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Thread: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

  1. #1

    Question What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Just a little unclear about the companies history, year, value, condition etc. if you have info I would love to know! thank you very much.
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  2. #2
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Quote Originally Posted by CapriCorndog View Post
    Just a little unclear about the companies history, year, value, condition etc. if you have info I would love to know! thank you very much.
    It looks like an early 1980 Flatiron 1N pancake mandolin, spruce over maple, in the most Spartan version available without binding or rosette. It looks like someone played rather aggressively on it in image 8, and I worry that there are signs of top sinkage in image 5, perhaps from drying out or being strung with too heavy gauges (or both). If it were mine, I’d detune it and take it to an area repair person who knows his or her way around a mandolin.
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  4. #3
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    It looks like an early 1980 Flatiron 1N pancake mandolin, spruce over maple, in the most Spartan version available without binding or rosette. It looks like someone played rather aggressively on it in image 8, and I worry that there are signs of top sinkage in image 5, perhaps from drying out or being strung with too heavy gauges (or both). If it were mine, I’d detune it and take it to an area repair person who knows his or her way around a mandolin.
    I have another opinion. If this is a circa 1980's Flatiron, it's in pretty good shape. I don't care about a few scratches on the surface.

    Perhaps it could be set up with a lighter string gauge, as you suggest, but I think most mandolins are strung a bit higher tension than is best.

    Many fine flatbacks have a tiny bit of indentation on the soundboard. But the neck looks OK and the string action is not bad, and the bridge could be lowered a little if needed.

    Flatirons were Spartan mandolins in design!

    Just to be fair - I would never scoop anything...so we have different tastes in mandolins. that's OK.

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  6. #4
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    I have another opinion. If this is a circa 1980's Flatiron, it's in pretty good shape. I don't care about a few scratches on the surface.
    Neither do I, as you can tell by my Gibson:

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    Sometimes, aggressive playing is a sign that an instrument simply sounds good!

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Perhaps it could be set up with a lighter string gauge, as you suggest, but I think most mandolins are strung a bit higher tension than is best.
    Perhaps, but these pancakes were built for medium-light strings and, as fatt-dad often describes, suffer from being strung with the standard J74 gauges.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Many fine flatbacks have a tiny bit of indentation on the soundboard. But the neck looks OK and the string action is not bad, and the bridge could be lowered a little if needed.
    It might be a matter of humidification, it could be strong tension, or it could be an acceptable level of top settling. I’d still have someone look at it.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Flatirons were Spartan mandolins in design!
    I really enjoyed my 1984 1N, but that doesn’t change the fact that Flatiron pancakes did also come in Level 2 and 3 iterations with binding and rosettes.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Just to be fair - I would never scoop anything...so we have different tastes in mandolins. that's OK.
    It will come to you as a great relief I’m sure that my User Title is simply a joke on my location in Florida. While I would not refuse a mandolin categorically based on that modification — see my Hester A5 in my profile picture — neither have I scooped one myself.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

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    Registered User Cobalt's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    If you have the energy, there's an endless thread about this type of Flatiron
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...se-Flatiron-1N

    Mine is a bit later model, with adjustable trussrod (but still from Montana). The earlier ones have a deservedly good reputation but don't have the trussrod.

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    Registered User Eric F.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    This thread has lots of information on the company, including a link to an interview with founder Steve Carlson.

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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Could be a great mandolin. Could be someone's (if not your) forever mandolin.

    I had a 1984 Flatiron mandola of the same family. And I loved it.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  14. #8

    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    I have one of the flatiron mandolas that had a bit of top sinkage like that. Took it in to none other than Frank Ford himself, who diagnosed that the transverse brace had become detached at one end (i suspect a prior owner dropped it, there is finish damage at the same point the brace came off). Was super easy to repair with that big sound hole to reach through.

    For string gauge - my flatirons all have a sticker on the base of the neck (inside) that lists the recommended gauges. Looking at my 2MC, the recomendations are .010, .013, .024 and .036.

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  16. #9
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    these are awesome mandolins in spite of their plain Jane looks. There is a sticker (likely) inside the mandolin that shows recommended string gauges. The GHS A250 string set matches perfectly.

    It's clearly from 1980. It seems original - i.e., with the cloud tailpiece, one-piece bridge and ebony nut.

    I rarely scratch my instruments. That said, one night and that all could have happened? I've made my mistakes too!

    Chipboard case is also original. There was a hardshell option. That said, I'd use the chipboard case just as is!

    Enjoy!

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

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  18. #10
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Indeed these are great mandolins! I had one for a short time; thought it was not for me, then regretting selling it after I sent it on to its next owner... so I made one for my first mandolin build... that was quite a story in and of itself.

    They have a great and loud tone that is distinctively different from carved top mandos that is excellent for many styles of music.
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  20. #11
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Weren't the Flatirons somewhat based on the Gibson Army-Navy mandolins?

  21. #12

    Default Re: What have I got here? Bozeman Flatiron

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Weren't the Flatirons somewhat based on the Gibson Army-Navy mandolins?
    Absolutely.

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