Mandolin what to buy?

Uwe Haegg · Post by **Uwe Haegg** » 2 Dec 2006 3:34 pm

I just wanted some advice.I am going to buy a mandolin to see if that is an instrument for me. If not, I will probably put it up for sale.
I believe in the fact that the better the tool the better the work will come out.
Do any of you guys have any recommedations as what to buy?
I am looking for an instrument that sounds great and that is well built.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 2 Dec 2006 4:22 pm

In my opinion, the best mandolins around were made by a company called RIGEL that went out of business a few months ago.

Here is a picture of my 2 "blue babies." I know of 3 other member of this forum who also play Rigel mandolins.

The company is no more (although their web site, which contains a list of all their dealers, is still up) but they made a lot of mandolins, and it's still possible to find used ones. There may even still be some new ones in stores that have not yet been sold.

Look on E-bay and the mandolin Cafe classifieds.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi

Other high end brands include Collings, Breedlove and Weber. If you want comething Less expensive, you might consider eastman or Michael Kelly.

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

[This message was edited by Mike Perlowin on 02 December 2006 at 04:25 PM.]

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 2 Dec 2006 5:46 pm

It's hard to find a really good mandolin that will let you know whether or not "it's the instrument for you" for under $1000. A poorly made/setup/sounding instrument will not give you an accurate picture of what "it's all in the hands" can sound like

I like the Collings A model, and you might find one used for $1500-2000.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, technique tips etc. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Instructional DVDs, books and more...

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 2 Dec 2006 6:15 pm

A pro mandolin costs as much as a pedal steel which is to say around $4K - $5K. You can also spend $10 or $20K on the best of the best. They have more in common with violin lutherie as far as why they cost so much to make - there's a lot of skill involved. Having said that,I'd say a good entry level instrument that won't hold you back would be an Eastman for around $1K. For a little less - a Michael Kelly. Both these instruments are made in Korea or China BTW and could be considered to be equivalent to a Carter Starter or Fender Squire Strat.With a good setup they play fine and sound OK. The next step up might be custom U.S. made instrument from a small shop like Old Wave,Pheonix or Weber.You can get a world class sounding A model or 2-point ax for around $2K - $3K and it's a huge jump in sound quality. I've seen Old Wave A models go used for $1400. With mandolins you get what you pay for and they don't really sound amazing till you cough up around 2 grand.Oh yeah and there's not much,if any tonal or volume difference in body shapes and styles.There is however a more pointed sound and more "out front" projection with F-holes and more mellow tone and personal volume with oval-hole instruments.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 2 Dec 2006 7:17 pm

I just checked the web site I listed earlier, and found quite a few really nice mandolins in the used section, for under a thousand dollars, including a blond oval hole Breedlove quartz model that I'd buy myself if I didn't already have the 2 Rigels.

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 3 Dec 2006 4:57 pm

It would depend on what you want to do with the mandolin and what kind of music you'll be playing with it, etc. I have three mandolins which I use on a regular basis. For an acoustic gig I have an old Gibson F style which also has the Fishman bridge if I want to amplify it through a pre-amp. I also have an Epiphone Mando Bird which is a solid body electric job which looks like a mini Gibson Firebird guitar. Last but not least if a Fender A style with the factory pickup and a tone and volume control. The Fender is my most used as I can just unplug the cord out of my guitar or steel and plug it in and play and get a good sound with lots of volume and no feedback. The Epiphone can be used the same way except it looks kinda strange and doesn't really look like what you'd expect a mandolin to look like. The old F Style is worth the most money but it really doesn't play any better than the Fender or Epi. Any instrument these days, even of lower quality, can be made very playable with little effort. On the Fender I just lowered the action a little and dressed the frets a tad and it's great. I don't like the Epi as well as the Fender as the frets are a little larger but it sounds good.........JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 4 Dec 2006 6:29 am

Another plus for the Fender & Epiphones is the price. I only paid $239 for the Fender and $239 for the Epi which included a nice little gig bag.........JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 4 Dec 2006 7:25 am

Don't disagree with anything posted. Much depends on your budget and tastes. Most low-end mandolins are heavy on finish, skimpy on wood quality, and light on sound. But that's usually where everybody starts.

One exception is Big Muddy Mandolins (used to be Mid-Missouri Mandolins, recently re-organized because of a lawsuit) built along the lines of the old Gibson Army-Navy flattop mandos from WW I using solid wood. Hard to get in the U.S. because of supply and demand. Probably next-to-impossible to find one in Europe. But, a great value.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 4 Dec 2006 7:57 am

I'd run screaming from the new Gibsons. At least the ones I've seen. I saw a few F5's for well over $4000 and the workmanship and sound was dreadful. Sloppy binding work, the tops were WAY too thick to have tone. Pretty from a distance though. Gibson should be ashamed of themselves. Now old Gibsons, well that's another story.

Brad

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 4 Dec 2006 8:00 am

I picked up a Kentucky mandolin many years ago. They're an imported instrument but good bang for the buck. I really wouldn't invest a LOT of money in a mandolin until you see if it's really your thing.

Charlie St Denis · Post by **Charlie St Denis** » 4 Dec 2006 8:11 am

I had used a Washburn but did not like
the tone and then went to a Michael
Kelly mandolin that I purchased at
Elderly Music in Lansing Michigan. www.elderly.com
They have a great starter called the
Legacy Festival Pack for $499.00
with a case, electronic tuner, strap,
and picks. I Love mine and I put on
a Schatten bridge pickup and still
can mic it for a good acoustic sound.
Charlie

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 4 Dec 2006 11:08 am

For more in-depth information & opinions about mandolins I'd suggest this site...especially if you plan to spend a lot of money.
www.mandolincafe.com

Uwe Haegg · Post by **Uwe Haegg** » 6 Dec 2006 1:35 am

Thank you very much for all the input.
I`ll have to look around to see what I can find.

Uwe Haegg · Post by **Uwe Haegg** » 6 Dec 2006 2:09 am

There really are a variety of mandolins out there. I`ll probably try something in the 1k to 1,5k range.
I am going to TN in January so I`ll probably try some music stores there.
Thanks for all your help.

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 6 Dec 2006 6:41 am

Going to Nashville? Here is where to shop for vintage instruments, including mandolins...
www.gruhn.com

Darryl Hattenhauer · Post by **Darryl Hattenhauer** » 7 Dec 2006 2:16 pm

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page675.htm

Above is a great resource. They show all kinds of mandos, along with clips of guys playing them in different ways.

See also http://bernunzio.com/new_result.php?type=Mandolin
http://www.vintagemandolin.com/
http://elderly.com//departments/mandolin
http://www.mandoweb.com/15_MandolinFam.htm

Kan du ha det godt.

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"The less I was of who I was, the better I felt." -- Leonard Cohen[This message was edited by Darryl Hattenhauer on 07 December 2006 at 02:23 PM.]

Uwe Haegg · Post by **Uwe Haegg** » 14 Dec 2006 12:50 am

Darryl,
Thanks a lot for the links. They are really great sources for mandolin knowledge.
Thank you all for your help.
The more you know the harder it gets to choose.

You guys really know a lot about mandolin.
Any of you play steel and mandolin in the same band? [This message was edited by Uwe Haegg on 14 December 2006 at 01:00 AM.]

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 14 Dec 2006 6:48 am

Yep. www.sacredcowboys.com

Dave Burr · Post by **Dave Burr** » 14 Dec 2006 6:52 am

Uwe ~ I bought a new one last year myself. I was wanting a mando that sounded and played good... looks weren't real important to me as long as it sounded good and played well. I A/B'd the Gibson A-9:
http://www.gibson.com/Products/Bluegrass/Gibson%20Original/Gibson%20Mandolins/A%2D9/
and Collings MT:
http://collingsguitars.com/mandolins-am.htm#.

At first glance, they are similar in appearance and price (although the Gibson is cheaper). That's where the similarities stop though... The Collings was "hands down" better in every category except overall volume (however, after a year of playing, it has opened up brilliantly). The quality of the construction on this particular model of Collings I don't think could be matched for the dollar anywhere. I paid right at $1,600 for it. I've played some high end custom mandos that don't come anywhere near my Collings in terms of playability and sound. IMHO, this is one of the best values out there right now.

Respectfully,
David[This message was edited by Dave Burr on 14 December 2006 at 06:55 AM.]