Upgrade shopping advice wanted

[kjskipper]

I have a lower-end F-style that has decent action and good intonation but just so-so tone and not much volume, have been playing casually for a year or so now, and am looking to upgrade. I play mostly celtic tunes, but also play a little bluegrass, jazz and other stuff. My other musical background includes many years of classical guitar, bluegrass, blues and jazz guitar, and a few years of bluegrass banjo.

I'm looking for a significant upgrade in sound quality and volume in a mandolin. Ease of play and intonation are very important as well. I would prefer an American product, although that is not of utmost importance. I do not want to go over $2000.00. Does anyone have recommendations on a good instrument based on the above?

Thanks in advance,

Ken Skipper

[Greg H.]

Ken,

The best advice I (or anyone else) could give you is to go try as many mandolins as possible and pick the one that you can't put down. In the long run what mandolin I like doesn't matter here, it's what mandolin YOU like that matters. That said, if you don't have access to a number of mandolins to try, I think in the < $2,000 price range you're likely to be better off with an A model rather than an F. If you're primarily focusing on Celtic and less on bluegrass then you may want to opt for an oval hole rather than F holes, but either type hole can work for the other style. In the $1,000-$2,000 price range there are a lot of good A models to choose from so enjoy the search.

If it were me I think I'd be looking really hard at the Old Wave in the classifieds. . . .(mind you that's an F hole mandolin so it may not be best for what you're doing) NFI.

[Eric F.]

The Collings MT is tough to pass over in this range if you want something you can go into a shop and buy.

[Bob Denton]

I spent Friday checking out a number of mandolins for a friend with the identical request but there is no easy answer.

The absolute best bang for the buck is a Kentucky solid wood mando, which one can pick up for a few hundred dollars and well under $1000. Sound was great and loud but finish was only fair to good, depending on model.

I played a number of Eastmans, and found that the 604 had the best volume and tone of the bunch, including their F Styles. All of the Eastmens were well made with nice woods and finish.

Most of the Webers are more expensive and were not $1000s of dollars better than the Kentuckys, in terms of sound.

Then there was the Stonebridge, made in the Czech Republic. A well made instrument with absolutely beautiful woods, very nice tone and volume and under $2K.

That is an instrument you would hang on to for the forseable future.

Just my 2cents worth.

[stevem]

Hi Ken,

In that price range and for where you are at, I suggest buying used. If you are like most of us, you will play it for a few years but want the freedom to move on to other mandolins. Buying used means you can sell for roughly what you paid.

I think a mandolin with either oval or F sound holes would be fine for the varied styles you describe. Try both out and see what you like better. Ovals tend to have longer sustain and a tubby, echoing sound. They are rarer in the US market. F sound holes provide more of a bluegrassy punch or chop and have less sustain.

I normally recommend going with a small, independent builder, but it's a steep learning curve to sort out who's who. If you have time, it can be worth the effort. (How to? Just read tons of old posts). If you have less time, you will not be disappointed with some larger companies, my favorite being Collings and Gibson. A used Gibson A9 will cost around $900-1250 and a used F9 will cost around $1700-2200. I don't know Collings pricing, but they are almost universally praised around here (which is a rare thing).
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ab4usa]

Ken,

There is an Old Wave in the classifieds for $1400.00. I would see if I could get it for a 48 hour check out. People who have played my Old Wave A5 have raved about it's versitility. Celtic, Jazz, Bluegrass, Classical.

[otterly2k]

There are several mandos worth considering in the Classifieds... that Old Wave is one... a Collings MT....a Rigel Q, all in the price range. And for just a little more, there are two used Phoenix mandos (a neobluegrass and a neoclassical)...
KE

[Eric F.]

Just saw the Davis in the classifieds. Ooooh, I'd hop on that one or the Old Wave if I didn't care about trying it first and could get a return option. The best answer of course is to play all you can. But it's fun to give you advice and live vicariously.

[fwoompf]

In the next few weeks I'm going to be the owner of Newell #30. His A styles are definitely within your price range and although I haven't played it yet, I am sooo excited to get it into my hands...

I'd say, poke around the builders forum and see if someone vibes with you.

[Brad Weiss]

Here's my prioritized summation of the given opinions (hence, it reflects my own opinions!)

1. Play as many as you can to see what feels and sounds right to you

2. Something used will get you a lot more bang for the buck

3. #I LOVE my Phoenix, and would strongly urge you to try one at this price- can't beat it for playability and volume at any price

4. #The Classifieds have a number of good ones currently listed worth considering (Old Wave, Rivel, Collings, - esp Phoenix)

Enjoy!

[kjskipper]

Thanks to all of you for your promp, informative responses. Unfortunately, the Tallahassee FL area is not rich with mandolins, so I will most likely be picking something out from the classifieds. I will narrow my scope to your suggestions, and your suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Ken Skipper

[tin ben dur]

Gruhns has a Capek F for 2300, a Weber from Mandolin Store, I love to look for mandolins so I will help you if you wanna new one.

[Keith Owen]

As a Newell owner (#27) I have to second a recommendation for a Newell. His A's are well within your range, and the F is just a couple hundred above your range. A great sounding mando, and a fun process.

[cooper4205]

don't forget about the old pre-gibson (or gibson montana) flatiron A-styles. really good value for the money. i'd put my A5-jr. up against just about any other A or F style in terms of volume, playability and tone quality- and i got it for way, way under your price limit of $2k.
best to play anything first before you plop down any kind of money, though. there are alot of good mandolins in that price range, IMO.

[otterly2k]

yep-- there are a lot of vintage Gibson A's in that range...you can add those to the list, and the Breedlove Cascade that was just posted in the Classifieds.

Even if you're in an area that is not mando-rich, I'd encourage you to take your time choosing your next mando... look for opportunities to play anything you can get your hands on. #If there aren't many stores by you, see if a road trip could get you some hands-on time somewhere... or look for festivals where there might be other mando players, or even ask around here if there are any players in your area you might get together with for a mando tasting. #

You can read about most of these different mandos if you use the search function of this site... which will give you some good info, but there is no substitute for actually playing them.

Good luck!
KE
ps. for what it's worth, as much as I love my Old Wave oval, the Phoenixes are just superb. YMMV, of course.