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1982 Monteleone Grand Artist mandolin - $22,000
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https://youtu.be/P9lWgz0QZkg
John Monteleone is one of the most brilliant and accomplished instrument builders of any era, and his “Grand Artist” models, which are interpretations of the F-5 design, are among the most coveted mandolins out there. This particular one has lived with the same owner since he commissioned the build from John back in 1982, and as you can see in the photos, the owner has put it through the paces! It is an incredible-sounding mandolin: open, airy, sweet, responsive, and powerful. It’s addicting to play, and it’s a good reminder of why certain names in luthiery have entered into the top echelon – they just capture a magic combination of sound and playability that very few in the world ever can.
This mandolin recently received a neck reset and refret from the great mandolin/guitar restorer Hugh Hansen. This process included regluing the fretboard, adding a little touchup around the heel area, and reinstalling the pickguard mount into the side of the board. Hugh also glued a minor back seam separation. There is plenty of surface wear across the top and on the back of the neck; the back and sides have quite a bit less wear, primarily small nicks and dings. One interesting quirk of this instrument is that the tuners (which are original) operate backwards. My guess is that they could be replaced if desired, but it actually doesn’t take too much time to get used to working them as they are. The neck profile is fairly slim, the fretboard is radiused, and the nut width is 1 ⅛”. It comes with a heavy Buck “Ruff Rider” case, which apparently is the original one.
Asking $22k for this phenomenal and rare mandolin!