This little gem is driving us crazy. Taunting us from a showroom hanger and Elderly's online catalog of used mandolin treasures, this dream-come-true two-point double cutaway body, black spruce top with oval soundhole, sunburst finish carved maple back and sides, sunburst maple neck, is just begging for a home. We hope for the sake of domestic tranquility, someone else grabs it before weakness gives into temptation.

During our stint as a Rigel dealer, we sold over three dozen of these amazing instruments, everyone as attractive to the eye as they were comfortable to hands and fingers. Always edgy in cosmetics, they remained remarkably traditional in sound and feel.

The used Rigel R-100 mandolin would be a perfect littler sister to our Vintage Cream R-200 mandola recently converted into a 10-string fanned fret. We've already got the soprano register nicely covered with the 10-string, but this would be a great investment at the asking price of $1650.

M.A.S. Is such a terrible thing.

Other specs:
22-fret radiused ebony fretboard with abalone dot inlays, 1-3/16" nut width, ~13-7/8" scale length, adjustable ebony bridge, black plastic pickguard, gold quick change tailpiece, gold tuners with pearloid buttons, factory internal piezo pickup with 1/4" endpin jack, ebony peghead overlay with abalone "Rigel" inlay, on consignment, with tweed rectangular HSC (red lining) (SN:2484)

Delicious...

Website: Rigel R-100 blackface mandolin.

From the JazzMando archives: Take the Rigel Shop Tour

Posted by Ted at August 24, 2010 5:19 AM