Here’s a recent mandolin by the innovative and highly regarded Dave Cohen. Dave brings an engineer’s acumen to his luthiery and there’s a scientific reason for everything you see here, although you’d have to ask him for specifics.
     Teardrop body with redwood top and flame maple back and sides. Curly maple binding with ebony trim. Carbon fiber neck and headstock. Ebony headplate with inlaid initial "C" and maple binding. Rubner tuners with engraved nickel plates and ebony buttons. Ebony fretboard with dot inlays, EVO Gold frets, and maple binding with side markers. Ebony pickguard and 2-piece adjustable bridge of Cohen’s original design. Tailpiece is a standard Gibson-style base with a custom-made ebony cover. Custom C-style soundholes. Ebony endpin.
     In lieu of a strap button, there’s a small hole drilled through the neck block on the bass side, through which you can easily string a thong to attach one end of a strap; the other end can attach at the endpin. I’ve never seen that before, but it’s a nice approach that keeps the overall design looking sleek.
     Excellent bass/treble balance with great "chop." It is currently strung with Thomastik flatwounds, which mellow out the tone somewhat. You might want to try bronze roundwound strings for more of a bluegrass sound. It hasn’t received much playing, so it is in excellent shape although there’s a small bump in the carbon fiber on the back of the headstock. Gator case included. The serial number is 050623002, and the mandolin is dated May 6, 2023, with a label signed by Dave.
     Everything here is of highest quality and makes for an attractive, lightweight mandolin that is a joy to play. New from Cohen, this excellent mandolin cost $6,000. Cohen mandolins are not produced in large numbers and owners tend to hang on to them, so it is unusual to find one for sale. Lucky you—this one can be all yours at a savings.
     See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. 48-hour approval. $5,250 plus shipping.