We waited a long time to get this one-of-a-kind mandolin.  It's incredibly beautiful and absolutely staggering for the money.  Basically it's a Quartz Series OO mandolin highly customized with some amazing features.  The Merlot is dangerously beautiful, with a deep vibrant glow, while still showcasing the beauty of the wood below.  The flames are very nice on the maple - it's very clear the folks at Breedlove went out of their way to make this as fine as possible.  Unlike other Quartz mandolins, it also boasts a high gloss finish, which compliments the Merlot very well.  But the good stuff doesn't stop there - The folks at Breedlove decided normal quartz series hardware wouldn't be good enough, so they upgraded it to a gold Monteleone tailpiece and Gold Schaller tuners (with black buttons) for less then normal.  Oh, it looks nice....
   Now, you're probably thinking, "this seems like a premier level instrument for a steal of a price" and you'd be right, except that this is even more rare than a premier level instrument!  Then you may ask, "Yes, it's beautiful, but how does it sound?"  Well, it sounds even better than it looks.  Some oval-hole mandolins lack a clarity and definition on the highs, this one is not so.  It is a full spectrum sound with plenty of high end pop and projection while also offering the nice round bass you'd expect.
   You could do a lot of things very well with this mandolin, besides just looking awesome.  Did I mention it's got a Schertler pickup to boot?!?  So plug it in on stage, at home or in the studio.  This thing's got it all.  And look at the price!  Your wife is totally into you buying this.  Trust me.
 
Comes with the nice hardshell case and a custom setup for you by your friends at Steilberg String Instruments