Interested in the mandolin

[austinbristow]

Im sure you all get a lot of threads from beginners looking for advice. I hate to fall in that line but here it goes. I need to purchase a mandolin. I need something that is not to difficult to play (if some models are more difficult than others). I will be teaching myself as much as i can from articles on the net and then it will primarily be used to play around with some freinds just hanging out at the fire in the backyard (you all know the place =)

Im not looking to spend to much, maybe like 250 or 350 if I can stay within that range. If I can not meet all the needs i listed I could pay more...

Anyways any advice is appreciated. When I get my instrument and a bit more experience im looking forward to joining this community. Thanks =)

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Haven't already joined the community? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Have a look through the archives (do a search on the terms beginner, inexpensive, cheap, etc.)

My suggestion -and you'll hear others I expect-- is look into mid missouri mandolin company here (http://www.midmomandolin.com/).

Good luck!
Daniel

[austinbristow]

thanks. Appreciate the hasty reply Daniel.

[GBG]

Go visit my cousin's shop in Guthrie-Double Stop Fiddle Shop, play some different mandolins and get some on the scene advice.

[mpeknox]

Go visit my cousin's shop in Guthrie-Double Stop Fiddle Shop, play some different mandolins and get some on the scene advice.
Your cousin? #Cool!! #I was fortunate enough to fall into a jam there one day with Byron and a bunch of locals...what a great time. I second the recommendation to go there for advice.

[stevem]

Check out this thread from last week, where advice is given to a fellow new player on what to buy and how to learn. #Welcome to the Cafe and to the wonderful world of mandolins! #Don't worry about asking questions either. #You'll find many people here happy to give their two cents. Some of us even know what we're talking about--and man, I sure wish I was one of them.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....t=24676 (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=24676)

[arbarnhart]

I would seriously consider this Rogue on sale for $40 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/fg=101/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/519193/) as a first mandolin. It is quite playable and you will figure out whether you really enjoy playing and know what to look for when you go shopping to spend a bit more. I think anything you buy for less than $500 or so is likely to be a stepping stone. A majot caveat would be resale. If you find a good deal and spend $300 on one that someone needs to sell quickly and you might more patiently sell for $400 when it's time for you to upgrade, go for that. Flip side is that you would probably keep the $40 mando forever or until something happened to it and you would always have one as a spare you could take camping or in other situations where you might be concerned about a higher priced instrument.

I have that Rogue model, BTW. The bridge is a little high, but it will be a while before that's a problem (until you start playing some upper frets) and even then all you have to do is pop it off (it is just slightly tacky on the bottom) sand the feet and put it back on. It has an adjuster so you sand too far and then start using the adjuster. I also made a new bridge for mine, but that isn't really necessary. It made it sound better, but it wasn't that bad before. Read the reviews of it at the site I listed above. Some people hate it, but the majority gave it pretty high marks, which I think it deserves for a $40 mando.

I am shopping and saving for another, but $450 is the lowest price I have found on one that I am considering and I am iffy about it.

[fatt-dad]

HERE'S (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=14009&query=retrieval) my ad on the MandolinCafe Classifieds. Let me know if there are questions.

fatt-dad

[olgraypat]

My suggestion--first buy an "A" style. You can learn just as well, and it will surely be cheaper. Second, I would recommend one of fatt-dadd's mandos in the classified. The Ibanez, the Alvarez or the Kentucky would appear to be the way to go. I don't disagree with the Rogue recommendation, but you'll almost surely want to upgrade so might as well start a little higher up the ladder if you've got the money. If none of those ideas suits you, or if you feel like you have to have an F style, I would buy an Epiphone. I think they're in your price range, and they play fairly well for the money. And, if you can pony up a little more or find a used one, everybody around here seems to like the Mid Missouri entry level models.

[JEStanek]

The first mando I got was a Johnson mando (all laminate, no truss rod). I took it to a guitar shop to have the nut filed (so I could fret the first position) adjust bridge height, and put on decent strings. If you do get a cheap-o get it set up so you can play it and change the strings. For about $100 (mando and set up) I got a mando that still gives me pleasure to play on and I feel totally safe taking it out and about. For $250 - 300 if you could find a used Mid-Mo I would snatch it up... My problem is I don't see used Mid Mo's that often (I guess people seem to love them too much).

Jamie

[Keith Erickson]

Austin,

Welcome to the Mandolin Cafe #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

My advice to you is to first try to see if you find a mandolin that feels right for you. #If you feel it and you hold it and for some reason, it doesn't feel right, don't get it.

Take your time and do not rush your purchase. #Once your skills start to improve, then think about a higher grade.

Oh and by the way, I would also look at Mid-Missouri. #They are not much to look at but they sound great!!!!

Best of luck and welcome to the cafe #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[ShaneJ]

Get the best quality A-style mandolin you can afford, and alot $100 or so to have it set up and adjusted by someone that knows how - not the pimple-faced head banger at Guitar Mart. (No offense to all you pimple-faced head bangers out there. I'm sure you all are very knowledgeable about your "genre". http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif )

My opinion and ensueing recommendation to anyone wanting to learn how to play an instrument is that a new player should focus more on an instrument that is set up and plays easy FIRST. If it sounds like a $10,000 instrument too, that's a bonus. Even if it doesn't have THE sound though, if it is easy to play, you'll enjoy it more and learn faster. You can trade up to a better sound or fancier-looking instrument that also plays easy later. Also, buy a used one at a reasonable price if you can. That way you will have a better chance of getting most or all of your money back if/when you decide to sell or trade later. If you were able to spend more than $3K-$5K for an F or $1K+ for an A, then you could buy a new custom mando and have a shot at selling it at or above your purchase price down the road. That likely won't be the case in a new import mando costing less than $1K, although there are some good ones in that catagory available.

Get the best instrument you can comfortably afford - even if you're new. If you can afford a new Arches, Old Wave, Newell, etc... A-model, then by all means get one. There is no rule that a newbie needs a cheap, ###### instrument to learn on - IMHO.

Good luck with the quest, and welcome to the Cafe'! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[meskalito]

I have a Mid-Missouri, and I love it. The look grows on you, and you won't kick yourself two months later for buying a cheap and bad sounding imitation of a good mandolin. Don't buy plywood! Mid-Mos sound great.

Jeremy

[8ch(pl)]

Mid Misouri is what I would go for. f you can find one second hand you can recover your money if you move up. I like mine so much that I have upgraded to a cast tailpiece, added an arm rest and a home made pickguard. I do not plan on upgrading in the near future.

[arbarnhart]

Get the best instrument you can comfortably afford - even if you're new. #If you can afford a new Arches, Old Wave, Newell, etc... A-model, then by all means get one. #There is no rule that a newbie needs a cheap, ###### instrument to learn on - IMHO. #
I am actually in partial agreement. But there are a few things that keep me from being in complete agreement.

One is that IMO there is at least one cheap mando that is quite playable. Have you played the cheap Rogue or read the reviews at their site? I had one sent to me by someone who owns and plays much better mandos because he has and was quite surprised. It has a nice sound, but not the loudest or sweetest you'll ever hear. Past the first octave it doesn't play as well. But it's not going to hold back a beginner. And you have less than $50 invested in something that you are trying and might not stick with.

Another is timing. Get something like that and you will have it and be playing within a week. Before you spend hundresd of dollars you will want to research choices and put your hands on a few if you can. Maybe in the right location you can do that easily, but not everyone can.

If you really get a good deal, then you aren't risking much because you can get your money back out of it, right? Well, maybe; how do you know you really got a good deal when you are just starting out? Research, advice and luck.

Assuming you like playing and decide to upgrade, do you want to keep your first one as a backup and knockaround? If not, you will need to go to some effort to sell it.

For some people, these aren't issues because they have access to expertise or know someone in the biz well enough that they are getting truly helped and not just being a customer. So I think you are right about what many people should do. However I think most people risk less money, get started playing sooner and have an easier time upgrading if they start with an inexpensive but playable mando.

But I am just some guy on the Internet and don't have a ton of experience with mandos (but I do have over 20 with guitars and would offer similar advice).

[luckylarue]

Mid-Mo all the way. I just bought a '23 Snakehead but I want a Mid-Mo baaad! It'll be my next mando for sure.

[sgarrity]

Good to see another Okie join the Cafe. I have to go along with the Mid Mo suggestion. They are great little mandos for the money. If you have about $700 to spend there is a Davis flat top in the classifieds that will make you a very fine first instrument. For what its worth, I think a person is better off going with a solid wood flat top than any of the cheap import mandolins. Not to mention your resale value should be higher when you go to upgrade at some point in the future. Around the OKC area, try Lone Wolf Guitars and the Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Guthrie. They are your best bet to get to see and play some mandos.

Shaun

[billkilpatrick]

mine is a so-called "budget" mandolin and i think it's fabulous. it's got a lovely tone, feels good and solid in your hand and gives you the option to go electric if the opportunity presents itself. highly underrated and undeservedly so. http://crafterguitars.com/main.html

[Eric F.]

I think you are the perfect candidate for a Mid-Mo, a Flatiron pancake or one of Fatt-dad's stable. Any one of them ought to be perfect for the campfire. I'd buy his Kalamazoo or the Martin copy if I didn't have to explain it to the secretary of the treasury.

[TommyK]

austinbristow
See what you started? This has got to be the busiest forum on the www. Thank goodness you didn't ask how everyone was 'feeling' http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

Opinions are like eye holes, everyone has two!

[Nathan Sanders]

Hey Austin,

Welcome to Mando World. The previous posts have made some great suggestions. And as Shaun said, it's great to see another Okie at the Cafe. Byron Berline does have a great selection of mandolins. Lone Wolf Guitars in OKC does too. Definitely go with a solid wood flat top or something similar instead of a cheap import. Granted, when I started on mandolin, I started with a cheapy Lotus which was given to me. As soon as I could though I upgraded to a Flatiron 1N (army navy style, pancake, whatever you want to call it) and eventually a Gibson F-5G. A Davis Flat Top or even a Weber Y2K would be a great starter. You might also check Honest Ron's in OKC. Last time I was there he had a Flatiron pancake for around $500.00. I currently have a Flatiron 2MW For Sale, but I think I want a little more than what you want to spend.

[AlanN]

I've got a 30's Recording King for sale at $500. In fine shape and fine sounding.