1981 Flatiron 1N Pancake Mandolin, great for traveling. Case.

Description

This is one of those famous Flatiron pancake mandolins modeled after the World War I Gibsons that were so popular. (And the starting point for the much louder Northfield pancake mandolins.) Made in Bozeman, Montana.) Forty Years Old! I bought this twelve or thirteen years ago on eBay for 0. I got a great deal because the top had cracked from sound hole to tailpiece and sunk to where the strings were lying on the frets. This happened because the glue on one end of the brace that runs under the top from side to side just below the sound hole gave way, and the top couldn’t stand the strain. I reglued the brace and glued and cleated the crack in the top. No problems since.
The cracks all over in the varnish were there when I got it. Someone must have left it in a frozen car, then brought it into a hot living room and opened the case. Instant shattering of varnish. It doesn’t affect the sound, unless it improves it, perhaps.
Maybe eight years ago I decided to buy a much more attractive Flatiron from about 1986 for 0. But it didn’t sound nearly as good as mine, so I promptly sold it. Yes, I’ve noticed that the case looks awful, but here’s the thing. Someone has glued fleece inside, and it’s a perfect snug fit. The outside of the case is much smaller and about two inches shallower than most mandolin cases. I’ve traveled around the world with this mandolin and spent weeks with it on a beach in Mexico. The case is small enough to fit in most overhead bins on airplanes on top of my suitcase, which is very convenient. If I have a window seat, it slides in between the bulwark and the seat. It also easily slides under the seat in front of me. I can easily hold the case under my arm or pick it up with one hand without using the handle. So I’ve kept it. While I use it for traveling, it sounds far better than all the ”Travel mandolins” I’ve tried.
I like the sound. The action is excellent and the frets flat and the fretboard straight. I use flatwound strings on it and play jazz, but it’s also fun with bluegrass and fiddle tunes. It doesn’t have a strap because it is so light that it doesn’t need one. It’s easy to pinch under my arm. My everyday mandolin is a Derrington-signed Gibson Master model, and no, the Flatiron is nowhere near that good. But I definitely would not take the Gibson to a shady Mexican beach every day with ocean breezes blowing. Some years it’s more humid than others. This mandolin, like my Gibson, responds to humidity, but it doesn’t have an adjustable bridge. If the strings start rattling on the frets and the action gets way too close, I loosen the strings a lot and insert an ebony shim I keep in the pocket in the case. When I get home, I remove it. No problem. Five minutes.