Next to Lloyd Loar, Gilchrist is one of biggest names in the mandolin world. From his shop in Lake Gnotuk, Australia, Stephen Gilchrist builds perhaps the most-sought after mandolin family instruments on the planet. Considering Stephen's reputation, it makes sense that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! In that same shop at Lake Gnotuk, Stephen's son Daniel has been building instruments of his own design since 2006. While his Dad's designs lean more traditional, Daniel Gilchrist explores his own intriguing, out-of-the-box electric ideas.
Based on the Victorian electric guitar model, the Victorian Electric Mandolin is Daniel Gilchrist's first foray into world of electric 8-strings. This Gilchrist Victorian was made in 2017, and it features a stunning carved Ash top over a Mahogany body with a Flame Maple neck. In your hands, the workmanship is impressive, and the body contours are so sleek. The carefully contoured neck joint allows full fret access for players who desire more greater freedom to move into the higher frets. The dark brown finish sets off the wild Ash grain—this is good-looking mandolin!
This 2017 Gilchrist Victorian has a 13-7/8" scale length, radius fingerboard, a mother-of-pearl nut, and an Ebony bridge with a custom-made Aluminum saddle. The pickup is a Rio Grande "Mock 4," which is essentially a P90 design suited for the electric mandolin. Plugged in, this Victorian absolutely wails. Because of the mandolin timbre, its tone is fairly bright, but the volume and tone controls give you some flexibility to dial in the sound to your liking.
This 2017 Gilchrist Victorian Electric Mandolin was purchased brand new from Carter Vintage. It has been played over the years, and it shows some superficial play wear and signs of use (see photos). The worst is a ding on the back, in the belly-scarf contour. There are also a few scratches on the headstock from sloppy string changes. There is plenty of life in the frets, and the setup is excellent. No breaks, repairs, or issues—just a fantastic electric mandolin, more than deserving of the Gilchrist name. It includes its original hardshell case.