Flatiron Cadet Neck Repair Costs

[JiminRussia]

I am contemplating buying a Flatiron Cadet that has a neck problem and this will be a "sight unseen purchase". It also has a back separation problem, but that seems to me to be a rather easy fix. It isn't a bad one. What I need to know is, how much will it cost to get the neck back to a position that the strings no longer buzz against the neck? Firstly, does the Flatiron Cadet have a bolt on neck? If I remember correctly the Cadet has a bolt on neck and I'm assuming that with a bolt on neck it will be much easier (less expensive) to get it back in line than if it needs a hot-press, re-fret or some other thing to get the neck back into line with the body. Any help would certainly be appreciated.

[steadypluckinaway]

I bought a Flatiron 1N from Elderly that was advertised as having to have a refret. I received it and it was fine. I don't know what they were thinking. I stole that sucka. You never know, you might get lucky. As for the price, I was quoted 250-325 for a full refret, before I received the 1N. Good luck Jim.

[steadypluckinaway]

Sorry I should have read your post again. Re-set I know nothing about, re-fret is what I was squawkin.

[JiminRussia]

I can remember, way back, when these mandolins first came out thinking that, "Hey, these little suckers really can punch out a melody!" Now, I'm looking to get a mandolin that I can punch out those fiddle tunes on, and then smirk at the banjo player. If I can get this one prety inexpensively (under $250.00 or so) and then put another couple of hundred into the repairs, I believe that I'll have a bargain. Who knows, you pays your money and you takes your chances, huh? I may end up wth a $250.00 planter too. I was just hoping to get a line on whether the neck problem could be resolved without putting the final cost up there with a Monteleone.

[JGWoods]

I have a Cadet and I have no idea how the neck is attached, at least not by looking at it. If I recall correctly from previous posts about Cadets they do have a bolt on neck.

Other than that it is a real crapshoot unless you can get a look at it to see how bad the neck is. Mine had a slightly high action and I filed the bridge down some, maybe if this one buzzes you can shim it up and then replace it with a higher bridge if the only problem is .020-.040 action adjustment. That's just my uneducated opinion as I am no luthier and my home done refret on my Cadet proves it to any who see it. It plays fine, don't look so good.

I paid $350 for mine on eBay late 2002 and it was in excellent condition, but needed a refret 6 mo. later. They seem to have gone up in price quite a bit since then.

good luck
gw

[sunburst]

I don't know how the neck is attached, I don't know what the mandolin needs without looking at it, but it wont get you up in the Monteleone price range to get it fixed.
There are worse things than a $250 planter. Take a chance, you only live once!