Flatirons - festival, performer, artist, signature

[mandolirius]

I have a couple of questions. Some of the Montana Flatirons are signed by Carlson and some by Weber. Were there any other Flatiron people signing their instruments? Was there any difference in the build out specs based upon who signed them?

I have a Flatiron Banjo catalog ( and a Flatiron Sweetgrass banjo '86) sent to my by Bruce Weber. The label on my A5-1 mandolin '83 says " Flatiron Mandolin Company" The Banjo label says " Flatiron Mandolin and Banjo Co." Do we know when the label was changed to include the Banjos?. I would be happy to provide the catalog to anyone who committs to doing a history of the Flatiron company ( although I think they are not particularly rare.)

The Master A pictures have got my juices flowing - I think I want one.

You will also find some signed by Dennis Ballian. My old '89 Artist was.

[Matt Hutchinson]

You will also find some signed by Dennis Ballian. My old '89 Artist was.

...and my 88 Artist A is too

Matt

[brianf]

Question for all you Flatiron users: What is your opinion on the integrated neck/fingerboard as compared to the non-integrated versions? Tone, playability, pop and volume?

[Dave Hulse]

I just picked up a '93 Performer A from CL to go with my '91 A5 JR. They really sound similar. The A5 JR may have a slight edge on volume but it has a slightly higher action. They feel the same and both have quite a bark on chop chords. The neck/fingerboard joint of the Performer is on the left and the A5 JR on the right.

[NoTabGirl]

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- Refrain from using the message board as a point of selling items to others or for the purpose of discussing or linking to items you are selling. Please limit selling activities to the Classifieds section of this web site or other external locations.

[MikeEdgerton]

This really belongs in the Classifieds section. The ads are free. You can find them here.

[NoTabGirl]

Whoops, I see that now,... thanks!

[Gina Le Faux]

I have a chocolate brown 93 Signature F5 signed by Bruce Webber made in Bozeman, Montana and it's a fantastic mandolin. It should have a label inside with a health warning on it - I can't stop playing it!

I've only just joined the forum and found this thread, great to see all the information about Flatiron mandolins. Has anyone done the history of Flatiron mandolins book yet?? If so,where can I get a copy??

Thanks,
Gina

[Fliss]

Hi Gina, sorry I don't know the answer to your question, but just wanted to say welcome to the Cafe I saw you at Middlewich Folk And Boat Festival last year and really enjoyed your set.

Fliss

[re simmers]

Gina
I have a '91 signed by Bruce. Love it.
Welcome!
Bob

[Gina Le Faux]

Thanks Fliss, I'm back in Middlewich on the 30th of this month with Dave Swarbrick and I'll have my Flatiron with me!

Thank you for your welcome re simmers. The old Flatirons are stunning! I want another one........

Gina

[Eldon Dennis]

I just discovered this thread and I am pleased to see folks are still interested in Flatiron mandolins. I was forunate enough to order a Master Model F5 through a small music store in Juneau, Alaska. It was delivered December 1992 (serial #9212731) and it's been my pleasure to play and own it since that time. I just wish I was good enough to do it justice - it has lots of volume, tone and a deep responsive chop and is the easiest mandolin to play that I've ever had in my hands.

Other instruments:
1926 Gibson F4
2010 Weber Fern A
Bellmaster F5, made by Carl Cates of Berea, KY

[Ken Berner]

Here is a 1987 Flatiron Festival F (w/hsc) that was offered by Gruhn's in 2000. I lusted after this instrument but the $2,250 asking price was more than I could bear. I hope you can click on the photo to better appreciate the backside.

[Buttonwood Bob]

Take a quick look at my Avatar, por favor. That's my pre Gibson Flat Iron Mandola. The sticker inside the oval is missing...but the glue imprint remains, revealing nothing. It is not X braced, and it was purchased between '80 and '85. Can anyone add anything to what little I know? I inherited it from my mother who taught violin and mandolin for ~40 years, as did my grandmother.

[Rick Albertson]

In the 1994 Flatiron catalog the following carved instruments are featured:

Performer Series
A5 Jr
M5 Jr
Festival A
Performer A
Festival F
Performer F

Signature Series
A5
A5 Artist
F5 Chocolate Brown
F5 Sunburst
F5 Artist
F5 Master

See specs on attached catalog pages.

[scssmith]

Rick, thanks so much for posting this info. I have been confused about my Flatiron. When I bought it, the guy said it was a Flatiron F5 Signature...which it is...but I thought the Signatures were a model like the Festival and Artist. Now I realize mine is a F5 from the Signature series. This is very help full.

Now the question of serial #. My has a serial number 9406973. Am I correct is stating this is a 1994 model built in June and the 973rd one carved?

Thanks in advanced!
SmityMax

[Mandoleon]

Hi,

the following Flatiron model lineup might be useful for owners of Flatiron Mandolins of the early Gibson era beginning 1987 (Flatiron became a division of Gibson in May, 1987. At this time carved models were mostly signed by Steve Carlson). It shows some differences compared to the line-up of 1994.

In 1987 Flatiron introduced less expensive all solid wood mandolins with one year warranties, called the Performer Series. These instruments used plainer woods and therefore were to be offered at lower prices.

Performer Series, carved models (last number indicates suggested list price w. hardshell case as of 1989):
- Festival A: Plain, no binding (819)
- Performer A, Top binding (919)
- Festival F: White top and peghead binding, fern head inlay (1719)
- Performer F: White head and body binding, fancy fern inlay (2019).

The Signature Series featured highest quality quarter-sawn sitka spruce, flame maple woods and a lifetime warranty.

Signature Series, A-Model Mandolins (sugg. list $ as of 1989):
- A5-Junior: Tone bar bracing, bound top (1119)
- A5: X-bracing, bound body (1319)
- A5-Artist: X-bracing, highly flamed maple back and sides, multy-ply binding (1519)

Signature Series, F-Model Mandolins (sugg. list $ as of 1989):
- F5: Tone bar bracing, flame maple back and sides, bound body, sunburst (2719)
- F5-Artist: X-bracing, highly flamed maple back and sides, multy-ply binding (3019)
- F5-Custom: Tone bar bracing, highly flamed maple back and sides, multy-ply binding, rectangular block fretboard markers, flower-pot headstock inlay (3319)
- F5-Master: X-bracing, highly flamed maple back and sides, multy-ply binding, fern headstock inlay, ferny fretboard inlays (3519).

The following letter from Steve Carlson was sent to Flatiron dealers in Jan. 1986 and bears lots of interesting internal details of the early Flatiron years – including an interpretation of the serial number code used at Flatiron at this point of time:

“The Flatiron story began about 10 years ago when I owned a bluegrass-oriented music store here in Bozeman. At that time, a fellow named Chuck Morrison was hand-building some fine instruments in Colorado. I first met him at the 1976 Colorado bluegrass festival where he was displaying, along with his guitars, some mandolins patterned after the old Gibson Army-Navy model. They had a flat top and back, round soundhole, teardrop shaped body, and a surprisingly good sound. I brought two back to Bozeman, sold them right away, and ordered a couple more. Over the next year I developed a good trade in these painlessly affordable instruments, selling about one a month – in a town with a population of 30,000.
I had always dreamed of building instruments, and as I got to know Morrison, we began to talk about that possibility. When the retail store he was working through went out of business, it seemed like the time had arrived. It was now or never. At Thanksgiving of 1978 we made final plans and Chuck moved to Bozeman shortly after Christmas of that year.
At this point I had to make a final decision on a name for our mandolin. Chuck had used the name Flatiron after a prominent rock formation in Boulder, CO, where both he and I came from. The name held a double meaning since our mandolin also looks like (kind of) the old flatiron skillets (with no sides) once used for cooking over an open fire in the days of wagon trains and Indians. Other names considered were Bridger, Montana and Bitterroot, but Flatiron seemed so appropriate. It’s almost funny now – when I visit my folks in Boulder I always find myself wondering, why everybody is using OUR name.
In June 1979 we proudly shipped the first Flatiron: Model 1 Shaded/ Serial No. 7906001 (year, month, no.). To date, we have built 3,248 flat mandolins! It’s hard to believe – but I had a dream.
Steve Carlson
Flatiron Mandolin Co.” (Jan. 1986).

Hope, this information was useful for some of you.
Best regards from Germany,
Peter
(My mandolins: 1987 Steve Carlson signed Flatiron F5-Artist, 1988 Steve Carlson signed Gibson F-5L).

[AlanN]

Thanks for sharing that letter, very interesting read.

Funny about the numbering. Per Steve Carlson, the scheme was

7906001 (year, month, no.)

A few years later, mine was 85100106. So, the company expanded the (number) part from 3 chars to 4, as they ran into a Y2K-type deal.

[fatt-dad]

Thanks! That's an interesting read! To think, I was living in Boulder at that very time.

f-d

[CTH Man]

My Carlson A5-2 #83060030 is a great mandolin. I'd like to know what brand of tuners it has. Does anyone know ?

[pickinNgrinnin]

Without seeing them, I'd guess they are Schallers. My 84 Flatiron has them.

Good to see this thread resurfacing!

[tbar]

Hello. I'm new here but think you all are the people to ask. I have a Flatiron Festival F 1996 Weber signed made in belgrade, MT. I was wondering what that would be worth. It has some marks on it from playin' it a whole bunch. I'm the original owner. I may be upgrading soon and am curious to see what ya'all think it would be worth.

[300win]

I've only played one Flatiron in my life, and it was a integrated fingerboard/neck. It was very weak, almost the weakest mandolin I've ever played. But another guy I used to play with told me about one just like it that was the real deal ! Just goes to show once again that all mandolins no matter the make have differances.

[mccartjt]

I have a couple of questions that are related to Flatirons mandolins, that I am hoping some knowledgeable experts can offer an opinion.

On a question of construction were the Flatirons all made with bolt on necks or were the pre-Gibson era the ones with dovetail construction? Are the Webers now all dovetailed neck construction too?

Since Bruce Weber now produces his own mandolins in MT, can anyone offer me an explanation as to why a used Weber Yellowstone F5 typically sells for $2-2400 (list $4300) and a Flatiron F5 (with a bolt on neck) sells for north of $2000?

What I am trying to figure out is which of the two makes more sense to go and buy?

Thanks...

JM

[Gina Le Faux]

Here's a pic of my 93 Flatiron Signature F5 signed by Bruce Webber. It's chocolate brown and has a brilliant sound and I love it :-)