inexpensive, well mademandolin mandolins

[billkilpatrick]

i've often heard conflicting comments concerning the merits of certain "cheapies." #i wonder if it's possible to judge the merits of a mandolin - sound, good construction, etc.. - even if it doesn't have what you're looking for ... in other words, an objective as opposed to a subjective evaluation.

recitations of my "nomoreinstrumets" mantra seems to waiver in intensity when i look at a bowl back, for example. #i've found some inexpensive mandolins for sale here in italy but those who know better say it's a dud.

if it hasn't been done before, it might be useful to list those brands and models of mandolin that satisfy without costing too much - inexpensive without being cheap. #

i have an extremely cheap dud that i bought off someone on german ebay but i can't give you its name because it doesn't have one ... learned something that day, i'll tell you.

- bill

[arbarnhart]

You've seen me go on and on about my Washburn; I like it a lot. But it wasn't that brand that I zeroed in on. It was features at price then I looked at reviews once I found particular models. At the very low end, they are cutting every corner possible and you find laminated tops, bridges that don't adjust low enough, unbraced necks that aren't straight and tuners that slip. You only have to go up a level or two, still very cheap in the grand scheme of things, to get these issues resolved. If you get a solid top, straight neck with an adjustable truss rod, decent bridge and tuners, you can set it up to play easily. Steer away from ornate looking inlay and electronics at the low end because they will have to cut other corners to make up for the cost. Then it is down to sound. I went with all those features at a retailer with a good return policy. Getting a lifetime guarantee from a company that has been in business 120 years was a nice extra bonus. I thought you were already planning to get a Mid Mo - the poster child for consistent quality at a reasonable price. You get inconsistent quality at lower prices, hence the need for a good return policy and/or warranty.

[8ch(pl)]

There were a lot of laminated top instruments made in the orient some years past. I had one, an El Degas. It had a warped neck. When I upgraded to a better instrument (Korean made Samick A Style) I ran the El Degas through a bandsaw to look at the neck joint. Two 1/4 inch dowels held the neck on. There are still a lot of these bad instruments out there and they sometimes come up for sale. I looked at one that a friend bought a couple of years ago. Sunken top.

I have had the the Samick for 9 years and it is a nice instrument. I paid $340Cdn for it, new. It has a solid top and mahogany body, which I suspect is laminate. It is an SM 20 model.

You need to know what you are looking for when you buy with price in mind. I was stuck with that El Degas for 5 or so years because I couldn't afford better. My Samick is not for sale, but one like it second hand would be a fine starter instrument.

I am not sure what today's low budget Pacific Rim instruments are like, but the Samick, Washburn Aria, Alvarez, Ibanez, etc. with solid tops had some fine instruments among them.

[Ray Neuman]

I love my Washburn M1S/TS. I have played it 12 years, and it should great and has never needed anything more then playing attention. I have even considered a Burns model.

professir

[John Flynn]

i wonder if it's possible to judge the merits of a mandolin - sound, good construction, etc.. - even if it doesn't have what you're looking for ... in other words, an objective as opposed to a subjective evaluation
Yes, but you have to know what you're looking for and actually get your hands on each individual instrument to be able to do it. Also, don't discount the concept of subjective evaluation. You are not buying a commodity here, you are buying a musical instrument that you hope will bring you satisfaction playing it. Individual "bonding" with an instrument is critical to that satisfaction.


list those brands and models of mandolin that satisfy without costing too much - inexpensive without being cheap
IMHO, I don't think there is a make or model that consistently delivers high quality for a low price. You can find some "diamonds in the rough," but you may have to sift through a lot of coal to do it. Inexpensive instruments can suffer from poor quality control and bad set up. So one instrument of a given make and model may be OK, while the next one would need more than it's selling price in luthiery work to make it so.

Here are some generalizations:

> Used will tend to be a much better value than new.

> A's in general, especially flat tops, will tend to be a better value than F's.

> A cheaper mando that is well set up is better than a more expensive mando not well set up. So if you find a $100 mando and are willing to spend $100 with a luthier to have it fixed up, it will tend to be better than a $200-$300 mando.

> Always buy from somewhere where you can return it.

> Brands I would at least look at if I were in that situation would be: Mid-Missouri and Kentucky (all solid wood models) I would still budget some money for luthiery work on those brands.

NFI, but one of the Cafe' members who posts a lot, "fatt-dad" seems to have some good used choices on his website.
http://www.fatt-dad.com/

[keymandoguy]

You really have to do a lot of reseach to know what you are really getting. Samick makes and sells the same mandolin under 5 or 6 different brands. I have a Samick electric and also a Korean made Beanblossom that says by Morgan Monroe but if you really do the research it was also built at the Samick factory. I also have a 2001 Kay that was built by I think Rosa in California so get on the computer and do your research before you buy anything . http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[billkilpatrick]

what i had in mind was the negative, "subjective" feedback that might come from buying a round-back, say, for bluegrass or an f style for bach. in amongst the positive reactions i've read concerning the rogue a, for example, and some mandolins made by samick were some totally dismissive, uncompromising "nays." the reasons why weren't always stated. simply saying "it's great" or "it's terrible" isn't enough. evaluation on a scale of 1 to 10 for sound, construction, set-up, looks, etc. might be useful.

i'd also like to say that shopping from one music store to the next is simply not possible where i live. i don't know to how many of you this also applies but shops there are none ...

besides, why on earth would i want another instrument? i mean ... you know ...

[8ch(pl)]

Playing each instrument is important. When I bought the Samick, it was one of a 3 that had been ordered in. I originally went in to buy a Washburn F style at about 8 or 9 hundred. I played all 4 and settled on mine as the best sounding.. It had a cosmetic defect that I noticed in the store. The back corner of the fingerboard has been sanded down almost the thickness of the board. I bought it anyway.

I bought my Mid Missouri M-4 from ebay in June, 5 years ago. It was put away in a gigbag under the bed until Christmas. Just after the new year it developed a crack in the side, 5 or 6 inches long, running from a tailpiece woodscrew up around the base side about center of the piece. I got it repaired and have been careful with humidity since.

My Mid Missouri is a really lovely mandolin and is my primary player. I still play the Samick and keep it for a spare/loaner instrument.

It is very difficult lately here in Nova Scotia to find Mandolins for sale, even new ones.

[Jack Roberts]

I have had the the Samick for 9 years and it is a nice instrument. I paid $340Cdn for it, new. It has a solid top and mahogany body, which I suspect is laminate. It is an SM 20 model.
Just yesterday I took the old Samick oval A out, and took some fine grit sandpaper to it. After about an hour of work with progressively finer grades I found the mahogany back was actually quite pretty. The sound has always been good, and it is even better when strung with TI strings.

I have paid a lot more for mandolins than I did for the Samick, my first, but I am still quite satisfied with that purchase.

I don't think it is laminate.

[Pedal Steel Mike]

I have a mandolin by a Korean company called VENSON that I picked up for 100 dollars at the NAMM show last January. I would guess that the instrument retails for between $3 and 400. It is solid mahogany. Not a laminate.

It is not a great mandolin by any means, and can't compare with my Rigels, but it has a good neck and it doesn't sound half bad. I took it to a local store where we compared it to a Johnson, and it blew the Johnson away. I had planned to use it as a beater, but it's actually too nice to use for that purpose.

I don't know where these mandolins can be purchased, but I'd say they are definite contenders in the budget instrument league.

I don’t know how to post pictures, but I have one I can send if anybody is interested in seeing it. It looks like a very typical A model.

[Bob A]

There's an old luthier/dealer I hang out with sometimes, who bought a lzarge lot of PacRim guitars to sell. He played them all. Some were duds, some were OK, and one was top-notch, just amazingly better than the rest. According to my friend it was as good or better than any Martin he'd ever had.

Bottom line is luck plays a large role in what an instrument will sound/play like. You can load the odds in your favor by sticking with name brands, and by paying top dollar, but neither course of action will guarantee that you'll get a superior instrument, though you probably stand a better chance than going bargain basement.

Then too, no single instrument will please all players to the same degree. What sounds great to me might not fit your style of play at all.

The best way to go is with an approval period, which you will not get from ebay. I've found that with used/vintage instruments you will usually get a day or two to decide. No one will give you the option with a new instrument, unless you play it in the showroom. Most of my instruments have been purchased sight unseen, with approval privileges. Sometimes I've walked into a shop and found one that I had to have. Usually I've ended up buying it; the few times I walked away without, I've come to regret it later.

The only other alternative I've had success with is to have someone knowledgeable shop for me. The one time I tried it, I was very pleased with the mandolin I received. The ace in the hole was that the purchaser liked it so well, he'd have kept it if I didn't like it - a win-win situation.

If there's a particular type of instrument you're looking for, and/or a price range, you might advertise in the "wanted" section, or even mention it here - perchance someone will have a line on what you need.

For my part, I'd bet that a good to nearly excellent player's instrument (as opposed to a "collector's instrument") could be had for $4-800; a decent A style Gib, or a good bowlback. It might not turn up today, but a search would turn one in a month or two, I'm sure.

[Bluegrasstjej]

I don't really know what inexpensive is for you. I bought my Gold Tone for 6000 SEK (a bit less than 600 dollars) with the hard case included. It's the best mandolin I've played which didn't cost 1000 dollars or more. It has a great sound and is easy to play and it looks good. If you want cheaper, I'd recommend Washburn, it's much better than Samick but at the same price level.

[Morgan Monroe Guy]

You really have to do a lot of reseach to know what you are really getting. Samick makes and sells the same mandolin under 5 or 6 different brands. I have a Samick electric and also a Korean made Beanblossom that says by Morgan Monroe but if you really do the research it was also built at the Samick factory. I also have a 2001 Kay that was built by I think Rosa in California so get on the computer and do your research before you buy anything . http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Hey Keymandoguy,

What sort of research did you do to determine that your Bean Blossom by Morgan Monroe mandolin was made by Samick? I think your source could be off http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Mike

[fatt-dad]

I just played a $200 Kentucky KM-200S that played just fine. It was setup well, the tone wasn't half bad and would have been a great second or beginning mandolin. It was at Picker's Supply in F'burg, VA (maybe it was $250).

f-d

[8ch(pl)]

Thomas Flood has an old Dog Ear Mandolin for sale for $135. It is listed in the classifieds as Vintage Vernon Reverse Scroll. It is probably worth a look. He has had some good prices on old instruments. I think the Vernon may have been made by Regal. It was a house name that I have seen on Banjos, from the 1920's I believe.

[8ch(pl)]

The Vernon is in today reduced to $125

[8ch(pl)]

Now Thomas has listed a nice 2 point for $200. Hard to get better than that.