Elmo A-style mandolin No. 16, 1977. $2,500.
Here's something you don't see every day. The late Elmo MacDonald was an idiosyncratic
but highly admired luthier from New Brunswick. He never became a household name outside of eastern Canada,
but his guitars and mandolins have a well-deserved reputation for excellence among those who've been
fortunate enough to play or hear one.
Elmo's career as a luthier spanned more than 40 years until he passed away in 2016. What we have here is a mandolin dated 1977 and numbered 16, so it's a relatively early one. Nonetheless it is boldly and competently executed, and shows not only skill but many unusual features.
Ostensibly this is a copy of a 1920s Gibson snakehead A-style mandolin, and in fact it plays, feels, and sounds remarkably like one, with a good balance of oval-hole warmth and bluegrass-friendly focus and snappiness. But Elmo's individual touches are also apparent: a round soundhole rather than oval, a bulbous growth at the end of the headstock, and an unusually shaped heel joint set the instrument apart.
Since it's finished in black, I can only guess at the woods, but it almost certainly has a spruce top. I'm inclined to think the back and sides are maple and possibly the neck is too, but they could easily be some other hardwood. There's binding everywhere: top, back, soundhole, rosewood pickguard, ebony fretboard, and headstock. Kluson Deluxe tuners, Gibson-style adjustable ebony bridge, and Waverly cloud tailpiece. The mandolin has an authoritative presence and above-average volume, with even a bit of bluegrass "bark" coming through. But it also has a sensitive side for folk and classical.
In terms of condition, it appears to have a lacquer finish that after nearly 50 years is showing some signs of crazing. There are a few dings and nicks, and someone installed a strap button in the heel that has since been removed, leaving behind a screw hole. There is a truss rod in the neck, but there is no truss rod cover. I suspect that the number carved into the back of the headstock is some kind of ID number belonging to a previous owner.
Speaking of owners, this mandolin is for sale because its owner had a stroke and needs medical care more than musical instruments. It lives in a midcentury chipboard case that, to my eyes, is older than the mandolin. The case is functional, but all that remains of its "banana" handle is a thin metal strip. (I may still have a vintage replacement handle I can include for $25.) Not many Elmo mandolins have ventured outside of Canada, so this is a rare opportunity. The mandolin will be shipped with a fresh set of D'Addario J74s or whatever string gauges you prefer. $2,500 plus shipping. See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. 48-hour approval offered.
Elmo's career as a luthier spanned more than 40 years until he passed away in 2016. What we have here is a mandolin dated 1977 and numbered 16, so it's a relatively early one. Nonetheless it is boldly and competently executed, and shows not only skill but many unusual features.
Ostensibly this is a copy of a 1920s Gibson snakehead A-style mandolin, and in fact it plays, feels, and sounds remarkably like one, with a good balance of oval-hole warmth and bluegrass-friendly focus and snappiness. But Elmo's individual touches are also apparent: a round soundhole rather than oval, a bulbous growth at the end of the headstock, and an unusually shaped heel joint set the instrument apart.
Since it's finished in black, I can only guess at the woods, but it almost certainly has a spruce top. I'm inclined to think the back and sides are maple and possibly the neck is too, but they could easily be some other hardwood. There's binding everywhere: top, back, soundhole, rosewood pickguard, ebony fretboard, and headstock. Kluson Deluxe tuners, Gibson-style adjustable ebony bridge, and Waverly cloud tailpiece. The mandolin has an authoritative presence and above-average volume, with even a bit of bluegrass "bark" coming through. But it also has a sensitive side for folk and classical.
In terms of condition, it appears to have a lacquer finish that after nearly 50 years is showing some signs of crazing. There are a few dings and nicks, and someone installed a strap button in the heel that has since been removed, leaving behind a screw hole. There is a truss rod in the neck, but there is no truss rod cover. I suspect that the number carved into the back of the headstock is some kind of ID number belonging to a previous owner.
Speaking of owners, this mandolin is for sale because its owner had a stroke and needs medical care more than musical instruments. It lives in a midcentury chipboard case that, to my eyes, is older than the mandolin. The case is functional, but all that remains of its "banana" handle is a thin metal strip. (I may still have a vintage replacement handle I can include for $25.) Not many Elmo mandolins have ventured outside of Canada, so this is a rare opportunity. The mandolin will be shipped with a fresh set of D'Addario J74s or whatever string gauges you prefer. $2,500 plus shipping. See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. 48-hour approval offered.