If Northfields are so amazing, why so many for sale on cafe?

[Jim Garber]

BTW Mandoshane: you didn’t hear about them in the early 2000s because the company didn’t start until at least 2008.

[Drew Egerton]

I played a fantastic Northfield amber finish F5S at Dusty Strings in Seattle yesterday. Best Mando in the shop... it even beat out the costlier Northfields. A great axe...

I've been thinking about a F5S as a second mando...this post really doesn't help dissuade me from it!

[Charlie Bernstein]

The real question might be: Why are so many stringed instruments being bought and sold?

I've lost count of friends with over twenty instruments. Middle- and upper-income Americans make up a rapidly burgeoning consumer culture. Depending on your view of the world, you can either credit or blame late capitalism.

At least stringed instruments aren't all made of plastic yet!

[urobouros]

Both of my Northfields were purchased online & I've been exceedingly pleased with them. Though playing an instrument first is always prefered, Northfields are definitely a builder you don't have to worry about. Personally I'd put them on par with Collings but YMMV

[Stephen Cagle]

I've not read any of the response's here regarding the question so forgive me as the answer I'm sure is in here somewhere. (or at least everyone's opinion anyways).
The cafe seems to always be flooded with new and used Northfields. I've played them and I like them (I do not own one) so no major interest here at all but I would venture to say the number 1 mandolin on the cafe being sold.

[Mandobar]

Maybe because most other builders have cut their production. Collings, Pava, Ellis…we are not seeing a lot of new ones from these makers. People who have them are holding onto them. They are going to be hard to replace. And they are holding their values.

Northfield has managed to continue to deliver new instruments. While we are not seeing scads of used ones, they are still producing new stock.

[Eric Platt]

Have been spending the last few days getting back to my F5SA. Definitely a serious mandolins. Better be as I sold off my Collings MT after getting the Northfield.

Speaking of Collings - a quick search on Reverb shows 25 for sale right now. If that means anything. Nothing wrong with either brand.

[Mandobar]

Have been spending the last few days getting back to my F5SA. Definitely a serious mandolins. Better be as I sold off my Collings MT after getting the Northfield.

Speaking of Collings - a quick search on Reverb shows 25 for sale right now. If that means anything. Nothing wrong with either brand.

25 out of thousands made…not hundreds.

[Mainer73]

Personally, I would love to own an N5S but it's out of my price point for a good while.

[Ed McGarrigle]

I’ve had a Calhoun for almost a year and 4 months. In the past I had a Weber Y2K and a Flatiron Performer A. I’d say the Calhoun is a superior instrument to the others for me at this time.When I bought it, I imagined “this is it” . Like I did the Weber and Flatiron. Thinking I’d play The instruments to the grave. Then, a couple weeks ago, I played a Pomeroy. So, in a year or so after I cobble together the funds, I’ll likely sell the Calhoun to pay for a Pomeroy. Tastes evolve. It doesn’t necessarily reflect on the quality of the instrument

[Rileto]

Northfield is killing the game at quality for price and for kicking out sufficient quantity at sufficient consistency to keep the community happy. Pretty crazy how quickly they sell, well any mando these days. The COVID guitar market has been unbelievable and prices have soared and supplies fly fast. I hope that any market… correction… can be dealt with gracefully for these medium sized dogs calibrated for a hot market.

For what it’s worth my 4th Gen is an utter beast, and I have been dangerously close to caving for the flat top octave ever since I first played one. I’ve A/B’d the 4th gen against all kinds of mandos and it it right up there with the best. The only thing I’ve played yet that I’d take instead was a Dudenbostel A (but not the other Dudenbostel A available at the same shop).