1960 Martin Style A Mandolin Used

Here’s an excellent example of Martin’s venerable Style A mandolin, a model they offered with few changes for many years. This example was made in Martin’s old North Street factory in 1960, and is essentially identical to models made two decades earlier. Because they are too lightly built to work for bluegrass, modern players tend to forget about Martin’s Style A mandolins. But if you play old-time string band music, Celtic or even classical, the delicate, ringing tone is very appealing.

The Style A has a shorter string scale and lighter strings than a typical Gibson-style mandolin, so they’re much easier to play. This one is in nearly perfect condition and original throughout. There’s a little rubbed area to the finish on the lower side, almost certainly from the rivets holding the hinge in an earlier chipboard case. The hardshell Harptone case housing it now is probably from the 1970s.