Description
VG(+) condition / SN: 33
1-5/32″ width at nut
Handmade / Fully Bound
Slight Radius F.B. / K&K Pickup
This 1982 handmade JV Johnston a-style mandolin is a good affordable professional grade mandolin. It has been played for several years by one of the stand-out musicians in our area. We’ll get him to do a sound sample for it when we can get him in to do it – he’s just coming back from a tour in Ireland.
Beautiful wood staining with a nice brown/amber finish. The top looks to be very high grade Sitka Spruce. The wood of the back, sides and neck is hard to identify. It presents a Rosewood coloration, but the grain proves to be mercurial. Suffice to say it is a nice looking exotic hardwood that works well as a mandolin back. This woodgrain looks beautiful, as it is colored a nice red color.
The Snakehead peghead has a beautiful book matched Maple veneer with a large cloud pearl inlay with “Johnston” engraved into the pearl. It is bound with pearl. In the center there is an Ebony diamond with a cut diamond pearl inlay inside it. Trussrod cover and access is situated just above the bone nut. Nickel Schaller tuners with pearloid buttons. Back of neck profile is a full rounded V, with a Maple stringer running all along the back of neck and back of body. Volute behind nut. Strap button installed in heel.
Fingerboard is ever so slightly radiused and is bound with ivoroid binding. Cut diamond pearl inlays in fingerboard. Bass side of F.B. has dot position markers.
The body shows good craftsmanship in the body, with the top having a developed recurve area just inside the top and back bindings. Tone bar bracing. Original Ebony 2-pc adjustable bridge. Newer 2-pc nickel tailpiece. K&K pickup installed with endpin jack.
* The last TWO owners of this mandolin were both seriously into playing live as many nights as they could. Brian passed it to Adin and now it is available for you.
So – this mandolin has received it’s “bonefides” by these two guys choosing to use it for years.
Comes with original hard case.
