Epiphone mm50

[Jim R]

I am thinking of buying an Epiphone mm50 mandolin, upgrading from an Epiphone MM20EK which is an A style made of mahogany (Sides,back and neck)
I am wondering if anyone is currently playing an MM50 and what they think of it.
I have heard the production has moved from Korea to China and from what i have read this was a good move.
There is also a question of construction.
I have seen in different sites the mm50 advertised with a maple neck, back and sides but also with a maple neck and mahogany back and sides.
My mm20 seems to play ok, but I recently test drove a Breedlove Quartz KF and found a huge difference in sound.
I cannot justify the dough for a Breedlove but can for another Epiphone if the mm50 will give better results.
Any opinions?
Jim R

[Troyer]

I have a mm50 that was made in korea. It has a solid top and back. After it was upgraded with ebony bridge and bone nut it sounds pretty good. I did have to spend extra money to get it to sound that good but it was worth it.

[earthsave]

I'd keep saving your money for an upgrade. Considering what the MM50 goes for you should be about half way there. When you get around $1k, see if you can find yourself a used A9, Flatiron A, or other nice solid wood A style. If you need a scroll, keep saving, playing, and your eyes open for a used F9.

If your current mandolin is playable, learn all you can on it and keep it as a beater.

[newbreedbrian]

i've got one. i'd recommend not bothering. for a few hundred dollars more i got an A style that sounds leaps and bounds better. the tone is really thin on all the ones i've played

[Celtic Saguaro]

I kind of like the Epiphone A-styles for the money. #But, I'm not at all impressed with any of the Epiphone F-styles. #Everyone I've tried has sounded dull and lifeless. #The cheapest F-styles of any value would be one of the lower priced MKs, or the Fender FM-63S which to be honest sounds like an A-style. If you can live without a scroll you can get much better value than those for the same money with an A-Style Eastman.

[spoefish]

I have a Korean MM50, and actually find it to be pretty good. #My other mandolins are a maple Weber Hyalite, an Arches A style, and an Eastman 604 (for comparison). #The Epiphone is not as good as any of these, but on the other hand at $350 in new condition with a TKL hardshell case and pro setup it is fine as a picnic and travel mandolin. #There seem to be a lot of different versions - mine is one with solid top and back, not much figure, ebony fingerboard and bridge with fairly fancy inlays in the fingerboard. #I would never have bought it without a chance to play and hear it. #In this case, it turned out to play very easy and sound quite good. #No complaints for the money. #But I have the impression that this is not the case with all of them.

Stephen

[Cary Fagan]

I have an MM50 that i use as a travel mando. It's Chinese made and I suspect the Korean ones are better. The Chinese ones have a larger than normal headstock that unbalances it. I quite enjoy it when I'm travelling but it is thin and has no volume to speak of. I agree with the others. Save your money and go for something better. Look for an Eastman 505 or 605 if you something else is out of your range. If you buy the MM50 you'll eventually want something better (sooner rather than later) and it'll end up costing you more.

[Eric F.]

I played a new MM50 the other day. It did not sound like a mandolin. Muddy and thin at the same time, with little volume. I can't say anything nice about it other than it was easy to play and the back was pretty. I own and have owned some nice instruments, but I'm not a mando snob. I've got a Chinese-made Kentucky 250, a Japanese Kentucky 1000 and a Harmony tenor guitar in the living room right now. So, I'm open to something not being crafted by elves in a small shop in an enchanted forest somewhere. But I wouldn't have paid $5 for that Epiphone. That's not to say there can't be nice ones. But I'd be sure to try it out before buying. For roughly $500, you're getting close to some nice used A styles, any one of which would be a much more satisfying ownership experience than that Epi I played.

[Jim R]

Thanks for the advice. It seems the "general" concensus is that waiting until I can justify a better mandolin is a better idea. Like I said im my original message I played a Breedlove Quartz KF and loved it. It is not so far beyond my price range but more, at this point and time, beyond my ability.
For what it is worth I am a converting ....banjo player.
I am trying to avoid MAS.

[newbreedbrian]

I am trying to avoid MAS.
silly mortal. you're definately in the wrong place http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Eric F.]

Jim, a Quartz KF went on eBay the other day for $750. I have seen the OFs go for $650. That's not too far off from the $500 Epiphone, really. As far as your playing ability being worthy of it, I'd say that you should have as nice an instrument as you can comfortably afford. A good instrument will make you want to play more. At least that's the way I rationalize it!

[lindensensei]

If you can get someone to part with the Epiphone MM70 - the old Japanese version - I'd snap that up quick. They scream after you remove the finish and I find myself playing mine more than my Fern. It's the only thing I take on concert tours.

[flairbzzt]

I've played the Korean and Chinese versions at the same dealer around the transition time and the Korean was far better. The Chines made headstock was too large and it had nothing to offer on tone or construction. I took the Korean model kome for a short time before Eastman hit the scene.

[VictorLouis]

I had a chance to play that model Epiphone against an Orpheum, Sigma, and the Fender FM63. IMHO, they all appear to be the SAME Korean-made mando, right down to the same faux-pearl fret-board inlays. The one difference was the shape of the Fender's head-stock.

The Fender smoked the others in volume and tone. I don't know HOW the Epiphone and Orpheum could justify their much higher retail price points. The Sigma(Martin-Japan) was used, and probably came in a second choice to the Fender that day.

[otterly2k]

If it's the Breedlove that spoke to you... you may want to just wait and save up for one... the Quartz OF's come up fairly regularly and while the K's are cool looking, they don't generally sound different than the O's. It'll be worth it and far more gratifying to go after the one you love rather than one that you can "justify"...