Only a handful of builders have dared to make a Flying V mandolin. Craig Deuel of Pinellas Park, Florida, may hold the record for building the most of them—and even so, it's likely that he built no more than a couple dozen. That being said, if you were hunting for a Deuel, your hunt is over.
     Neck and solid body of straight-grain mahogany. Rosewood 19-fret board with custom fret markers. Grover tuners (they're installed upside down, so they turn backward, but you can get used to that). Rosewood height-adjustable bridge saddle on Gibson-style posts. Headstock inlay, single-coil pickup, volume control. String-through-body design in lieu of a tailpiece. It has recently been set up, restrung, and adjusted by a luthier to optimize playability.
     It comes with a hard foam case that I think was originally for a lap steel; some of the foam has been removed to accommodate the mandolin. It ain't pretty but it works. If what's holding you back as a mandolinist is your inability to channel your inner Albert King (or Randy Rhoads), then salvation is at hand. $750 plus shipping. See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. 48-hour approval offered.