Why Buy an Australian Made Mandolin
written by John Perrins UK, owner of 3 Gladstone Mandolins
Australian may not be the first place you would consider if you were looking to buy a mandolin or have one made. Yet, more and more musicians are looking at this area of our beautiful planet to obtain professionally made mandolins at very reasonable prices. So, what has the ‘Land Down Under’ got to offer? Fantastic luthiers for starters. Luthier is the name given to people who make stringed musical instruments, and Australia has plenty of these very skilled people.  They make a variety of instruments and many will take orders for ‘one-off’ instruments. So, if you dream of having an instrument made for your own specifications then keep reading on. What do these luthiers have which other luthiers, in other parts of the world, don’t have? We all know of the fantastic wildlife that is found just in Australia.  Well, it’s not just the wildlife which is native just to Australia. These Australian made mandolins can be made from wood that is only native to this part of the world. So, immediately, you have a choice of woods which no other country can supply. But are these woods any good for making mandolins? Not only are they good, but if you pair the correct woods for the soundboard and the back and sides, you get a sound quality that will simply blow you away. So, you’ve now found great luthiers making great sounding mandolins at very reasonable prices. Surely, there can’t be anything else? Yes, there is. How many mandolins have you seen that look all very mundane in their physical appearance? Very few jump out with that ‘WOW’ factor when you seen them hanging on a wall So, how many of you have ever looked at the colours and patterns of Australian woods? Thought not   I accept that sound is the main reason we all buy and play instruments. But have you ever seen professional performers on stage with unique shaped instruments? They still sound the same, but how about owning a fantastic sounding instrument that also looks gorgeous? This is where Australian made mandolins leave the rest of the world behind.