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Thread: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

  1. #1
    Registered User mandolin breeze's Avatar
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    Default Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Their website states that 6 instrument types are built in China and that 5 types are built here in the States. If I desire a Northfield mando that was built here, how do I know that it was? Is it labeled as such or perhaps identified in their directory? The only inside label I was able to find states "CN and MI". It would be interesting to know the actual % built here and there. Wouldn't a mando built in the USA be preferable to one built in China and therefore wouldn't there be a corresponding premium asked? I don't remember this being discussed, but I'm sure it has!

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Go to the Northfield Instruments website and in the top menu, under Mandolins, look for the link to "How Northfield Works":
    https://www.northfieldinstruments.co...rthfield-works
    Your answer is there.
    But I tell you, with Northfield instruments, just don't think in those terms of USA vs China. Northfield has nailed it in my opinion and that of many other players more qualified than I.

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    Registered User mandolin breeze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    I did read that. I even included a direct quote from that section of their webpage in my original post, that states "We can make instruments here or there to completion". Personally, I think the operative word there is "can", and "can" and "do" are two very different things. The end product certainly stands up though.

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    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    If the origin matters more than the workmanship and sound, there are other mandolins.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

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    Registered User mandolin breeze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Yes, thankfully we have many choices.

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    Registered User dwc's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    I think only the flattops, the Calhoun and the flattop Octaves, are built completely in the US (excluding parts like tuners). I suspect that, as has been said before, if “Made in the USA” is high on your list of priorities, another mandolin company might better give you what you want.

    I love Northfield. I have had some pretty nice mandolins, including a Dudenbostel and an Ellis, and my Northfield Artist is absolutely comparable. Not better, not worse, just different.
    Northfield Artist Series F5 (2 bar, Adirondack)

  7. #7

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    On that same portion of their site, they lay out which instruments are made where--in short, all but the Calhoun and flat-top octave are built entirely in China.

    The Artist Gen 4 has a process that's a bit baffling. I imagine there must be a good business reason to take on the cost of shipping a partially completed instrument to China for assembly, sanding, and coloring and then back to MI to complete the finish and setup, but it sure isn't obvious. Sure seems like they could do it all in their U.S. shop if they wanted to.

    There seems to be no question, though, that they make excellent instruments.
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    Registered User dwc's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tighthead View Post
    On that same portion of their site, they lay out which instruments are made where--in short, all but the Calhoun and flat-top octave are built entirely in China.

    The Artist Gen 4 has a process that's a bit baffling. I imagine there must be a good business reason to take on the cost of shipping a partially completed instrument to China for assembly, sanding, and coloring and then back to MI to complete the finish and setup, but it sure isn't obvious. Sure seems like they could do it all in their U.S. shop if they wanted to.

    There seems to be no question, though, that they make excellent instruments.
    Maybe for the best, most expensive mandolin mandolin they offer, they want their best people doing the final graduation, the sanding and the varnish work, and maybe, just maybe, they think the best people they have for the job happen to live in China.
    Northfield Artist Series F5 (2 bar, Adirondack)

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    Registered User Drew Egerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Give them a call and ask about how they are set up. It is nothing like you think of with stereotypical "made in China" sweatshop junk. They just have a very small number of really great builders/finishers that also happen to be Chinese. I was skeptical about them until I sat and talked with Adrian for a couple of hours one time and it was very eye opening.
    Drew
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    Registered User Drew Egerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by dwc View Post
    Maybe for the best, most expensive mandolin mandolin they offer, they want their best people doing the final graduation, the sanding and the varnish work, and maybe, just maybe, they think the best people they have for the job happen to live in China.
    The finish job on the 4th Gens is just incredible. Love mine so much!
    Drew
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  12. #11

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    I read through the page provided above, as well as the page for the S Series. There's a breakout for each model of exactly what happens where.

    It's a little further down than the general statements, and the S Series info is on its specific page, but I'm puzzled at the claimed mystery, since the info is very specific. "Built and finished by...." "Parts made and assembled by. Broken down and sent to. Coloring and finish by. Wet sanding and final by."

    I'm not going to copy and paste the whole model-by-model breakdown, but if anyone reading that page thinks it is just that "can" statement, it's clear they didn't read the whole page.
    ----

    Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.

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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by dwc View Post
    Maybe for the best, most expensive mandolin mandolin they offer, they want their best people doing the final graduation, the sanding and the varnish work, and maybe, just maybe, they think the best people they have for the job happen to live in China.
    Yeah I know, it's their business, their process, it works for them, etc. Certainly no criticism from me (I'm a very happy A-5 Special owner--and an Eastman that doesn't really compare but is very good nonetheless).

    Just curiosity because it seems like either shop could complete the instrument start-to-finish and (I imagine) there must be a very compelling reason to go through such a complicated process. Is the coloring and sanding *that* much better in Qingdao?

    Edit: Or conversely, is the carving in the U.S. *that* much better than Qingdao, which produces the Big Mon and A-5 Special, among others? Again, no criticism or sino-phobia intended, I just can't connect the dots so I'm curious.
    Last edited by Tighthead; Jul-06-2022 at 2:10pm. Reason: Included note about the CN shop being very capable as well.
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  14. #13

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    I think it’s a matter of business model; I.e., the process they use allows them to produce instruments that meet their sound goals and specifications and still keep the consistent quality at volume to stay in business.

    “The proof is in the pudding,” as they say; and like much of the posts here echo, they are doing (very) well what nobody else, so far, is doing with all production in one place or the other.

  15. #14

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Not that it matters. I love my Gen 4. But in contrast to what is stated on their website, the label on mine clearly states "Made in our Marshall, MI USA shop."

  16. #15
    Registered User mandolin breeze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by beginnerbill View Post
    Not that it matters. I love my Gen 4. But in contrast to what is stated on their website, the label on mine clearly states "Made in our Marshall, MI USA shop."
    beginnerbill, that's exactly what I was asking in my OP. (is there a way to know). Most would value an instrument made in one shop in MI over one assembled here-and-there. I imagine that like other builders, Northfield maintains a log of builds, serial numbers, etc. I wonder if those logs contain the build details. Given your particular label and the various statements on their website, there does seem to be a bit of confusion and some possible contradictions.

  17. #16

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    I can understand valuing an instrument made by craftsman (individual luthiers) over one made by a large factory subcontractor or even a company owned factory - as most Chinese instruments are,. But what I think many of the posters here are recognizing is that Northfields are being made by a relatively small team of skilled employees located in MI and China. The work being done in China is not being done by a large subcontracting factory. Rather, the company has a small shop in MI and another in China. A rather innovative and disruptive approach within the industry. At least that's the way I understand it. When I bought my Gen 4 I was aware of Northfield's business model and expected that it had been rotated from shop to shop. So I was a little surprised by the label and don't really know the process used for my particular instrument. It is somewhat confusing. Regardless, I love it. Its a much better mandolin than I am a player.

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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    It looks like the Elderly Instruments 50th Anniversary Northfield F5 is made in Michigan - https://www.elderly.com/products/nor...41739408965823

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    Registered User Marcus CA's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Yup. Stan and Lily Werbin were just on the Mandolins and Beer podcast, and they talked about that mando. Apparently, quite a few former Elderly repair people are now working in Northfield's Michigan shop, so that mandolin was built entirely by former Elderly employees.
    still trying to turn dreams into memories

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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandolin breeze View Post
    beginnerbill, that's exactly what I was asking in my OP. (is there a way to know). Most would value an instrument made in one shop in MI over one assembled here-and-there. I imagine that like other builders, Northfield maintains a log of builds, serial numbers, etc. I wonder if those logs contain the build details. Given your particular label and the various statements on their website, there does seem to be a bit of confusion and some possible contradictions.
    If one cares about where something was built then they can research it. TONS of discussions here on the Cafe on NF business model, why don’t you just call them?
    Northfield F5M #268, AT02 #7

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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Who cares??? An item as personal as a musical instrument should be evaluated on its own merits, regardless of its country of origin. If you were offered an original signed Loar (USA) or Stradivari (Italy) free of charge, would the country of origin be a concern??? Adrian et al have carefully built their company with the highest of goals in mind for instrument construction and also for democratic (and capitalist) ideals (quite the novelty in communist China).

    I don't own a Northfield and have not even seen one in person so NFI on my part but they have built themselves a small, multinational, high quality, manufacturing company of musical instruments that we love. 'Nuff said...

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL
    Last edited by lenf12; Jul-09-2022 at 1:44pm.

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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tighthead View Post
    sino-phobia
    I had to look that one up!

  27. #22

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Hi everyone. Thanks for all the inquiry and feedback. Like someone said in the thread, we’re always up for talking and we encourage people to write or call us directly. Happy to explain about how we work and what we do, why we do it the way we do (if someone needs to understand it) etc. It’s not easy to grasp.. and some things just aren’t easy for us to explain without making things more complicated than the real message: we’re a group of dedicated people, from different places in the world, that have lived/worked/played together and have decided to make mandolins as best we can. We can make a variety of them and do so by combining our efforts in the best, most practical ways, to achieve our goal of making great and worthy tools for expression.

    Our website is full of information but instruments are individual, just like us, and personal. The people part is at the heart of all
    of it and sometimes it just easier to talk that through and assign names and faces to the craft. After all, neither the USA nor China (the governments or the countries) make our mandolins: we do.

    With best wishes,

    Adrian, Kosuke, Dino, Peter, Derek, Jess, Jacob, Ping Ping, Gao Tao, Kjell, Lao Yin, Zack, Liang Xin.

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  29. #23

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    So there you have, less than a dozen (hope I counted that right- it's been a long week) people involved in the company...does it matter where they hang their hats?
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  30. #24

    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    So there you have, less than a dozen (hope I counted that right- it's been a long week) people involved in the company...does it matter where they hang their hats?
    <Removed by Moderator. Posting Guidelines violation.>
    Last edited by Mandolin Cafe; Jul-09-2022 at 6:41pm. Reason: This post violates Forum posting guidelines.

  31. #25
    Registered User Cheryl Watson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Northfield mandolins - USA or China made?

    I would look at an individual Northfield mandolin you are interested in and then find out definitively where that mandolin was made from the company and/or from the dealer.

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