2008 Mark Bluette F Model Mandolin

Mark Bluett F-style Mandolin

This is a Bluett F-style mandolin, made by Mark Bluett in 2008. It has a carved spruce top and a carved curly European maple back and rims. The top, back and neck have a hand rubbed sunburst with a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. The headstock has an ebony headplate with a single layer of cream binding. The tuners are nickel plated Elite tuners with pealoid buttons. An abalone “B” occupies the marquee spot on the headstock with a stylized tree of life inlay in mother of pearl and abalone below. A bell shaped truss rod cover with three points of attachment completes the headstock. The nut width is 1 ⅛” with a bridge spacing of 1 ½.” The bridge is adjustable with an ebony base and compensated saddle. The neck depth at the first fret is 13/16” and 29/32” at the eighth fret. The fingerboard is ebony, single bound in ivoroid, with twenty three frets and diamond fret markers, in abalone, at the third, fifth, seventh, ninth and fifteenth frets. The twelfth fret marker, also abalone, has a leaf pattern. The uppermost frets on the treble extension have been removed. 

The top and back are single bound in ivoroid with a white-black two ply purfling. The body points of the treble side rim are, unusually, capped in ebony. The carve is light and the sound is punchy and well balanced and the neck is comfortable and easy to play. It is unusually clean for an instrument made over fifteen years ago, with only light fretwear and the odd light scuff here and there. It comes with a rectangular black soft shell zip up case.