Ephiphone mm-50

[Soupy1957]

I realize we bout beat this bad boy to death, but is the Epiphone MM-50 all THAT bad gang?
I realize it's not a hand-made personal Luthiers' Mando, and it's not a Gibson, and all that.
Let's get real.....can it do the job? Does it have the reputation of holding tune.....
I gotta believe that there is a certain amount of design sharing ideas passing between the Gibson Designers cubicles and the Epiphone gang, just because they share the same bed. Don't you think so?
It's probably cheaper wood, and of course "machine made" -vs- hand made and those types of things, that keep the price where it is.
Ultimately, I just want it to hold up is all, and I'm sorry to beat this thing to death, but I'd love to get a few comments that are objective instead of biased.
Leave the high dollar Gibsons to the pros who deserve to own them. They've got the right.
-Soupy1957

(meanwhile, I still love my MK)

[jefflester]

Soupy - why do you keep posting Epiphone questions in the "Equipment" topic?

[Michael H Geimer]

My old MM-50 played nicely, and held its tuning. Past that it was a dog with too little volume to be practical in an acoustic setting.

It might make an allright mandolin for plugged in performance if a pick-up were installed.

I don't think Gibson and Epiphone products have anything at all in common, construction-wise.

OTOH: I played some of the new Epiphone Masterbuilt guitars and those really impressed me!

- Benig

[mandroid]

in case youre lost, Directions :> looking for information about ... is where this should go.

[Soupy1957]

JeffLester & Mandroid: Sorry gang, obviously I'm in the wrong house.....please forgive. Guess my logic was that a Mandolin is a piece of equipment.

-Soupy1957

[Chris Biorkman]

I have owned an Epiphone MM-50 and a Gibson F5-G, and since I no longer own either instrument, I feel I am qualified to give an objective opinion. I don't think that Gibson's ownership of the Epiphone brand has any bearing on the quality of Epiphone mandolins. They are really two different animals in terms of quality and sound. This is not to say that Epiphone mandolins don't have a legitimate place in the market. I'm just saying that you can't really compare the two. The Epiphone I had sounded very tinny, seemed to be sloppily put together, and wouldn't stay in tune for five minutes, whereas the Gibson was a quality instrument in every sense of the word.

Hope this helps.

[Bill Snyder]

Soupy I understand your logic in posting in the Equipment section, but if you look at the description of what topics go with equipment it says:
"Strings, picks, tuners, amps, cases, tailpieces, mics, and other equipment related discussions."
Generally questions about a particular mandolin are posted in the Looking For Information section.

Now back to your question it would seem that you won't be satified until someone tells you to purchase one so I will. Soupy I would suggest that you get an Epiphone MM-50. It might not be any better than your MK, it might not even be as good, but golly gee Soupy, Gibson gets their share of the pie on its purchase. #
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Soupy1957]

Bill,
As an Inspector in my real life, when I look at something, I see it with technical eyes that look at everything from the point of view of a "tool" (ergo: equipment). It is in that thought process that I posted the Epi question here.
I could ask the average user, who never gave much thought to construction, (wood, metal, ribbing,glue,hinges,etc)but I much prefer asking a question about the integrity of the instrument in an equipment room because YOU folks are more into the "pieces" and the "building" of the instrument, and it is the integrity of the Epi that I am wondering about.
If this were strickly about the sound, ("pretty" or not), or about the cosmetics ("colors") then I would agree that I should not have brought up a "brand" question in this section.
If I want Luthiers' perspectives, I come in here, and that was the reason I posted the question in this section. Ok?
As per your comment about being "satisfied:" I believe that the Epi is no more or less in construction than most other mid-range or mid-low-range (however you choose to look at it), than the others in its grouping. But I knew that you "builders" out there could set me straight on the "wood" and the "metal" and so forth, from the builders point of view.
After having taken the time to listen to some of the audio files that Mandozine has for the Lloyd Loar, (discussion groups that disect the instrument) I was amazed at how intricate the details were concerning the components of the Lloyd Loar version of a Gibson. I doubt that anyone who is just a "player" would have much interest in the details discussed there, but certainly from a technical standpoint it was heaven.
All of my questions concerning Mandolins should be considered from the point of view that I am intending to work towards building my own, and am gleaning a ton of ideas through discussing a variety of models, both "cheap and expensive" and trying to see what I think is worth incorporating into my own design, and how I can keep the cost down for the consumer.
Any good builder or future builder (such as is my case), would take into consideration all details. I don't believe a "good builder" is one who only studies the Master models. Sure, they got it right in many ways, but what says a Master model can't be inexpensive too?!
Again, I apologize if my question seemed to be inappropriately placed in this section, but I'd like to think we can move on, and get back to the details.
With Respect,
-Soupy1957

[Soupy1957]

Next you're gonna tell me that I should put my question into the "Builders" section, eh?!
-Soupy1957
(Touchette)

[jim_n_virginia]

Soupy an Epiphone is good for a beginner mandolin. With a good set up some of them can be playable and there are some who like there MM-50's. But in an unplugged jam session you would not be heard.

Oh yeah.. you posted this in the wrong section! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

... sorry couldn't resist! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Soupy1957]

<soupy makes an Archie Bunker (remember him?) "Rasberry" at jim_n_Virginia (lol)
-Soupy1957

[Steve L]

I work in a small music store and see a fair amount of Epiphone solid body guitars, which are much less demanding to make than mandolins. The quality differences between a Gibson Les Paul model and an Epiphone are mind boggling. #I've never played an Epi mando, but I've played Fenders and Washburns and I don't imagine there are Korean or Chinese factory workers trying to channel Orville Gibson's spirit to inform their workmanship. #I think anyone aspiring to hand build mandolins who is studying these types of instruments for ideas should be prepared for a lot of time on his hands in terms of customer demand.

A Pac Rim instrument is a reasonable affordable choice for an entry level axe, but in my opinion, there's no relationship in quality between Gibson and Epiphone since the 1960s