Which One?

[ADH]

I've been playing bluegrass mandolin for a little while and was wanting to upgrade from my Johnson A. I was wondering which F-style mandolin would be the best deal in the $1500-$2500 range. I can get a mint 1998 Ratliff for $2200, but have seen some Flatirons and F-9 for less. Tone is the most important, but looks are nice too. Any ideas?

[pickinNgrinnin]

Flatiron Festival F - Nashville made. Best buy among USA built F styles in this price range. Probably can find one for around $1,900 used. Same mando as the Gibson F5-G. Check the prices on used or new F5-G's! Graduated to Loar specs - lots of mojo http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Ted Eschliman]

I spent a lot of time with this Gibson F9 (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=10715&query=retrieval) listed in the Classifieds.
It's a steal at that price. It's there, it's got the tone; grab it!
(no financial interest...)

[grandmainger]

I spent a lot of time with this Gibson F9 (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=10715&query=retrieval) listed in the Classifieds.
It's a steal at that price. It's there, it's got the tone; grab it!
(no financial interest...)
Or stretch to $2,600 and grab the Gibson F5G (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=10819&query=retrieval) also in the classifieds. (again, no financial interest...)

[Tim Saxton]

Be diffrent and buy the Ratliff

Tim

[tiltman]

I played and F-9 for almost 2 years and loved it.
Charles Johnson (Mandolin World) now has it for sale.
no financial interest... I just know that mandolin and it's a nice one!
Kirk

[Lee]

Well ADH, in your own words you admit that tone is most important. Dump the scroll and find a really excellent A-style or a two-pointer.

Right on Lee!.......

[doc holiday]

As a former varnish F owner and a person waiting on another F...if you are stretching $$$$$ and tone is your concern...don't overlook the Collings MT the tone is astonishing....and you've heard all about the Collings playability and finish...Even when my new Heiden arrives I won't part with mine!
Doc

[jimbob]

I've seen some pretty interesting looking Weber Yellowstones lately... just over $ 2K....can't go wrong with a Yellowstone..

[pdlstl]

Flatiron Festival F - Nashville made. Best buy among USA built F styles in this price range. Probably can find one for around $1,900 used. Same mando as the Gibson F5-G. Check the prices on used or new F5-G's! Graduated to Loar specs - lots of mojo http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

You won't go wrong with this!

[mandoryan]

I just picked up a 2001 Nashville Flatiron Festival from Elderly for $1850. I'm pretty excited about it. I was real close to getting an F5G, but thought the extra grand could be spent elsewhere. I'll let you all know how it is when it gets here on Monday.

[dasspunk]

I'd check out the Ratliff...

[ADH]

Thanks to everyone who have posted so far, you've given me alot to think about. I plan on keeping the mandolin I choose forever. #But if I would sell it somewhere down the line, how would the Ratliff hold its value. #Is $2200 a good deal?

[dasspunk]

Considering that new Ratliffs are getting closer to $3k and up, I'd think you'd be fine...

But since you've said "keep it forever..." out loud, you're now cursed... you knew that right?

Check out the new Moon Beam Mandolins (http://www.moonbeammandolins.com)! #I drove to visit Glenn (http://www.moonbeammandolins.com/contactus.html) a few weeks ago and his work has taken a quantum leap in the last year. #Really consistent, loud and uniformed. #In your price range it is the best buy IMHO. #Plus they are just getting started full time and you can't beat the ground level for resale value!

[Moose]

Yeah!! - (in)famous "last words"... "I'll keep it forever". hee.. hee.. (Seriously.., good luck ; so many mandolins, so little time. Not to even mention the$$$$$ factor!!). http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Tim333]

Why not include the Summit F100? Seems like a quality instrument that should merit consideration. I am considering this one and any info from experienced users would be helpful.

[mandoryan]

I just got my Nashville Flatiron Festival and it's a monster tone-wise. It is a great value for the close to 2 grand range. Same as the f5g and a great player all around. Just my 2 cents.

[mandoJeremy]

I have to say that most of the used Ratliff's I have seen go for around $1,800.00 or $1,900.00 so I don't think I would give $2,200.00 for one. #I sold one at the store I used to work at for $1,850.00.

[Scotti Adams]

Ratliff

[spud]

Man "O" Man...people around Indy area have been having some
major MAS..
Mandoryan just got a Flatiron Festival F...this instument is just flat out NICE..has everything you want in a mando
Another guy has took up mando this summer and he just got a
F-9 that has great sound and plays great...he wont need to get another mando for the rest of his days
Last winter a feller in town picked up a ratliff R-5, that is pretty nice!
You can't go wrong with any of these instruments..the builders are really putting some sound in these mandos

The Flation has it over the other two..but it ain't by much!

------------
Boyd

[mandoryan]

Thanks spud...er Boyd.

The best of the whole bunch though, is that Randy Wood that you play.....and you know it! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Those Flatirons are good though!

[Ken Berner]

Two Montana-built Flatirons can be found at www.cmcpeake.com and the prices seem to be fair enough. Mr. Curtis McPeake has a '91 A5 (X-braced, Bruce Weber) and a '88 Performer A (tone bars, Steve Carlson). I have no monetary interest in the sale of these instruments; just making them known to all.

[jim simpson]

I haven't played an F-9 yet that impressed me, I had a Ratliff R-5 - nice finish and details, good clear high end but lacked in the lower registers. I have liked most of the Flatirons that I've played and would have considered any of them candidates. I haven't played a bad Gibson F5-G yet either. In '93 I made my sojourn to Mandolin Bros. The best sounding mandolins from my visit were the Flatirons!

[sgarrity]

I vote for the Ratliff. #I got one a few months ago. #The fit and finish is close to perfect, not to mention mine has a beautiful one piece back. #As far as sound is concerned, the jury is still out. #This one had been sitting in a music store unplayed for about 3-4 years. #It is starting to open up some, but I think it's going to take a while for it to reach its full potential. #I too have yet to play an F9 that impressed me. #I live about a block from our local Guitar Center and they have one there Ive played quite a bit. #Sounds kinda thin to me and the fit and finish isn't even close to the Ratliff. #New Ratliffs are around the $3000 mark. #So I don't think that $2000-2200 is too far off base for a used one. #Shaun

[bluegrassjack2]

I heard Audey Ratlif play his on stage last week end at Sevierville, Tn. Man it sounded good. Dont know if all his mandolins sound as good, but the one he was playing sure did.

[Jaded]

I love my 2002 Ratliff. I picked it up for $1700 used, but it does have some significant finish cracks. I think 2200 might be a bit on the high side for a mint one...maybe closer to 2000 if it's truely mint. These seemed regularly go for 2100 - 2200 when the used mando market was hot, but more typically sell for 1800 - 2000 in the current cooler market.

I have played three...mine, one my friend owns and one a dealer had at a festival. Mine and my friends are great and unique sounding mandolins, the third one was a bit of a dud, but that might have been due to sitting around not being played.

A couple of nice things about the Ratliff's...they don't have the fretboard extension, so no extra cost to get rid of it later and the note on the very last fret is just as strong as the note in the first fret.

[Danny]

I just came back from seeing my son off to Japan, and in the process I hit 3 music stores along the way. I finally played a Michael kelly (glad I did, I'll stick with my FM63!!), 2 Eastmans (I'm impressed!!), another F9 ( much better than the last one!!!), and finally a 1998, signed Bruce Weber Flatiron. Overall the F9 and the Flatiron were really nice sounding mando's. The Flatiron also had a pickup in the bridge, which was a nice add on feature. They were asking $2300. for the flatiron, and I was wondering if that was a little high for that year & model? By the way my little excursion was about a 700 mile round trip, but well worth the effort to sample all the mando's I came across. If I was just jumping into getting a midline mandolin, I would definetly get an Eastman F style. Now all I have to do is decide quickly on the Flatiron, which is about 250 miles away, one way! Later.
Danny:

[pickinNgrinnin]

Bruce Weber left his association with Gibson and Flatiron in 1996 so I would be surprised if the Flatiron was a 98. I assume it is an F style? They made Performer, Festival, F5, Artist, Master models in F style. Do you know which one it was?

[saznpins]

There are several (more than usual?) Flatirons in the classifieds right now, I picked up one of the Performers. I'd been wanting one for quite a while. I've never heard or played a Montana Flatiron that I didn't like http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif