2017 Washburn Timeless A43 A-Style Carved-Top Mandolin

Overview: Washburn's selling point on this gorgeously-appointed instrument is that it uses a 140+ year-old European fir top, among other things. I will concur that fir -- especially old, salvaged stuff, with tight grain -- sounds superb as a top wood. My friend Dick has now made a couple of guitars with tops from similarly-old fir I rescued from posts in the back of an old, destroyed piano and they sound fantastic. So, the top on this is carved from the stuff and, when mated to the rest of this nicely-made instrument, it makes a killer mandolin.

Tone: It's dry, bright, poppy, and has great volume and attack. It's quite the bluegrasser.

Feel: It feels a lot like any other modern, nicely-made, A-5-style mandolin -- the neck is medium-C in shape and has a flat fretboard. It's a fast player with plenty of fret access.

Interesting features: The '20s-inspired headstock shape, ivoroid binding, and general design are all retro-modern and true to the genre. It has lightly-figured maple back and sides and is finished in a classic, dark-edges sunburst.

Repairs included: I only needed to give it a light setup. It arrived in great shape and is playing fast and easy and ready to go.

• Weight: 2 lbs 1 oz
• Scale length: 13 7/8"
• Nut width: 1 1/8"
• Neck shape: medium C
• Board radius: flat
• Body width: 9 3/4"
• Body depth: 1 5/8"
• Top wood: solid antique fir, carved
• Back & sides wood: solid maple
• Bracing type: tonebar
• Bridge: rosewood adjustable
• Fretboard: rosewood
• Neck wood: maple
• Action height at 12th fret: hair-under 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 36w-10 lights or close to it
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: small/narrow

Condition notes: It's essentially a new instrument. I see very little signs of use. Still, there may be tiny scratches I am not noticing immediately.

It comes with: It has a nice, original, hard case.

Consignor tag: DDM