The A-style mandolin and the traditional, classic-looking F-style mandolin are both built in the same exacting manner. The top, or soundboard, is carved from seasoned Engelmann, Sitka, or red spruce and the back, sides, and neck are made from a wide range of maple. The peghead overlays, fingerboard, and bridge are black Gaboon ebony. Only aged tone wood is used and carved to the optimum weight and stiffness, paying particular attention to the graduation or thickness of the top and back plates and the tone bars, resulting in a new instrument that is balanced, resonant and has great volume.
Heiden mandolins, mandolas, octave mandolins, and mandocellos are the result of a genuine interest in making the most responsive, 'player friendly' instruments available. Take a look through the photo gallery to see examples of the different models and variations available. Mandolas and mandocellos are available by special order.
Mandolin: Standard Model
- Seasoned, figured maple back, neck, & sides
- Choice of Englemann, Sitka, or Red (Adirondack) spruce top
- Comfortable custom neck
- Single ivoroid bound body
- Unbound headstock, ebony faceplate, MOP logo
- Nickel-plated tuners, James tailpiece
Mandolin: Deluxe Model
- Standard model options plus...
- Ivoroid single binding on headstock, fretboard, top, & back
- Torch (flowerpot) inlay
- Waverly tuners
Mandolin: Artist Model
- Deluxe model options plus...
- Choice of fern or torch abalone peghead inlay
- Black/white bindings on headstock, fretboard, top, and back
- Highly figured red or sugar (hard) maple
- Varnish finish
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Oval Hole Mandolins
After many years since making oval soundhole A model mandolins, due to customer demand I am now building them again. This model features some of the modern advances in mandolin design including:
- Seasoned, figured maple back, neck, & sides
- Choice of Englemann, Sitka, or Red spruce top
- Elevated fingerboard
- Radiused fingerboard and bridge
- X-braced or parallel tone bars
- Carbon fiber neck reinforcement
- 12 frets to the cross bar, like the teens Gibsons
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Octave Mandolins
This charming mandolin-family model is a hybrid of the lower register, sonorous bellow of the "true" octave mandolin, with its tuning an octave below a mandolin, but instead on a mini archtop guitar frame. It features the same body design and arches as the Heiden 16" and 17" Jazz guitar models, but scaled to a lower bout width of 14". Octave mandolins are available in either of two scale lengths: 22.5" or 21.25".
Parallel tone bars support a top of select Englemann or Sitka spruce. A wide range of maple is suitable for the back and sides of this instrument, providing many different tonal possibilities. European spruce and/or European maple are available on request.
Ebony fingerboard, bridge and headplate are stock but many visually exciting wood combinations can be substituted for the discriminating wood lover.
Evo gold fret wire is used on all Heiden instruments. This extremely hard fret wire will wear for many years with little-to-no maintenance. Gotoh Mini 510 tuners combined with a customized short trapeze tailpiece and adjustable bridge make tuning smooth and reliable.
Custom case by Ameritage.
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