f5dude- Do you have any pictures you could post?
Tell us more about it!
f5dude- Do you have any pictures you could post?
Tell us more about it!
Yes, I do have pictures available now of the Flatiron 2mc. You may view them here:Flatiron 2mc mandolin
Their is a brief description of the mandolin on the page. If you have further questions or want to make an offer let me know.
Thanks
Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm.........Looks like I made a mistake. You live and you learn I reckon. I had the 2MC that was in the classifieds. I paid $200 for it about 2 years ago. Since then I bought a Weber Bridger and a Ratliff F5, so the 2MC never got played. I hope someone gets it that will actually use it. I had it listed on the classifieds earlier this year for $400 and no one bought it. Where were all of ya then???Anyway, it is one fine mandolin and in near perfect shape.
Happy pickin'
Shaun
Shaun Garrity
http://www.youtube.com/user/spgokc78
What's up with that? You get three mandolins and need to sell one? How many years of therapy did it take to get to that point? Whew, I don't know whether I could do that - ha.
I don't think I will sell my 1N, as what else compares to it? The closest thing that I have is my Kalamazoo pancake (circa 1930s), but I think the Flatiron pancake will go down in mandolin history as a great little mandolin.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
[QUOTE]I think the Flatiron pancake will go down in mandolin history as a great little mandolin.
The history of the Flatiron pancakes has already been written. They are no longer made and the name is now part of Mandolin history. A great little Mandolin indeed! I can't see selling my 1N unless (like I've said) a killer flame or bird's eye 2N comes along
touche, pNg. . . .
Here is the correction, "the Flatiron pancake is going down in history", or is it,
"the Flatiron pancake has gone down in history"? Whew!
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
Just to update, I just sold the Flatiron 2MC. Thanks!!
Congratulations! Hope you didn't have to go down too far. It is surly a pretty mandolin and I'm sure it will impress the next owner.
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
Latest good buy from ebay
Incredible that a 2MC went for $316.01. I thought about going higher, but did not hear from the seller during the auction. That can be a bad thing.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
Hey FD-
The Flatiron thread lives on! One of the longest running too
Geeze that 2MC went for peanuts! Ugly pickguard and some negative feedback may have been a factor. Aside from the PG, it looks like it's in pretty good shape. Nice flame on the back. Heck of a buy. I suppose one could remove the PG. There may be an unsightly tan line left behind depending how long it has been on there.
Yep I was watching the 2MC also. I almost bid on it, but I really did not like the pickguard. It probably could be taken off. I am surprised it went for such a low amount.
Yeah, I was concerned about the seller, but at least I received a call from his cohort today. I was the successful (only) bidder on the other mandolin that he sold - for $100.00, I am the proud owner of a 1979 Washburn A-model, f-hole mandolin. Contacted Washburn and they informed me, based on the serial number that it is spruce and maple (solid). I may just need a new beater as my former beater is under the scalple right now, by my own hand.
I really was curious about the 2mc that just sold, as the price was right - I just couldn't get the guy to write me back (I had asked whether it came with the case).
Long live the pancake!
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
Hey fatt-dad... "...but I may not have much more to add.." - I think you "contributed" a quite informative post!(seriously) - Let me add that the "pancake" 1N I bought at a flea market for $150.00 impressed me so much I ordered - and bought in 1995 - a new Flatiron F5 Artist Model @ $3100.00!! - Yes! - the older "pancakes"(i.e. all solid wood) WERE great!!
Moose,
Who signed your F5 and how great is it? I have a Flatiron a5-1 that just sings (o.k. I should say it is the best ban%o killer that was ever made and everybody else should just give up). I have only noodled on an F-5 Flatiron once and maybe I was too timid to play it full volume, but I suspect that they are just great (not as good as mine though).
(Have you ever tried the FlatTop 74s on your pancake?)
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
Well, herein lies a tale!! - I traded the "pancake" as part of the deal for the F5(incidently, my luthier friend "suggested" I always use Light-guage on the "pancake"..as others have mentioned) - Rest of story...: I unpacked/tuned-up the Flatiron - it had arrived at the music store from Montana ; I tuned it up... ; I "chopped"it(i.e. played several "full/closed" chords..! ; BLAH!!??##... ; I paid for it(3K!!..; the dealer allowed me $100.00 for the "pancake') - I said to myself "self, this machine needs to be played!! -and HARD!..it'll open-up.. Soas to finish this post...- I kept the mando.., played lots of gigs, jams, etc.. - I NEVER liked it!! - it NEVER "opened-up" .. at least not to my satisfaction(and ears). Kept it approx 5 years - the last year under my bed! - Couldn't stand the sound. I called Montana - talked with them..; they asked what's wrong..., send it back and we'll "fix it" - I told them there was nothing "wrong" asthetically and/or workmanship-wise. I finally sold the Flatiron for $1500.00. Wha' was wrong..!?? - I dun'no.. - I missed playing a/any mando ; went to a Guitar Show in Philadelphia(Pa.) - found a HORNER "A" that just blew everything away(people/passerby were stopping to liste- not for my "dexterity/pickin' but the sound of that mando. I bought it for $1400 (Charles Johnson @ Mandolin Hdqrs.) - Love it! - Lost my a**ss ($$$$) on the Flatiron.. but, whatever. This is NOT to flame Flatiron. "Your mileage may vary"... Sorry to ramble. Regards and best wishes in your music. If I can answer or help - from 30+ years of pickin'... just ask. Moose.
Ah, Charles Johnson - local boy. I also live in Richmond, Virginia and am trying to corner the $100 to $200 mandolin market, but Charles, now he has the stuff!
What Moose needs is another pancake. I say the board feeds him a tip (unless you want to buy my Kalamazoo).
That is quite a tale. As I said, I have the greatest Flatiron, but it is an 84 (pre-gibson). So, maybe your story can be blamed to Gibson, who hasn't been bashed for about a week or so - ha.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
In retrospect - and "knowing-what-I-know-now" , your hypothesis is quite plausible(AHEM!!! - COUGH!##) - hee... hee.. - But we ain't gonna' bash Gibson today...are we!??#. I really enjoy -and respect - Charlie and Joe's interest and contributions on this CAFE. What the he****l, it was only....MONEY. Have a good'n.
And in spite of my great pancake, I want a distressed master model (no joke). It is, however, a matter of priorities and money. But one of these days (kids out of college, house paid for, working car, humidor filled to the brim). . . . .
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
Interesting story on the Flatiron Moose. As you may have seen in previous posts, I still have a Flatiron 1CH up for sale, but lately I have really been loving the sound of it. I used it at an outdoor gig recently and the thing really put out the sound. I bought it a few months ago and still have not changed the strings. So I really do not know how old the strings are, but the mando really puts out a nice loud sweet sound. It has a decent chop too for a flat top. I also still have my 1N which I bought new in 1993, but it is not for sale.
Hey f5dude.. Don't let that 1N "pancake" go!!! - I would gladly buy back the one I gave "in-trade' - at twice the price the dealer allowed me..($100.00)!### - Thanks for the post.
I'm fairly new to this forum, but I guess I need to take a closer look at my Flatiron pancake and join in. It's currently sitting in the corner waiting for me to finish filing the frets... it wasn't getting played since I bought my '49 Gibson A, but I do miss that punchy sound that it has! The frets hadn't been touched since it was new and they were really, really grooved at the low end. I've got them leveled, and I bought an LMI fret file last spring to finish the job but I haven't gotten back to it.
It was my first mandolin after starting to learn on a borrowed Kay. In 1981 I was going to buy a $190 Ibanez A model from a local shop, Acoustic Music, but they showed me what (as I recall) was their first Flatiron for $300. I tried it out and it blew me away, and as I knew I was going to be laid off for the summer I figured I'd better do the logical thing and spend the extra money on the Flatiron (less work = more time to play)!
I'll have to go check the labels... as I recall mine says 1SH for the model, but maybe that's a precursor to the S/N. I also don't recall the sticker with recommended string guages, but I'll have to check on that. I'm pretty sure it was made in '81, maple B&S with light birdseye, spruce top, unadorned. Early on I put better chrome tuners on it, but I have the originals and will probably swap them back and use the chromies on the first instrument I build. As others have stated about their Flatirons, I can't imagine ever parting with it... I could never sell it for what it's worth to me.
"... beauty is not found in the excessive but what is lean and spare and subtle" - Terry Tempest Williams
Oh, one more thing... mine was built by Backporch Productions in Bozeman, MT. I don't know when they dropped that designation... anybody???
"... beauty is not found in the excessive but what is lean and spare and subtle" - Terry Tempest Williams
Would this be a good time to list my pre-Gibson 1N? I have a bad case of MASfor an oval hole F style. Do you think that I could get enough for a decent down payment on say a Eastman MD614? They go for about $1350 delivered when you can find one.
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.
Ibanez M-522
Gold Tone GM 10 Frypan
Well I'm fasinated by PaulD's Backporch pancake. Regarding the sticker on the string gauges, check up-inside the sound hole where the body meets the neck. That is where my sticker is (I didn't know it was there until this post began). Is there any reason to believe that Flatiron had the name "Backporch Mandolin" prior to forming as Flatiron? Somebody. . . . . .
Regarding the used price of a pre-gibson 1N, I have no idea other than I gave $300.00 for mine in it's original hard-shell case. But, mine was monkeyed-with by a guy doing finish repair. It also has lots of fret wear. I have quite a finish-mar blemish that is now located where pick rash used to be - some people!
I really had MAS for a f-4 clone also, JiminRussia. I just missed the Washburn that was in the cafe classifieds for $695 earlier this month. What do you have to do, sit here and study the classifieds all the time, whew?
I say keep your 1N, so you can continue to have rights to post on this informative thread.
fatt-dad
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
I've seen the Back Porch sticker before, I think in a pre-Gibson Flatiron. It may even say it in one of mine. I'll check.
Jim, I would probably be interested in buying your Flatiron, but I could not pay you what you want for it. I'd say keep it. They are a great instrument to have on hand.
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