Freshwater Octave Mandolin, American Walnut & Spruce

A really nice player, with a beautiful tone that is bright and rich, and good intonation across the range. It wears its history openly, and the marks are set out below, but none of them get in the way of the music.

Built in 2005 in American walnut with a spruce top and a round soundhole, and fitted with a built-in pickup. There is a hairline crack in the top, running with the grain down the left side about a third of the way in, which does not appear to affect tone or playability. The back carries light marks from regular use, including belt buckle marks, and there is a small scuff on the top of the headstock. Good condition overall for an instrument of this age.

Includes the original hard shell case and two new sets of Thomastik-Infeld 174 strings.

About the Maker

David Freshwater worked from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, building octave mandolas, bouzoukis, citterns, mandolins and guitars, and was known for putting a hand-built Scottish instrument within reach of working players rather than only collectors.