W. A. Petersen Octave Mandolin

This is a handmade octave mandolin by W.A. Petersen of Council Bluffs, Iowa. All we really know about Petersen is that he ran a small shop in the mid 2000’s, building bouzoukis, octave mandolins, and parlor guitars. Though there’s not a lot of information about him online, this instrument speaks for itself. Understated, responsive, and loud. That is the best way to describe this mandolin. The back is a beautiful book matched piece of quilted maple, the top a simple piece of Sitka Spruce. This is a very well built and resonant instrument.

Body: Sitka Spruce top, Quilted Maple back and sides, “tortoise shell” binding.

Neck: Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard, strap button installed on the heel, 22.5” scale. 1 3/16” nut width.

Pickups/Hardware: Gotoh machine heads, rosewood bridge, K&K pickup.

Cosmetics: This mandolin is in great condition with light playwear near the picking area. The frets have little play wear and are tall with no divots. There is a strip of missing finish on the treble side, running roughly from the 1st fret to the 7th (see photo #8). There are a few small finish chips on the bass side of the 12th and 13th fret.

Playability: Our in-house guitar tech has inspected, setup, and restrung this instrument with a new set of strings. The neck is straight, the truss rod is fully functional, and the action has been set low and comfortable.

Weight: 3 lbs. 4 oz.

Case: This instrument ships with the original hard shell case, professionally packed and fully insured.