Opinions on DECENT low cost mandolins

[Barbara Shultz]

My fellow band member is also a music teacher. She's got a flute student who wants to start taking mandolin lessons. She said that he will probably be looking for as inexpensive of a mandolin as possible, to start with, I guess until he decides whether it's something he's going to pursue.

I told her I'd look at the cafe classifieds, to see what was available, but I thought I'd try to get some opinions on decent low cost beginner mandolins, from you guys!

Just guessing on what $$ amount we're talking about... I'd say in the $300 and under range!

I lucked into a used Mid-Missouri Mini Mo MM-8 model this summer, I was traveling, and stopped at the Mountain Music Shoppe outside of Kansas City, KS. Came with a soft gig bag, and I paid $230 for it. I bought it for a travel mandolin, but wouldn't hesitate to play it at a gig.... it's a great little mando!

I realize that all instruments are subject to needing to be set up, action changes and such...

Barb

[JEStanek]

Kentucky KM150S is a great starter. All solid woods well made. Even better if you can get them used. Many of our Café sponsors sell this model. I wouldn't hesitate in buying one of those as a starter (they are ~$225 set up and shipped from various dealers).

They will, of course, require a set up and new strings out of the box.

Used Mid Mo's are great if you can find them but finding one for $300 nowadays is pretty rare.

Jamie

[GRW3]

My local dealer, Guitar Tex in San Antonio, has my original mando, a Mid Mo M-0 (mahogany-spruce), for sale. I bought it new and it's now looking for it's third owner. It's in the price range you quote.

Besides the mentioned Kentuckys I've played a PacRim model labeled Montana that was OK. The biggest thing is the setup. Most box stores it's wrong from a little to a lot.

[John Rosett]

I had a Kentucky KM-172 oval hole that was not only under $300, but sounded good and was really playable. I would bet that the comparable F-hole model was just as good.

[billkilpatrick]

saw a cartoon once showing a group of hunters sitting around a campfire eating baked beans from cans - all except one defiant looking hunter who sat apart from the others with his arms folded across his chest in front of an unopened can. indicting the lone hunter behind him, one of the guys sitting around the fire leans to the guy next to him and say "most impressive case of brand loyalty i've ever seen."

excluding postal fees, my epiphone mm-30 cost me €100.00. i like it for its laid-back, woody tone. i would hesitate to call my mid-missouri m-4 a "low cost" mandolin but if used, i suppose it would qualify.

of the two ... i would suggest you tell your band member to tell her student that the mid-missouri is the way to go - not only for its superior sound quality but also for its wider, easier-to-learn-on fretboard.

there are probably hundreds of miles between where you are in iowa and rocheport, missouri but some weekend or other you might consider jumping on your harley - "... hair hanging northwards as she travels south ..." - and ride down to see mike dulac at big-muddy (née: mid-missouri). as a newbie, one of the reasons i took to the mandolin so readily was because i knew where mine came from and was able to talk to the man who made it ... "bonding" i think it's called.

- bill
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[catmandu2]

Just scored a new Kentucky KM-174 on ebay for under $200 (including shipping and HSC) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130250747860&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123 . Good-sounding mando, exceptional for the price. I'd say "best" deal for the money.

[John Flynn]

Barbara:

Nice bouzouki! :cool:

I agree with the Mid-Missouri recommendation. I used to recommend Kentucky's also, but the new ones I've been playing in the stores have been disappointing, IMHO. If you could find an old Japanese-made one, it would be good, but I have seen them going for $400 - $500. There are lots of good used deals out there, which is where I would go with $300 to spend. I got a used Parsons flat-top a few years ago for $250 that dollar for dollar is the best money I have ever spent on an instrument by far. I will never sell it.

[Capt. E]

In general I would agree about Kentucky mandolins, but I would pay a bit more and get a model 505 It could carry your student a very long way. The Mid-Missouri (now called Big Muddy Mandolins) is another good choice. Just depends what kind of music you want to play. The Kentucky would be better for bluegrass. You could probably find a used one for $300 or less. The Mid-Missouri would most probably be more.
Then again, I found a vintage Japanese made A style ("Shiro" with ff holes) on Ebay for $200 that I will probably never sell. Great woody sound. There are many options.

[John Flynn]

Based on specs, I would agree with the KM 505, but I got a chance to play one recently and was disappointed for the price. It could have been a bad set-up, which happens in stores, but there were no obvious issues. It sounded very thin, with no chop to speak of, what you might expect for a plywood model. Hopefully, they aren't all like that.

[catmandu2]

Luck of the draw on those, I'm sure. But I've had a few low-end ones that were all very good, especially for the dough. Ask Steve Perry. Re: new MIC vs vint. MIJ and MIK, the production of those made in China right now are among the best I've seen from the Kentucky line.