1920s Martin AK (Ditson-Branding) Koa Flatback Mandolin

This beaut is only the second or third Martin AK I have posted to the blog, but there were several others in for repairs over the years. I personally like them better than the standard Martin A mandolins, but that's because I love the look of koa and the sound is a little different, too -- it's got a bit more of a mids-pushed sound with the treble scooped a bit and the bass focused. The normal Martin A models have more cut to the treble and more warmth. I tend to pick with a darker sound, so these guys suit my playing a little better.

Anyhow, Ancel's friend got an extremely lucky deal on it from a Pennsylvania music shop and Ancel fixed it up for him. To that end, braces were reglued, the frets were leveled/dressed, the bridge got a little tweaking, and it got a new set of StewMac repro tuners as it had a sloppy set of replacements on it.

It has Ditson branding/stamps but it's definitely a Martin-made instrument and is otherwise identical to the AK models that have been in the shop.