Northfield NFA-F5IE Model Carved Top Mandolin (2025), made in China, serial # A250253, black top, natural back and sides finish, flame maple back and sides, Engelmann spruce top; maple neck with ebony fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
Northfield Mandolins are really fine modern instruments featuring excellent materials and a very high build quality characterized by close attention to detail. Northfield was founded by a team of experienced luthiers in Michigan and China with the goal of producing the highest quality instruments they can, and have proved very successful. This Northfield Artist Series NFA-F51e is a lovely example of their best work, an evolution of the traditional F-5 designed for and in collaboration with celebrated mandolinist Mike Marshall.
This mandolin is a "5-Bar" version of the traditional F-5 design with an evolved top bracing pattern. Northfield reports this results in a "wider harmonic array, more low-end responsiveness and an omnidirectional projection pattern". The Engleman spruce top is finished with a thin black varnish, giving this mandolin an unusually rakish look. The back, sides, neck and pickguard are all beautiful highly flamed maple with a natural amber finish. The woods for these Artist models are seasoned and matched in Northfield's Marshall, MI shop with the mandolin assembled and varnished in Qingdao, then returned for set up and final inspection in Marshall. The mandolin is hand-dated Aug 2025 and signed by the luthiers involved and co-designer Mike Marshall.
This mandolin handles and plays beautifully with a much nicer feel and finish than most in its price class and a full-bodied sound, with a wider tonal range than many modern F-style instruments. It has the typical F-5 bark when pushed, but also a subtler sonic character at lower volume than some F-5's that only come alive under a Bluegrass attack. And with the jet-black top it definitely has its own look!
Overall length is 27 1/2 in. (69.8 cm.), 10 in. (25.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/16 in. (3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 14 in. (356 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
Though previously owned, this mandolin is in nearly new condition. It shows almost no play-wear with no visible fretwear, dings or scratches; there is one small ding to the top finish below the strings behind the bridge. At certain angles, some light scuffing is visible on the pickguard. This is a fine playing and sounding instrument, a professional grade Bluegrass (and beyond) mandolin at a more moderate price than many purely handmade examples. It is ready for the stage or studio; the setup and playability are superb, as we've come to expect from Northfield. Overall Excellent Condition.
