursday.

Many thanks

Jimmy Powells
Northumberland.

[yankees1]

Quite a coincidence but a couple of years ago when I visited Gruhn's a man walked in with a mandolin with Flite on the head stock ! I remember as I had never heard of it ! He was in conversation with an employee about it which I wasn't able to hear.

[tonydxn]

Hi. I just bought it unseen in Carlisle auction. Wondered if you could tell me anything more about it. I expect to get it next Thursday.

Many thanks

Jimmy Powells
Northumberland.

I don't know any more than I've already posted. But I'll be interested to hear your opinion when you get it.

[jimmy powells]

Ok Tony. I'll try to remember to post it on the forum. Just hoping the neck is Ok etc. Looks like it had a pick up as the lead is there but couldn't see if the pick up was actually in the case. Pick guard looks broken but I don't use them anyway.

Cheers

Jimmy

[jimmy powells]

Hi Tony. Got it today. I pride myself in being able to get the very best out of any acoustic instrument but you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. There are no issues with the mandolin. Cleaned all the sellotape remains from the top. Changed the rusted machine head button screws. Changed machine head buttons to ivoroid which look much better. New string and clean up and looks better than it sounds. It' acceptabe and good thing is straight neck but sounds like all the other 1970s Japan 5s.i.e. Not great on volume or tone. The again I'm probably comparing it with a £4000 Northfield Big Mon so I have to make allowances. I'm going to try another bridge and adjust slots to have more space between each one. When they are close together they can almost sound like single strings.

However a good buy all in all. Pick up is worth £20 no doubt.

Cheers

Jimmy