We love the round, bubbly tone of oval-hole mandolins here at Gryphon and one of our favorite models is the MT2 O from Collings. This mandolin takes the classic A-style oval-hole mandolin and updates it in some important ways. The fingerboard has a radius and slightly wider 1 3/16″ width nut making it easier to play. Collings has also subtly changed the body shape so that compared to vintage A style mandolins, the neck has more frets clear of the body which gives your left hand more room.
Another difference which you cant see is that the top of the oval-hole Collings is X-braced, while the old Gibson has a single horizontal brace just below its soundhole. The X-braced soundboard, with a larger vibrating surface, delivers a lot more volume and a bigger, more open tone. We still love those vintage Gibsons, but the new versions of the old style deliver the characteristic sweet tone with volume and projection to spare.
The MT2 O is the fanciest A-style mandolin Collings builds and it features an Adirondack spruce top, a one-piece, Eastern flamed maple back, and a full body gloss lacquer finish. It has ivoroid binding on the back, headstock and fretboard. We ordered this mandolin with a pickguard and a cream-colored top, a cosmetic look that dates back a century and one weve always been fond of.
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