Cripple Creek mandolins - all Koa and octave

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(Sorry these are sideways. I can’t figure out how to turn them.)

I wanted to share my custom mandolins made by David Hanson (Tukanu here on the Cafe) of Cripple
Creek mandolins. He did beautiful work and I couldn’t be happier with them. He answered an ad where I was looking for a used octave mandolin. He made me a new one to my specifications for less than I would have spent on used. After that, I was hooked and immediately ordered an army navy style mandolin.

Here are the details:

octave mandolin
20.5” scale length
Spruce top/claro walnut back and sides
Grover tuners
Beautiful tailpiece with a C which works perfectly with my last name
K&K pickup

Army Navy style mandolin
Standard scale length
Koa top, back, and sides
Grover tuners
Vintage cloud tailpiece
K&K pickup

Both have side sound ports, which I LOVE, stunning rosettes, and beautiful resonance and sustain. I’ve paired them with straps from Lakota Leathers. These instruments are a pleasure to play and the craftsmanship is excellent. I enjoy looking at these almost as much as I enjoy playing them. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced custom mandolin (or a variety of other instruments), I highly recommending getting in touch with David.