1911 Martin Style 5 Bowlback Mandolin

Martin bowlbacks are pretty rare finds. Fancy Martin bowlbacks are even harder to find. This one appears to be a Style 5 and that puts it close to the top of the food chain for when it was made. I mean -- just look at it! This looks like a high-class Italian rig more than a Martin. It has an excess of pearl inlay throughout. Combine that with the exceedingly-high build quality of a Martin and you've got a classy instrument.

Work on this was on the lighter side -- a crack re-repair to the lower-bout-top, one seam repair to the back, a fret level/dress, and setup -- and now it's playing bang-on.

Compared to other Martin bowlbacks I've played, this one has a much-more-full voice, lots of sustain, and a clear, strident tone. It reminds me more of high-end Vega and Larson builds (my benchmarks) than the more-spidery-sounding Martins that I've played in the past. I mean to say by this that... it sounds gorgeous.

Specs are the usual -- solid spruce (canted-top) with two ladder braces (one set at an angle) below the soundhole, solid Brazilian rosewood back and headstock veneer, mahogany neck, and ebony fretboard and bridge. The saddle and nut are ivory and I had just enough material on the saddle to lightly-compensate the slots by some mild finagling.