Flatiron Flattop Mandos-Where'd they go?

Subject: Flatiron Flattop Mandos-Where'd they go?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 09:37 PM

During the 70's and 80's Flatiron mandolins a made big splash in the mandolin family market. They produced inexpensive instruments based on the old Gibson Army-Navy model which was a limited edition "backpacker" mandolin sold only through military exchanges. The Flatiron Company was bought by Gibson in the late 80's, and somewhere along the line Gibson discontinued production of the flattop models. Gibson's Flatiron line now consists of just a single F and a single A model.

Does anyone have any idea why and when Gibson dropped the flattop models? Surely they couldn't have just quit selling. I know they were prone to neck and structural problems. Did Gibson just decide the whole design was flawed? Too many warranty repairs?

Bruce

Subject: RE: Flatiron Flattop Mandos-Where'd they go?
From: Mudjack
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 11:08 PM

I saw one last week end at a bluegrass festival in OR. A dealer wanted $550 for and didn't bat an eye. They have gone into the history books. I think the Gibson take over of Flatiron was about the same time they vanished. There are other small companys and builders building the little celtic style mandos. Celtic Cross, Missouri Mando Co. just to name a couple.
My guess is Gibson dropped the line to concetrate on the high dollar market.
Mudjack

Subject: RE: Flatiron Flattop Mandos-Where'd they go?
From: Alice
Date: 07 Aug 02 - 11:41 PM

The employees of Gibson Flatiron mandolins formed their own company when Gibson decided to close that division here in Bozeman. Gibson still has a guitar factory here. The new company is called Sound To Earth, and they make excellent quality innovative mandolins. Here is their web site:http://www.soundtoearth.com/ They make Weber mandolins in a little town near Bozeman called Belgrade, Montana.

Alice Flynn

Subject: RE: Flatiron Flattop Mandos-Where'd they go?
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 02:18 PM

I have one of those Webers and I love it. You might also ask your question over at www.mandolincafe.com. One of the folks who visits the message board is Charlie Darrington - an employee of Gibson and a major player in the mandolin department.

There's a store here in Texas that still has a flat top Flatiron Mandola for sale.