c.1950 Stradolin Mandolin

As many folks say... these old Stradolins sound way better than they should... and for that reason, beginner (and seasoned!) bluegrassers and folksters love them. This one certainly falls right in line with that thinking. It plays great and sounds great, with a loud, sweet tone that easily punches through a few guitars and a fiddle.

Tuners are replacements of the inexpensive Japanese variety.

The top and back of this mandolin are press-arched three-ply mahogany, which while you'd expect it to sound dull... doesn't. It sounds great. I'm guessing that the very spare bracing helps quite a bit.

Bridge is an adjustable rosewood style typical for the time.

You can see the painted "binding" here.

Overall, really a sweet player's mando perfect for gigging or taking to the beach, fire circle, whatnot. Neck is dead straight an the action is really nice and slick. It feels, sounds, and plays like a much more expensive instrument.