Garrison Guitars M30 Mandolin

2005,made in St.John's,Newfoundland
21 frets
Spruce top,Newfoundland Birch sides and back.
Mahogany neck,Rosewood fingerboard,Ebony Headstock overlay,Rosewood Trussrod cover.
Satin finish throughout
"A" style Mandolin reminisent of old Flatiron Mandolins, round soundhole,no "F" holes, black binding on top and back of body edges.
Slighty wider at the nut that most Mandolins ( a REAL bonus btw!!),and fretwire thats slightly larger than normally found on a Mandolin. Standard "V" neck shape.
Hardshell case and Planet Waves humidifier included.

I play mainly Irish/Newfoundland music on Mandolin, but I also break it out whenever I can for other styles too. Mandolin adds sooooo much to the sound of groups,epecially Acoustic/Unplugged gigs/jams/sessions/
No electronics here so no amps or pedals. wanna different tone.....change your pick guage!!!!
The tone is clear ,with a strong fundamental. The bass strings are on the warm side and opposed to some that have a more bell-like ring. Still a good sound mind you,just different. Very articulate bass notes, but not exactly harsh. Should fit into an acoustic mix very nicely. The treble strings are clear but not "icepicky", just a nice high end that probably won't give the listener "ear fatigue" from harsh treble. The M-30 responds well to picking location; trebley and bright at the bridge, warmer towards the neck.
The M-30 sounded a bit "boxy" with a Jazz III pick and stock strings (what wouldn't???), but a fresh set of D'Dadarrio's and a medium pick solved that right off. Lovely tone, should age nicely.

Store setup was damn-near perfect. Action was low w/o buzzing, and the neck was straight as an arrow, just the way I like it. The bridge is a Flatiron style,straight bridge,unlike more modern compensated bridges. Intonating it can be tricky, but once there, it plays in tune pretty well,considering the bridge of course.
The fretwork is great, no buzzing or deadspots. Very playable fretwire!!!! I wish more Mandolin makers would use a larger wire. Fit and installation of the nut is great,nice cut.
The back is non-bookmatched Birch, the colors don't quite match (the treble side is a bit lighter than the bass side), but that really dosen't matter to me, I don't play wood color!!!! This might be a dealkiller for some, but the instrument plays so nice I don't care.
The only other flaw is the side dots on the neck. The 2nd dot on the 12th fret is misaligned slightly.

I think it'll stand up OK, Mandolins aren't Telecasters though...you can't hammer nails with em', but it seems hearty enough.
The Satin finish will no doubt show wear over time...but what dosen't??? It seems solidly constricted.
I've never carried more than one Mandolin to a gig!!!!

Never dealt with the company directly.
The warranty is for 5yrs.

Been playing Mandolin for @17yrs.
Would defanitly buy again if lost or stolen.
I love the Flatiron vibe of this Mandolin, it's tone is perfect for Irish/NFLD music. The wider neck and jumbo frets make playability great. I love the no-frills vibe....(I don't play INLAY damnit!!!). The style,tone,construction and the fact it comes from my home made the Garrison a no-brainer.
I DO wish it had a facory installed pickup, they seem almost a nessesity for gigging nowadays. Plus, it makes setting intonation and general tuning wayyyyy easier.
Thanks to Garrison for making this Mandolin.