!Mandolin dillema

[sandcastlefaith]

Hi, I've never posted here, and I don't know if anyone will bother reading this, but I thought I'd give it a try. I'm 15 years old, and have been playing mandolin for about 10 months. I don't know how to describe my ability level, but well . . . this is going to sound ignorant, but I'm probably about as good as Chris Thile was when he released Leading Off. I can play almost every song on Stealing Second up to speed, except for Stealing Second, and of course Ryno's Lament, as it is played on bouzouki. Anyways, I currently own two mandolins: an Epiphone MM-20 which I absolutely love, it has an extremeley low action, and feels terrific; and a Dean electric F-Style that retails for 795. I don't really like the way my Dean plays, but it is absolutely beautiful looking. I really want to get a Gibson F9, but I'm not sure if I can afford one. I've seen them on eBay for about 1500. If I can't get one of those though, I would happily settle for an A9 instead. I really would like something that I can be proud of cosmetically, as well as fall in love with the feel of it, like I have with my Epiphone. If I could combine the feel of my epiphone with the look of my dean, I would be set, but unfortunately that's impossible. I am very willing to sell the Dean if I could find another mandolin to replace that plays like my Epiphone, but is cosmetically just a little bit better. Thanks in advance for anyone who takes the time to read this, and special thanks to anyone who responds.

[peterbc]

Are there any good mandolin shops near you? I think that's by far the best way to go, since mandos vary so much. I've played some good F-9's and some bad ones, and the only real way to tell is if you can play one yourself. And I know some peoples priorities are different, but I go for how it plays/sounds and if it looks good, that's a nice bonus.

One last thing: have you tried lowering the action on the Dean? I'm not sure how experienced you are but if the problem is that the action is too high you can probably lower the bridge a bit by fiddling with the thumb wheels (after lowering the string tension, of course!)

Peter

[sandcastlefaith]

Hi, thanks for the reply! First of all, I live in a tiny town in Western New York, and there are hardly any music shops around, much less mandolin shops, so my only option is internet. Secondly, I have lowered the action significantly since I first received the mandolin, and the improvement was minor. I think maybe I could shave the bridge down and lower it even more, but it seems that the problem is in the neck. Sometime I'd like to experiment with radiused fretboards. Do you have any experience with these, or know of any reasonably priced mandolins that have them?

[John Flynn]

The Rigel A Natural has a great radiused fretboard. They are about $1200 new, but there is one used on the Folk of the Wood site for $800. Also, three of the Michael Kelly models have radiused boards and are in about the same price range new as the used Rigel. Many people on the site here really like them. Any of the above should be a big step up from the Dean.

You also should consider having a full set up done by a good mandolin luthier on any mando you play, even a new one. It will run about $50 - $100, but it is well worth it. If you had that done on your Dean, it would probably seem almost like a new mando. If there is not a mando luthier near you, there are places you can ship it off to have it done.

[August Watters]

Sounds like you're ready for an upgrade! The short list in your price range:
Breedlove
Weber
Gibson A9
Rigel A+

Once you get used to them, any one of these will probably give you way more tone and expression than you're used to! If I was you, I'd buy any of these in the just-over-$1000 range, and save my money for the next step up, later on.

Good Luck.

August W

[sandcastlefaith]

Mando Johnny - Both the Rigel's and the Michael Kelly's look nice! #Have you played either or both? #How do they play? #I like a really low action with a sleek and smooth neck . . . so far I'm pretty interested in the MK Dragonfly. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. #Thanks.

[stringburner]

SCF, do you have any soundfiles, I would love to hear the next Chris Thile! No, I'm not being facetious! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[sandcastlefaith]

The next Chris Thile? I think not . . .that is a very ambitious goal. I don't think I have any soundfiles, but if you would like . . . I think I could get around to recorded something for you one of these days. Send me a personal message with your email or aol sn.

[John Flynn]

Mando Johnny - Both the Rigel's and the Michael Kelly's look nice! #Have you played either or both?
I have not played an MK, but many people speak highly of them as a value for the money and I am very interested in the new MK oval.

My main mando is a Rigel A+ Deluxe, which I have had for a year and a half. I play it a lot, in two performing groups and as many jams as I can get to. I love it. IMO, playability is top notch, nothing else comes close and that is my top priority. Fit and finsh were perfect from the factory. Personally, I like the modernistic design, but that is purely personal preference. It is very loud and the tone is even across the fretboard. Also, if you need a pizeo system, the one that comes installed is as good as pizeos get on a mando.

That being said, it is important to note that while the A+ can definitely hold its own in bluegrass settings, it is not really a "bluegrass mando." There are probably better choices in the $1500 - $2000 price range if you are looking solely for that dry, woody, choppy BG sound, such as the Collings MT. What I have always said about the Rigel is that it is the most versatile mando in its price range. It is the one you want if you have to play a variety of music, in a variety of settings and playability is a top priority. If you are in the under $1000 category, I would look seriously at the Rigel A Natural if you have the same priorities, or look at the MKs if you really need a good BG axe.

[Bob DeVellis]

I also think the Rigel is a good choice (although there are certainly others, as well). I think it's one of the instruments that will give you as much tone and playability as you can get at that price point. I'm pretty sure that any instrument that feels good and sounds good will come to look good to you, even if your first reaction isn't all that favorable. And the best way of impressing people is with your playing. F-styles do look way cool but you're paying money for something that isn't going to make it sound better. If you have to have an F-style, you might as well wait until you can afford one that will both look and sound great. At your present price point, that's hard to do with an F-style but within reach with an A-style. If Thile is your idol, your tastes probably run somewhat wider than just strictly bluegrass and a Rigel should work well for you. Chris, I understand, thinks pretty highly of them.

[twaaang]

You may find it helpful to go to the Rigel website and listen to the sound-clips they have done for several models. I happen to have an A-Natural which I bought a year and a half ago when I started mandolin. This is a great instrument! Twice I've been to their shop to consider upgrades (not for any rational reasons of feeling limited by my instrument), and talked myself out of it . . . these clearly were "better" instruments that I'll give in to later, say, when I no longer have to get two boys through college. If you have trouble finding an A-Natural any more, the A-Plus is fine, and the website has a testimonial from someone whose son won last year's contest at Winfield with one. Not too shabby for a little outfit up here in Vermont! My bias shows . . . but, back to where I started: if I knew anyone else who had soundclips on their website, I'd surely share it. Good luck and congratulations on feeling on a par with Chris Thile, which I'm not personally expecting for at least another year and a half!

[Tom C]

If you can play like that, you deserve a nice mando. Take mine! As far as being proud of the cosmetics -Why? I would not worry about cosmetics. Just make sure it's comfortable and you like the tone. Those seem like the 2 main reasons for wanting to get a new mando.

[sandcastlefaith]

Tom C, bobd, and twaaang: you are all right, and I shouldn't worry about the cosmetic appeal of instruments, and the feel and sound should be the only things I consider. Thanks for being my conscience! Haha . . .

[twaaang]

Please don't misunderstand, I think my A-Natural is a pretty handsome instrument, so it's not any "lack of cosmetic appeal" that has me browsing and taking up undue amounts of Peter Mix's time. Apparently the rounded sides make them hard to photograph well, so that some displays (like at Elderly's) tend to make especially the A models look amorphous and sort of dumpy, especially in the surprisingly poor light they sometimes use. --- Even though you don't have stores to browse in, I'm sure western NYS has events where you can check out instruments and get scads of other opinions. I spent my 30th birthday (never mind how long ago) at a festival in Waterloo run by Bill Knowlton who I believe still does a weekly bluegrass show on Syracuse public radio, so maybe he still runs the festival as well; regardless, spending some time at a festival where you can listen and perhaps even try out some would go a long way to helping you find what you really want. And rejoice that you're getting this done in your teens, instead of in your fifties!

[sandcastlefaith]

Do you know of any shows such as these? I am about 2 hours southwest of Buffalo, and about an hour from the Pennsylvania border. I've never heard of instrument shows like these, but then again, I've never gone looking for them either. And remember, I'm only 15, so I don't have my lisence, and I have to get someone to drive me anywhere I want to go .. ..

[DMC]

Nathaniel,

I've been surprised enough times in my life to learn that you shouldn't doubt people for no reason. So if you are as good as Chris Thile when he released Leading Off, you are already one of the best players on the planet. Good luck in your search for your new mando.

[twaaang]

Nathaniel, the "shows" I was referring to were bluegrass festivals, where the main purpose is performance but as a side benefit the spectators can see the performers off-stage, mingle with players in parking-lot sessions, etc. So by seeing actual players with their own instruments, and perhaps being allowed to play them, you'd get a better idea what it is you want. I'm many miles (and many years) from being able to help you with the western and central NYS festival scene, and I can't vouch for whether manufacturers' reps would be at any particular festival. I have an impression that the manufacturers' trade shows like NAMM and Winterfest(someone may correct me on this) are pretty exclusive. Anyway, I think you may be able to find some leads for general-public festivals elsewhere here in the Cafe. If I come across anything similar elsewhere out there on the 'net, I'll come back with it.