Whats the difference!

[newmando7]

Ok so I have played the mandolin for about four months and I am hooked.I like my mando ok but after I get better and deserve a new one in about a year or so I am going to be willing to spend more.So lets see my main question is what is the difference between spending 1000$ 2000$ & 5000$.What do you get for the difference in price.I currently own a kentucky 250 which I do like but have noticed flaws and also have had some g string seventh fret problems!.

[August Watters]

Good one, we argue about this one almost constantly! # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #Here's my take on it:

$1000-1200 will get you into the near-professional category. Rigel, Breedlove, Weber and Gibson have good A-styles here. Most casual players won't outgrow these quickly, if at all.

$1600 to $2000 will get you better tone and workmanship. Some of the A models in this price range have excellent tone, arguably as good as anything else. You can begin to get into the individual builders in this price range.

$5000 gets you into another category altogether. Most people don't need to spend this much, but there are refinements the best builders are using that make these instruments worth the price to good players:
1) superior playability: the ability to get all the sound with a minimum of hand pressure;
2) transparent tonal characteristics: rather than always responding with the same type of tone, better instruments are more sensitive to different picking styles, and therefore have a wider tonal range;
3) further refinements in tone and projection.

Of course, many of the characteristics that set more expensive instruments apart can be found in lower price ranges too (often by lesser-known builders). And spending more money is no guarantee of getting a better instrument either! #Then there's the issue of reputation of the builder: this drives prices as much as quality of instrument, and more so as the price tags go higher.

My best advice: play lots of different instruments to get a feel for how they sound and feel (bluegrass festivals are great for this), and spend whatever you can afford. If an instrument sounds good and responds well under your fingers, you probably don't need a more expensive one!

August W
http://www.galleryofstrings.com

[Stillpicking]

Don't discount the import mandos, I know ! I know! this will open up our same old debate here but really there are a few import mandos in the $700 dollar range that are at least worth checking out . Some are now being offered in established music stores/shops such as Elderly. Some of these have a return policy so that if you can't get to the store location you can still try one out, not as good as comparing model to model in real time but your also are not spending $3000. I have purchased 3 mandolins and a USA made guitar without trying any of them out all internet/mail order.
I like all of them for different reasons.
Good luck the search is part of the fun!

[jbrwky]

Always buy the very best you can afford. You'll never be disappointed that way.

[newmando7]

Well thank you all for the info!.I think that I may travel the four hours to tumalo,OR and take a tour of Breedlove before I make any kind of decisions.I was at my local shop and was able to put a Breedlove K-style in my hands and also a Gibson it was funny the breedlove was louder!.It is really weird to feel the difference between my Kentucky 250 and those other brands,when those others were in my hands they felt like they were real and mine was a fake!.

[jlb]

I recently tried a Breedlove mando for the first time (KF), and was also shocked at how dang loud the thing was. It also had a boomy, woody chop I was totally not expecting. And a loud biting tone on the unwound courses. I wasn't altogether impressed by the wound courses' tone, but it wasn't horrible.

Strange thing was I found it kind of awkard to pick right-hand-wise. Sometimes I'd miss the strings! I wonder if these have a different neck angle or something.

Anyway, MAS is evil. I wish I never played that thing because now I want it. But it sure is wierd looking!

[newmando7]

Well I do belive the reason you might have missed the strings is that they are farther apart than your normal mando,the frets are also oversized.And I agree it was very loud which I personaly think is important!. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[ira]

hey breedlove or other mando- fat frets, wide neck and radiused fret board- mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so good!