Rick Felkel of West Monroe, Louisiana, is evidently retired from instrument building now. When he was in business, he made well-built, serviceable, no-frills guitars and mandolins from straight-grained woods, sold under the Elloree label—attracting lots of interest from players seeking instruments that were both affordable and dependable.
     Here's an Elloree electric 5-string mandolin typical of Rick's work. Solid body with twin cutaways, rosewood fretboard with 16" scale. Single-coil pickup and angle-cut pickguard. Hardtail bridge with individually tunable saddles. Nickel hardware, natural finish. Used, but in good condition. The photos show it strung for a left-handed player, but it has been restrung as a righty.
     See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. $500 plus shipping. 48-hour approval period.