That singular lush Heiden tone, with a touch more cutting top end, easy playability, and a vintage, aged look that recalls the late '20s or early '30s more than the early 2000s.

Excellent Heiden F from 2001, just in to the shop! While the overall voicing is lush, warm, quite open, this mandolin offers a little more top end zing and presence than some of the other recent Heidens we have encountered, making for a great jamming mandolin as well as a very satisfying solo instrument. As with other Heidens we have played, this mandolin has a big dynamic range, and a varied attack will reveal a range of tonal colors.

The mandolin has a very distinctive, vintage aged look, its French-polished shellac over varnish finish bearing light surface wrinkles and checking more reminiscent of a decades-older mandolin. If you have been looking for a top-shelf mandolin that balances a full, rich low end with a little more bright cutting ability, and a cool, vintage vibe, this Artist F is worth a play.