MOON GUITARS, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, 1998

According to Moon Guitars of Glasgow, Scotland, Steve Earle first acquired a Moon mandolin (serial number 234) in January 1997, during a tour of the UK and Ireland, after his main performance mandolin was lost by an airline. This was just before the opening show of his January-March 1997 tour of Europe, which was held on 22 January at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. That mandolin developed a fault and was returned to Moon, with two further mandolins being delivered to Earle in July 1997, which bear the serial numbers 238 and 239. Earle used a Moon Model T as his main stage mandolin for three world tours, from the El Corazon Tour through to the Transcendental Blues Tour. This mandolin was not made for Steve Earle, but for another client in January 1998 – a mandolin player from Durham, UK, who was a music industry rep and a huge Steve Earle fan. It is not known how it came to be part of Steve Earle’s extensive collection, but was likely a gift.

Christie's would like to thank Moon Guitars for their assistance in researching this mandolin.