Just want to make sure I'm making a good descision. [Archive]

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InsertNameHere

Dec-11-2008, 9:55pm

Payit Forward

Dec-11-2008, 10:22pm

It's a good choice for a starter. You could not do better for $225. It will not have the best tone or volume in the world - for that you'd have to spend an extra $300 to $25000, depending on who you ask. But it should do you well. Elderly does a good job setting them up.

jim_n_virginia

Dec-11-2008, 10:28pm

Yeah it's a good starter mandolin but you better start saving while you learn on this one because if you are like 99% of us you WILL want to upgrade soon!

And save this mandolin because when you get your next upgrade mandolin you will want to have a beater mandolin to take camping, trips, beach etc so you don't mess up your good mandolin!

:mandosmiley:

InsertNameHere

Dec-11-2008, 10:38pm

Oh, I don't think I'd upgrade for some time.

See, I'm a guitarist in a noise-rock band, I just have a fondness for the mandolin and I'd like to tinker around on one. Maybe it's the fact that my friend plays banjo and I'd like to explore bluegrass a bit with him or the fact that my family's Italian and I'd love to learn some traditional tremolo-picking Italian songs.

JEStanek

Dec-12-2008, 6:41am

It's an excellent starter and Elderly does a proper set up. Enjoy it and Welcome to the Mandolin Café. We're here to help.

Jamie

Tim2723

Dec-12-2008, 9:02am

Yup, go ahead and get it. Good starter, will do all the things you're talking about, and Elderly is a respected dealer.

Welcome to the Cafe!

PhilTod

Dec-12-2008, 9:40am

Used to work part time in an acoustic shop. We sold the Kentucky entry level mandolins (I set a number of them up!) and they really are pretty decent mandos. Getting a proper setup is a real plus.

Steve Ostrander

Dec-12-2008, 9:43am

Tinkering...yeah...that's where it starts.

InsertNameHere

Dec-12-2008, 11:18am

Tinkering...yeah...that's where it starts.

Haha, my point is, I already have commitments and stuff to other kinds of music and I don't really need a great mandolin I'm going to play gigs with.

I just need something that's playable, won't break on me, and sounds somewhat decent to my ears.

Ken_P

Dec-12-2008, 11:30am

My first mandolin was a Kentucky KM150S, ordered from Elderly. I played it all through college (including a couple on campus gigs), and was always happy with it.

Andy Miller

Dec-13-2008, 6:07pm

Learning a new instrument is a great decision! As for the starter mando, yeah, get it set up so it plays/stays in tune and plays easily and do your best to coax a nice sound out of it. I love good instruments and hope I get to keep adding to my collection, but I've been shocked on numerous occasions by the good sounds a good player can get out of a cheesy instrument.

earthsave

Dec-14-2008, 8:19am

I'm one of those guitar players that wants to pick up mandolin as well, so I'm looking at something decent but not terribly expensive.

I think I'm going to pick up a Kentucky KM150S, from Elderly Instruments.

It's 225 there, plus it says they do a setup on it for you so it's playable. From what I've heard they do a pretty good job with this.

Is this is a good mandolin to start with and am I going to get something playable from this company?

That exactly what I did for my nephew many years ago just after they moved production to China. He is still getting good use of it and it has served him well. It arrived setup from Elderly very playable. Not the best sounding instrument, but a good deal for the price and excellent to start on. I paid about the same about 7 or so years ago.

jim_n_virginia

Dec-14-2008, 1:11pm

Oh, I don't think I'd upgrade for some time.
.

ummm now where have I heard this statement before :))

I warn you ... mandolins are addictive. Two weeks after you get your mandolin you will start dreaming of scrolls! :grin:

Rob Gerety

Dec-18-2008, 2:01pm

Like you I am a guitar player just now taking up mando. Be forewarned - you think you won't really do much with it - just tinker around a bit - NOT. You are going to love it. All the skills you have from playing guitar will transfer over and you'll be playing the thing at an intermediate level in about 2 weeks. You won't be able to put it down it is soooo much fun to play. I hate to be a wet blanket - BUT - consider a used mando - maybe a low level Eastman A style. You will pay only a little more - but when the MAS starts setting in you won't take quite as bad a hit. Just a thought. The Kentucky is fine - for now - and at $250 or whatever you can't lose too much when you trade up I suppose.

Jason Renzi

Dec-22-2008, 12:36pm

i bought a savannah SA-100 last month, had a really good luthier set it up for me, and i could not be happier with it...
it plays and sounds unbelievable...
it was only 80 bucks and for a beginner like me it is absolutely perfect...
i wanted to buy a more expensive one, but a friend recommended i get a cheap one to find out if i would really catch the bug or not...(i did, i haven't stopped playing in it since)...

anyway, my largely ignorant beginner's advice is to buy a cheap one, but make double sure to get it set up by a very knowledgeable technician...

Caleb

Dec-22-2008, 5:17pm

Tinkering...yeah...that's where it starts.

My thoughts exactly! Tinkering one day, obsession the next. :))

On topic: The Kentucky is a very decent instrument that will serve you well. In a perfect situation it would be great to be able to play several of them side-by-side and pick out the best one, but when buying online it's just not possible.

Someone mentioned saving up for a used Eastman. I actually own an Eastman 505, but I used to own a Kentucky 350S, which is basically the KM150 with a fretboard extension and a bit of inlay. The Kentucky sounded better than the Eastman. It was louder and had a much better woody tone. It had neck issues, since it was a repair-job instrument, so I sold it to someone as their travel mando, but I still miss the sound it had.