Bitting Special Flat Back, Bent Top Mandolin, made by C. F. Martin (1917)
LOADING IMAGES
Bitting Special Model Flat Back, Bent Top Mandolin, made by C. F. Martin (1917), made in Nazareth, PA, serial # 5127, shaded varnish finish, maple back and sides, spruce top, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, molded Fiberglass hard shell case.
This early and slightly unusual Martin mandolin is an interesting variant on the flat-back Style A, which first appeared in 1914. The "Bitting Special" mandolins were private label pieces made for a local Pennsylvania teacher only from 1916-1918. These were similar in construction to the Style A, the company's most basic flat back 8-string offering, but unusual in being built with a maple body instead of rosewood or mahogany. This gives the instrument a noticeably different sound, brighter but also very punchy and less delicate than the typical Martin tone.
The Martin Style A in general is a plain but effective design that remained in production for decades with only minimal changes. This "Bitting Special" has a darker shaded (but not sunburst) finish overall, triple bound on the top and single bound on the back. The tortoise celluloid pickguard is neatly inlaid into the top in bowlback fashion. This WWI era mandolin is built somewhat lighter than the commonly found later Style A examples, and the maple body adds another sonic dimension. Only 40 of these "Bitting Special" mandolins were made over a 3 year span, 27 in this peak production year 1917; this is one of two we have had with sequential serial numbers. This is a unique very low production model mandolin with a truly distinctive character in both look and sound.
Overall length is 24 in. (61 cm.), 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm.) across at the widest point, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 13 in. (330 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This mandolin is a lovely survivor, showing signs of use and some old repair over the past 105 + years but no really heavy wear and still sounding lovely indeed. The thin original varnish has been lightly polished out over the decades and shows micro-checking and small dings, dents, scrapes, the most notable being pick marks above the strings and off the bottom edge of the pickguard. There are marks in the top finish from where the bridge was mislocated for decades and some finish rubbed off the back of the neck from play.
The neck itself appears to have been reset some time ago (somewhat rare for a Martin Mandolin) and there is a very old chip and crack on the tip of the treble side of the heel that has been filled in. This is the only notable wood damage, and is visible but does not affect the instrument in any functional way. The back center seam appears to have been resealed but there are no other cracks. The tuners, tailpiece and ebony bridge appear original.
The original bar frets are intact and still play well. The instrument is a fine player with a more powerful and punchy tone than most Martin 8-strings. This is a very cool piece of Martin history that currently lives in a modern molded fiberglass road case. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This early and slightly unusual Martin mandolin is an interesting variant on the flat-back Style A, which first appeared in 1914. The "Bitting Special" mandolins were private label pieces made for a local Pennsylvania teacher only from 1916-1918. These were similar in construction to the Style A, the company's most basic flat back 8-string offering, but unusual in being built with a maple body instead of rosewood or mahogany. This gives the instrument a noticeably different sound, brighter but also very punchy and less delicate than the typical Martin tone.
The Martin Style A in general is a plain but effective design that remained in production for decades with only minimal changes. This "Bitting Special" has a darker shaded (but not sunburst) finish overall, triple bound on the top and single bound on the back. The tortoise celluloid pickguard is neatly inlaid into the top in bowlback fashion. This WWI era mandolin is built somewhat lighter than the commonly found later Style A examples, and the maple body adds another sonic dimension. Only 40 of these "Bitting Special" mandolins were made over a 3 year span, 27 in this peak production year 1917; this is one of two we have had with sequential serial numbers. This is a unique very low production model mandolin with a truly distinctive character in both look and sound.
Overall length is 24 in. (61 cm.), 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm.) across at the widest point, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 13 in. (330 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/8 in. (29 mm.).
This mandolin is a lovely survivor, showing signs of use and some old repair over the past 105 + years but no really heavy wear and still sounding lovely indeed. The thin original varnish has been lightly polished out over the decades and shows micro-checking and small dings, dents, scrapes, the most notable being pick marks above the strings and off the bottom edge of the pickguard. There are marks in the top finish from where the bridge was mislocated for decades and some finish rubbed off the back of the neck from play.
The neck itself appears to have been reset some time ago (somewhat rare for a Martin Mandolin) and there is a very old chip and crack on the tip of the treble side of the heel that has been filled in. This is the only notable wood damage, and is visible but does not affect the instrument in any functional way. The back center seam appears to have been resealed but there are no other cracks. The tuners, tailpiece and ebony bridge appear original.
The original bar frets are intact and still play well. The instrument is a fine player with a more powerful and punchy tone than most Martin 8-strings. This is a very cool piece of Martin history that currently lives in a modern molded fiberglass road case. Overall Very Good + Condition.