Bid to win this Funston Mandolin F5 from The President Carter Legacy Collection, recently played by American bluegrass singer-songwriter Sierra Hull in a tribute to President Carter for his 96th birthday. This one-of-a-kind mandolin comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by President Carter.
Meticulously handcrafted from Empress (Paulownia) wood grown on President Carter's farm in Plains, Georgia by Canadian luthier, Bernard Funston, this extraordinary instrument is one of two mandolins in The President Carter Legacy Collection. In writing to the luthier, Sierra Hull raved about the instrument’s tone:
"It didn’t sound like you had just finished building it - which is always the sign of a good instrument. If it were played a lot, I think it would end up with a big sound." Sierra Hull
The 8 stringed eight instruments in the President Carter Legacy Collection were commissioned to honor the 39th President of the United States' commitment to building a sustainable future. Not only was he the first man to put solar panels on the roof of the White House, he pioneered the farming of a non-invasive variety of Paulownia in the United States. Paulownia is one of the world’s fastest growing hardwoods; a tree that reaches maturity in as little as 10 years and regrows from the stump multiple times without replanting, making it a truly renewable resource. As the stringed instrument industry faces increasing shortages of traditional tonewoods, farmed Paulownia is primed to become a viable alternative tonewood in the future. As President Carter remarked when presented with the completed collection:
“It is my hope that these instruments bring happiness to all who both play them and hear them and that they inspire us all to pursue a more sustainable future.” Jimmy Carter.
In this clip, President Carter gets to hear, for the first time, what a renewable resource sounds like. The collection received the Presidential Seal of Approval.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit two charities very close to President Carter’s heart: Farm Aid, founded by his long-time friend Willie Nelson, which advocates for fair farm policies that promote resiliency, sustainability, equity, and diversity across our food system, and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Unit of the Boys and Girls Club of Albany, an organization that enables young people (especially those who need it most) to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.
F5 Paulownia Mandolin with 13 7/8" scale length
Top: Paulownia Back: Paulownia
Sides: Maple
Neck: Maple
Bridge: Ebony
Nut: Graph Tech Tusc
Fretboard: Ebony
Frets: Nickel Silver
Veneer: Koa
Tuners: Schaller F-style Nickel plate
Headstock Inlay: Reconstituted stone and MOP
Finish: Waterbased lacquer
Strings: Light gauge D-Addario
Special Features: Maple burl finger rest