1919 Vega Style 203 Cylinder-Back Mandolin

These are lovely! We've worked on a bunch and, as they're on the rarer side, I am glad we've had the opportunity to do so. This is the main squeeze of a local picker and it's held-up well over the years, but did need some setup-side work via a level/dress of the frets and some adjustments at the bridge and nut.

Style 203 is solid spruce (canted-top) over solid maple back and sides and this one has a nice "sunburst" effect to the back and sides and a natural-finished top that has aged to a nice honey color. The board and bridge are ebony.

I love the sculptural detail of the pressed, cylinder-back design and this build style gives these instruments a bit of a hybrid sound -- part fancy-level bowlback mandolin and part fancy-level flatback. It has more punch than a bowlback and more clarity than a flatback and sounds fantastic for old-time or Celtic-style picking.