2022 Northfield 4th Generation F-5 NFA-F53 Mandolin Used

$6,500.00

Details

This Northfield 4th Generation F-5 was very recently purchased here at Gryphon and it is perhaps the finest model they make. (All of their mandolins are great so it’s hard to say for sure.) This mandolin is original throughout, with the tone and playability that has made Northfield Gryphon's top-selling mandolin-family brand. This mandolin has a radiused fretboard and a shortened fretboard extension so your pick doesn’t bump into it.

There are small nicks and scrapes here and there, such as to the back of the headstock where a tuner was clipped on, and to the edge of the top where the player's right arm went over the edge (watch those buttons on the sleeves of long-sleeve shirts, guys!). If this was a lacquer finish we could make most of these minor marks disappear, or almost disappear. But varnish is not only softer, so such marks are more likely, it's also harder to "correct" small signs of wear. Very minor fret wear, scuffs to the pickguard surface, a fine F-5 you can relax with as you won't be adding the first ding to a perfect new instrument.

Northfield's "4th Generation" F-5 was developed with input from Mike Marshall and has a lot of tonal characteristics of those iconic Lloyd Loar models. While it has the power needed for Bluegrass, it also delivers the sweetness and warmth always welcomed in classical music and jazz. Like the Loar originals, the finish is spirit varnish and the Adirondack top is braced with twin tone bars.

On the 4th Generation F-5, Northfield selects the wood from their Michigan shop’s premium stash and crafts all the parts there. The tops and backs are carved, the ribs are formed, and the neck is completed with the truss rod, overlays and fretboard. Then the top and rib assembly are glued up, the dovetail neck joint is fine-tuned and fit to the body. This instrument "kit" is then sent to Qingdao, where the assembly is completed. After a couple weeks of curing the mandolin is sent back to Michigan where they perform the final finish steps, wet sanding, french polishing, hardware installation, and setup. A convoluted process, to be sure, but the results speak for themselves.