Mandolins for sale

2006 Skip Kelley F5 (#16), varnish. $4,000. Skip, a well-regarded luthier from Thomasville, N.C., is now taking orders in the mid-$5K range, but you can save a bundle on this one. Italian spruce top with hard maple back, sides and neck. Single-ply tortoise binding on the body, with ebony body points. No binding on the peghead or fretboard. Finished with an oil varnish. Lightweight and comfortable to play, but has a tremendous bark and powerful bluegrass voice. Excellent balance with strong midrange and sustain; bass is already nice & punchy. This one will just "open up" further with more playing. New bone nut and 1-piece Bill James tailpiece. Moderate player wear. Travelite case. More photos are available.

Proceeds from the sale of mandolins on this page will benefit the Seattle Mandolin Orchestra. We aren't yet a registered nonprofit, so we can't give you a tax receipt, but you can rest assured that your purchase will help us promote and preserve the mandolin ensemble tradition in the Pacific Northwest.