Savannah SA 120 NA mandolin?

[Cape Cod Struggler]

I am thinking about purchasing a used Savannah SA 120 NA as a starter mandolin. I think it may be a lower priced Johnson sold under the Savannah brand name. The instrument does have a nice low action but beyond that I know nothing about the instrument.

What can you tell me about it - quality, value or original price? Would I be better off buying a new Kentucky KM 150 or 172 series mandolin?

[JEStanek]

I had a Johnson MA120 (A style all solid wood 15 frets to neck join) for about 3 weeks. It was a replacement from a weird Folk of the Wood deal that I ultimately sold to a guy using it for a school mandolin orchestra. It was a nice little mandolin, good volume, good sound. The tuners held and it intonated and retailed new at about $200 about 3 years ago. It would be a nice starter instrument. The Kentucky line has been improved since then so it might be nice to compare the two.

If you're talking about a specific instrument, in hand, that plays comfortably and intonates well, that's all you need for a good starter instrument!

Jamie