Tell me about Nashville-made The Flatiron Performer A Mandolins

[jljohn]

I've been looking for a good bluegrass mandolin, and I've been shopping around, playing what I can and reading about the rest. I've considered getting a Pava (it's what I'd love to get, but it's a chunk of change) or a used Collings MT. I've also considered a couple of Gibson A-9's, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Now I've come across a Nashville-made The Flatiron Performer A for a little over $1k. Sadly, I can't play it, but I could get an inspection period.

So, what's the word on these? How do they compare to the A-9's? To the Collings? Dare I ask how they compare to the Pava's? Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

[Josh Levine]

These definitely fall into the bluegrass family. I have a Nashville festival f and it can hold up in a bluegrass outfit for sure. It definitely has a tone that favors the miss and highs and has a decent chop. I had an f9 that was strong too, it favored the lows which lead to a very strong chop. But the flat had it best on mids and highs. That pava and mt are going to have wh at they are calling a modern tone. They can hold up in anything but the may not be as quintessentially blue grassy as the flats or 9s. They do excel in fit and finish and you may be able to pull some deeper tones out of them. Kind of like a sports car vs a muscle car.

[Mike Arakelian]

While visiting family in the Boston area recently, I drove to Lexington to visit The Music Emporium (NFI) and look over their excellent assortment of mandolins. Among them was a beautiful and near mint 2001 Flatiron (made in MT, not TN) that they had on consignment for $2,500. Not only was it a great looking mandolin, but it sounded fantastic (very blue grassy), and played beautifully. TME had 4 or 5 Collings, a Kentucky 1000, a couple of the higher priced Eastmans, and several other mandolins that I played, and my hands down favorite was the Flatiron. Both Collings and Pava are excellent mandolins, but if you're looking for a BG instrument, the Flatiron would be an excellent choice IMO.

[Willie Poole]

John...I sent you a PM...Please read it if you are still looking for a nice A model mandolin...

Willie

[Mandoplumb]

John I tried to reply to your reply to SW va. I don't think it worked, let me know if you got it please.

[DataNick]

My 99' Flatiron "Derrington" Performer A is a really good professional grade bluegrass mandolin. The Nashville Flatirons are basically the equivalents of an A5L or an F5G of the same era; same tonewoods, same Loar graduations, etc. That's why they were dc'd: self-competition within Gibson (ie, selling the same mandolin for over $1k less than it would fetch with "The Gibson" nameplate vs Flatiron.

[fatt-dad]

were the Nashville Flatirons made with the M&T neck joint while the Nashville made Gibsons had the more traditional dovetail? I think they were both parallel tone bars, but I'm not even sure about that. Many of the carved top Flatirons were x-braced, with the exception of the "jr" Flatirons, if I recall correctly.

I'm sure they are all great though!

f-d

[DataNick]

were the Nashville Flatirons made with the M&T neck joint while the Nashville made Gibsons had the more traditional dovetail? I think they were both parallel tone bars, but I'm not even sure about that. Many of the carved top Flatirons were x-braced, with the exception of the "jr" Flatirons, if I recall correctly.

I'm sure they are all great though!

f-d

Nashville Flatirons were made to Loar specs per the re-tooling of Gibson's Nashville plant under Charlie D's direction.
Here's what I know:

Top: Sitka Spruce
Back/Sides: Maple
Fingerboard:Elevated, Ebony and Flat
Bracing: Parallel
Neck Joint: Compound Dovetail
Bridge: Ebony
Graduations: Loar specs
Tuners: Grover

Montana Flatsons were significantly different in bracing options(x-braced & parallel), radiused fingerboard which could be integrated in some models, M&T neck joint, and I think Schaller tuners to name a few.

My 94' Gibson F5L is a great example of a Gibiron/Flatson, while my Derrington Performer A is a great example of a Nashville Flat.
They are really both different (beyond mando to mando differences) but very, very good mandolins.

[acousticphd]

I've been looking for a good bluegrass mandolin, and I've been shopping around, playing what I can and reading about the rest. I've considered getting a Pava (it's what I'd love to get, but it's a chunk of change) or a used Collings MT. I've also considered a couple of Gibson A-9's, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Now I've come across a Nashville-made The Flatiron Performer A for a little over $1k. Sadly, I can't play it, but I could get an inspection period.

So, what's the word on these? How do they compare to the A-9's? To the Collings? Dare I ask how they compare to the Pava's? Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

There have been a number of used Nashville-made Flatiron A Performers sell for under $1000, so I wouldn't think you need to spend over $1K unless it is well above average. I know I sold mine for ~$850.

I think they well made, have a great solid feel, and often sound pretty good. I'm sure some sound really good. But I have to say that mine was decent, certainly not great. On the other hand, every A-9 I've heard had that really good bluegrass volume and punch.

[pheffernan]

There have been a number of used Nashville-made Flatiron A Performers sell for under $1000, so I wouldn't think you need to spend over $1K unless it is well above average.

Or, well, at Carter Vintage: http://cartervintage.com/mandopage/mandopage.html#flat.