Alan Horvath | 1986 Flatiron 3K Octave Mandolin

Alan's Instruments | 1986 Flatiron 3K Octave Mandolin
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This was my 1986 hand-crafted Flatiron 3K octave mandolin. I sold it to Manny Meyer in Courtenay, British Columbia (Canada), in January 2005.

Due to my good buddy Seth Austen spotting a MandoCello I've been wanting to acquire for many years, I went to Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island to see and to play it. I didn't buy the MandoCello (it was a very argumentative instrument) but I found myself wailing away on the Flatiron to the point of total revelry! That day, I left without purchasing anything at all ... got back home ... and soon after settling down, I realized how much fun I was having with the Flatiron -- got up the next morning, drove back to Mandolin Brothers, and bought it ... February 3rd, 2001.

Specs: Serial #8608385 ... 23.5-inch scale ... nickel-plated tuners ... rope-herringbone-rope soundhole rosette with matching rope top-binding ... the neck is perfectly straight and has a nice fast action ... no scratches, dings or nicks anywhere ... is totally acoustic; no electronics; no pickup ... has a fresh set of ELIXER strings on it now -- all wound strings, for a "low mandocello" sound.

This Flatiron has an Alaskan sitka spruce top, Hawaiian figured koa sides, Hawaiian tiger-striped koa back, ebony fret board and bridge, and a rosewood heel cap -- all contributing to a sound that will out-shine any Flatiron you've ever witnessed! Most mandolins are arched ... this baby is as flat as a pancake, top and back ... thus, the brand-name.

If you want to see more detailed pictures, click here:
1. Original Hard-Shell Case
2. Alaskan Sitka Spruce Top
3. Hawaiian Figured Koa Side
4. Hawaiian Tiger-Striped Koa Back
5. Headstock
6. Soundhole & Rosette

This puppy roars like a freight train with a bouzouki tuning on it ... and screams like the Vienna Boys Choir with a mandocello tuning applied (one octave higher) which is the tuning I had originally found it in ... and, at present, I have a low mandola tuning on it with all wound strings, that provides a sound more akin to a mandocello: cC - gG - dd - aa.

This instrument is featured on the 'Rings Project CD ... on "The Departure of Boromir" ... and on the Kingdom Come CD ... on There's A River and on Psalm 57.