SmakulaSmakula
Fretted
Instruments
PO Box 882, Elkins, West Virginia 26241
304-636-6710
Mandolins, contact us...
Page Updated 1-11-12
Please Visit our Home Page for links to our banjos, guitars, fiddles and more.
Mandolins:Please note: we stock many models of Breedlove mandolins. The Breedlove Company has a minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policy of 25% off the list price. Please call or email for the exact discount price of our Breedlove mandolins. You will be pleasantly surprised when you learn our prices. All Breedlove mandolins include a hard case in the price. We also offer Free shipping on all new Breedlove mandolins in the contenental United States
New Breedlove Quartz OO, oval sound hole, Blond finish with hard case, list price; $1,999
New Breedlove Quartz OF, F holes, Blond finish with hard case, list price; $1,999
New Breedlove Quartz OF, F holes, Blond finish Custom black binding on body, with hard case, list price; $2,399 Photos
New Breedlove Quartz KF, F holes, K Shape Blond finish with hard case, list price; $2,260 Photos
New Breedlove Quartz FF Honeyburst. Breedlove's take on the word famous F-5. A little more of a bluegrass tone than other Breedlove mandolins. F-holes, honeyburst finish, With HC, List price $2,669 Photos
New Breedlove Custom American Series FO. About a year ago a customer inquired about a custom Breedlove mandolin. His wish list was Breedlove's F shape with an oval soundhole on an Adirondack red spruce top, black binding around the top and back, and EVO gold colored, long wearing fret wire. There were unfortunate delays at the Breedlove factory and this customer's situation changed, but it allows me to offer this one of a kind instrument to all my mandolin customers. It is a great full sounding instrument that rivals any 1920's F-2 or F-4. Also note; Breedlove is no longer accepting custom orders for American/Quartz series instruments. List price is $2,519 and includes a Breedlove teardrop hard case. Please call us for discount price information. Photos
New Breedlove Cascade, F holes, K shape, Sunburst finish with teardrop shaped OHC, list price $3,329,
2003 Breedlove Rogue. I really like Breedlove mandolins. One of the few modern makers that offer a neck that is not a copy of the skinny F-5. The little more to hold on to is great for guys like me that grew up on old Gibson A model mandos. This instrument has F holes, Breedlove's K body shape, amazing curly maple, walnut binding, tasty inlay, and a Shertler pickup. This model is currently discontinued and Breedlove no longer makes custom mandolins. So if this floats your boat, snag it now!! In nearly new condition the $3,000 price tag includes the original hard case. Photos
2004 Breedlove Quartz OF Sunburst. An instrument with the classic teardrop shape and F holes in the spruce top. Even though this is one of Breedlove's basic models, it has nice curly maple for the back, sides and neck. The tone has a great chop for bluegrass accompaniment. And like all Breedlove instruments, the workmanship is stellar. With a hard case the price is 1,100. In case you were wondering, the current list price; $2.260 Photos
2005 Breedlove Oregon. This Breedlove mando has an O shape (similar to Gibson A) with F-holes in the top. Blond finish with the premier class appointments of stunning curly maple, Schaller tuners, Montelone tailpiece, single ply black bound top & back, and gloss finish. The tone of this instrument has a strong bass and clear, but not tinny treble. Very lightly used condition with a hard case it is only $1,400. Photos
1980's Washburn M-6S, Jethro Burns Signature Model. This takes me back to 1983 when at the age of 24 I made a trip from my home in Cleveland, Ohio to what is now my home of Elkins, West Virginia for an Augusta mandolin workshop with Jethro Burns. He filled my head with more notes than I could really comprehend in a week and gave me the opportunity for some lifelong relationships including my wife, Mary. This instrument was manufactured in Japan at about that time as a Jethro Burns signature model. His signature is on the tailpiece and the major contribution to the design was having the fretboard extension shortened by a few frets so his pick wouldn't bump on it. Other than that it is a fairly normal import F-5 copy of the day. Maple back and sides, maple neck, with a 13-7/8" scale ebony fretboard with very fancy abalone inlays. The spruce top has 2 (count 'em!) F-holes. It has a great A chord chop and with the recent refret with EVO gold colored, long wearing fretwire, it plays precisely. It is in excelent condition, though they didn't scrape the binding perfectly at the factory, so there is a little bit of color bleed on the binding. The $850 price gets you the mando, the original case, and the scrawl that is Jethro's signature on the tailpiece cover. Photos
1918 Gibson F-2. Who can resist an early Gibson F model with the red sunburst finish and an oval soundhole? Certainly not me! This one is in great original condition including the tailpiece cover and pickguard. Though a previous owner changed the bridge to adjustable, the original is included in the case pocket. If you need the tone of an early Gibson mandolin, this should be your pick. Priced, with the original hard case, at $4,500 Photos
1930 Vega Style L Whyte Laydie Mandolin Banjo. It has been raining Vega banjos lately here in Randolph County. Certainly a few great instruments have come out of the woodwork this past month. This example is one of the few playable mando-banjos I have run across. Good neck angle, for decent string height and new frets installed here at SFI keep the buzzes away. Like most Whyte Laydie banjos, the neck and rim are finished in natural blond maple. The ebony fretboard has a 13-3/4" scale and is inlaid with 4 mother-of-pearl dot position markers. The 10-1/16" rim has 26 original brackets with open ball nuts. The new Remo Fiberskyn head keeps the banjo's tone from being too crashy. The metal is still shiny enough to see yourself after 82 years. In excellent condition, this hard to find example of Vega's great work is only $1,100. The original case is not so great, but as soon as I find a better one, I'll include it. Photos
1963 German Waldzither by Franz Dotzauer. This mandolin instrument is a bit odd compared to the American instruments we are used to. There are 9 strings, eight of which are in pairs. The string length is 18-1/2", the body width is 13" and has a domed back of alternating mahogany and curly maple. Truthfully I am not sure what kind of music you play in this, but you are creative and are capable of inventing something if your You Tube exploration doesn't pan out. It's in excellent condition and fits in the included resonator banjo case with room to spare in the neck area for a sub sandwich. Yummy for only $200.
Guide to Abbreviations and Physical Condition;
New; An instrument that came to us from the manufacturer. It has never been owned by a consumer and has it's full warrantee.
Mint; As the instrument came from the factory. No blemishes at all
Near mint; Almost as it came from the factory
EC; Excellent condition, a very clean instrument that has a few minor blemishes
VG; Very Good Condition, reasonable wear for its age.
GC; Good Condition; plenty of player wear.
Plus or minus indicates the condition is half a grade better or worse.
HC; Price includes a Hard case, either made of laminated wood or ABS plastic. Hard cases offer the most protection for your instrument. The disadvantage is they are heavy.
OHC; Original Hard Case, the hard case purchased with the instrument when it was new.
SC; Softcase, refers to a chipboard (stiff cardboard) case,
OSC; The chipboard case sold with the instrument when new.
GB; Gigbag, a padded cloth bag. Usually with shoulder straps.
Shipping
We ship most of our instruments via UPS. Cost to ship a mandolin is $15 to $25. Cost to ship a guitar or banjo is $15 to $50. The cost of insurance is extra. We will be happy to quote before shipping.
Small goods like banjo heads and other parts cost $5 per order for Priority Mail shipping in the contenental US no matter what the order size. The cost of orders headed out of the contenental US will be quoted before they are shipped.
Sales Tax
We are legally obligated to charge 6% West Virginia sales tax on anything purchased here at the shop, or shipped within the state of West Virginia. We do not charge sales tax on orders sent out of state.
To Order
Please call us at 304-636-6710. For payment we accept checks and MasterCard and Visa.Email; Occasionally a customer will let us know that the "Contact Us" button will not work on their computer. If you have that problem, please use sfi<at>smakula<dot>com You will have to change the <at> and <dot> to @ and .