Going a little buck wild on mandolin lately. Had some balance left on a company rewards card, saw a Flatiron I wanted at a good price, you can guess the rest.
It is a Flatiron 3MB from about '96, made in Montana. Must be one of the last ones as Gibson didn't continue the line after the move to Nashville.
This one is the top of the line of the original "Pancake" models. Flat top and back. Sitka top paired with usually maple back/sides. The particular one I have coming uses Birdseye Maple instead of the striped maple. When they came out in the late 70's, they offered models designated 1,2, and 3, all constructed the same but with additional cosmetics on the higher models. I've seen model 3's with both striped and birdseye maple and a few that had Koa back/sides.
They are styled after the Gibson Army/Navy models released during WWI and sold to servicemen at bases exchanges. When Flatiron re-issued them, they had prices starting at about $250 and were very popular. They even had Dave Grisman appear in their ads.
Compared to a carved top A style, the flat tops have a more open, ringing sound with great sustain for a mandolin. They are also noted for their prodigious volume. Thinking it will be a good fit for the sparsely arranged fiddle tunes we do.