Northfield Mandolins, founded by two former employees of Elderly Music in Lansing, MI, has, over the last decade or so, become probably the best value for money mandolin brand around. Designed in Marshall, MI by a joint US/Chinese/Japanese team, and then manufactured jointly between the Michigan location and a high end, small builder shop in China, Northfield have become the poster boys for quality-for-money.

The Artist series, designed directly with mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall, is a complicated process to explain, but this high end, luthier made instrument is initially built, voiced, and assembled in Michigan, then sent to China for initial finishing and sanding, then sent back to Michigan for final finishing and setup.

This Artist features 5-Bar bracing, a proprietary design meant to increase bass and volume response. It works, as far as we can tell! This mandolin is a distinctly modern sound, with a big woofy low end and very detailed high end. Think Adam Steffey circa 1999. (Steffey is also a Northfield artist, by the way!) This beauty also features an Italian spruce top, for a little more shimmer and response, as well as a gorgeous one piece back.

With a 1 ⅛ nut and a compound 5.7” to 7.7” radius fretboard, this mandolin plays distinctly modern, and has a very similar feel to necks like those on a Nugget or a Gilchrist, with a full profile and nice comfortable response.

Good condition, with a couple dings on the scroll. Comes with the original hard shell case.