{"product_id":"c-2007-rigel-a-plus-oval","title":"c.2007 Rigel A-Plus Oval","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFounded by luthier Pete Langdell in Vermont, Rigel Mandolins revolutionized modern acoustic instrument design by stepping away from traditional pre-war formulas in favour of bold, player-centric innovation. Rather than bending thin wooden ribs, Rigels are built using a solid hardwood block carved out to form the sides, into which the hand-carved spruce top and maple back are precisely fitted. This structural frame creates an exceptionally robust body that resists top-sink while delivering immediate projection, long sustain, and softly contoured edges that sit comfortably against the player. Combined with radiused ebony fingerboards, modern fretwire, and factory-installed internal piezo pickups, Rigel instruments have long been a favorite of performers who need flawless playability and gig-ready plugged-in tone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Rigel A-Plus Oval Hole takes this inventive architecture and marries it to the sweet, expansive voice of early 20th-century oval-hole mandolins. While F-hole models focus on a sharp, dry \"chop\" for cutting through bluegrass jams, oval-hole designs allows the top to vibrate is a way that can yield a throatier low-mid response and rich overtone complexity. They tend to have a singing sustain that excels in folk, Celtic, old-time, and solo playing – which would describe this Rigel to a tee. Thanks to the stiffness of the carved frame, the A-Plus Oval retains excellent note clarity up the entire neck, avoiding the muddy response sometimes found in vintage oval-hole builds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis example was built by Langdell himself after moving his shop to Hyde Park, Vermont. It remains in excellent condition and features high-grade carved tonewoods – hard maple back and sides, and a red spruce tone-bar braced top. The neck has graphite reinforcement and features a smartly designed neck attachment system that wouldn’t be possible without the machined sides and integral blocks that Langdell designed into his mandolins.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNo cracks or repairs and almost no playwear to speak of, this Rigel has survived 20+ year in great health. The original finish shows just a bit of handling wear but no noticeable scratches. Original frets are in excellent shape. Fresh set-up care of our shop.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRound neck with 1-3\/16” nut width. Radiused fretboard with larger guitar fretwire. Schaller tuners, ebony adjustable bridge, bone nut. Factory-mounted passive piezo pickup.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith original hardshell case.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e**USD Price includes Shopify fees\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"RIGEL","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67918219673966,"sku":"210000009053","price":1995.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0979\/3660\/5550\/files\/c07_Rigel_A-Plus-1026-bf.jpg?v=1793285945","url":"https:\/\/folkwaymusic.com\/products\/c-2007-rigel-a-plus-oval","provider":"Folkway Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}