1970s Carvin 5-String Electric Mandolin

This neck-through, birdseye-maple, super-spiffy electric mandolin is a genuine, high-end Carvin. I've seen a number of guitars of similar build and with similar hardware right from around the same time -- the late '70s or early '80s. This 5-string electric mandolin would have, of course, been a custom order. I've never seen another one quite like it.

No expense was spared in terms of wood -- it's got solid birdseye maple throughout and the fretboard and headstock veneer are ebony. Some thought went into its cut and design as it's comfortable to hold and play and it looks both classic and modern at the same time. The single-blade pickup gives it an almost Charlie Christian vibe despite the aesthetic being general "jam-band rock" of the late '70s.

It arrived here playing just fine but Ancel gave it a good level/dress of the frets and a setup to dial it in further.

Repairs included: a fret level/dress, cleaning, and setup.

Weight: 5 lbs 15 oz

Scale length: 14 1/8"

Nut width: 1 3/8"

Neck shape: med-bigger soft V

Board radius: flat

Body width: 10 1/8"

Body depth: 1 3/4"

Body wood: birdseye maple

Bridge: vintage brass 5-string adjustable

Fretboard: ebony

Neck wood: birdseye maple

Pickups: 1x (Lawrence?) blade single coil

Action height at 12th fret: hair-under 1/16” overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 46w-10 or close to it

Truss rod: unknown

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: lower/smaller

Condition notes: it's in excellent shape and as far as I can tell, all original. There's wear to the hardware, of course, and the finish shows just a little crackle here and there throughout. Still, though, doesn't it just look fantastic? The low C saddle has no more downward travel but the action is spot-on as it is. The others have a little adjustment room up/down left. I could modify them if desired to give them some more adjustment room.

It comes with: a funky old homemade hard case.