Top 10 Mandolins for About $1,500 or Less

[Ed Goist]

Hi All:

Over the past week or so I've done a lot of research of past threads here (and on other sites) to come up with a list of the Top 10 Mandolins for about $1,500 or Less (when purchased new). Below is what I've come up with (listed with approximate street price, low to high).

I'd love to read your thoughts, comments, other suggestions, and points of contention regarding this list.

Of course, now that I've been playing for a month or so, I'm already starting to feel the effects of MAS (even though I am still in love with my KM-172). As a result, I'm targeting the $1K to $1.5K range for my next upgrade, and that is what got me started on this project. Here's the list:

Loar LM-600-VS - $750
Kentucky KM-855 - $900
Eastman MD-515 (f hole) & MD-514 (o hole) - $1,000
Breedlove Quartz OF (f hole) & OO (o hole) - $1,000
Loar LM-700-VS - $1,050 (if you can find one)
Eastman MD-615 - $1,240
Kentucky KM-1000 - $1,400 (if you can find one)
Breedlove Quartz FF (f & o holes) - $1,500
Weber Hyalite - $1,600
Weber Gallatin-A - $1,600
Summit A-100 SA - $2,200
Collings MT-A - $2,200

Notes/Observations:
* The list includes arched-top mandolin models only.
* I find it impressive that the Loar LM-600 is often recommended for this price range even though it is only at 50% of the price limit.
* The Webers, the Summit, and the Collings are included (even though they violate the price guidelines) because they seem to be very passionately recommended in this price range as 'much better values than the mandos costing just a few hundred dollars less'.
* The most passionately supported mandolins on the list seem to be the Eastmans, The Kentucky KM-1000, the Collings, and the Summit.

Looking forward to your comments.
Thanks;
-Ed

[grassrootphilosopher]

I would be hard pressed to not put a pre WWII Strad-O-Lin at the top. They are funky, they are ugly ducklings, they are cool to the max, they are inexpensive (look at a max price of 700 USD), they sound as good as your average medium priced mando, I would never give mine up and they are vintage head turners. Go find one.

The list you posted... is okay and probably subject to individual taste and debate.

(The soundclip is from a 2006 radio show of mine, 70ies Gibson J-45, Strad-O-Lin, vocals each over an individual microphone, and I don´t know if there was any mastering of the tracks involved).

[grassrootphilosopher]

Even though I have not heard them, I have heard about "Northfield" mandos. Elderly has them and they are supposed to be good. (So everything is about taste, right)

[Sergio Saldivar]

If your list includes used mandos, Rigels A+ should be in there. They are a great value and usually sell for a little less than $1500.

[birdman98]

You might be able to land an older Flatiron A style for somewhere in your price range.

I've yet to meet one that I haven't loved.

Gibson A-9's can be very nice as well.

[Pete Martin]

You may only be considering f hole instruments, but if you also consider ovals, the plain Gibson As can be had 1500.00 and under. Some can be very good instruments.

[mrmando]

Well, Eddie did say he was considering only new instruments.

I wonder if perhaps the Econo models from Silver Angel and Bulldog should be considered as well.

[Nelson Peddycoart]

The custom or Special Edition Webers that Dennis has at The Mandolin Store are a fantastic value.

[Eddie Sheehy]

$1,000 for a 500 series Eastman? You're kidding me...

[Ed Goist]

$1,000 for a 500 series Eastman? You're kidding me...

Hi Eddie:
Good catch! That should have been Eastman MD-515 & 514 for $1,000.
(I just corrected the original post)
Sorry about the typo.
Thanks;
Ed

[Ed Goist]

...snip...

I wonder if perhaps the Econo models from Silver Angel and Bulldog should be considered as well.

Thanks for the info on the Silver Angels and the Bulldogs! Impressive - The images of the mandos on the respective sites are just fantastic...Beautiful mandolins. Also, I think it's safe to say that it's a good sign when you go to a manufacturer's website and the first thing you see is a picture of the person who personally makes the instruments. Thanks again!

[AndyRG]

Do people agree about the silver angels and the bulldogs? Do they belong in the same category with these other mandos? They seem to be readily attainable for under 1500 right now...would you choose them for your only instrument?

[leathermarshmallow]

I didn't see JBovier instruments listed. They are great values!

[Capt. E]

Add the new Kentucky KM-900 (again, if you can find one)
There are probably a few other new USA hand-made A's that fit in your price range. I believe one is the June brand, made by Walter Johnson in S. Carolina. www.junemandolins.com

[mtucker]

Think Collings MT ... for about $1,500 used, you can get a really nice mandolin with all the real stuff. Will play like the dickens. Made in Hill Country.

[tburcham]

Do people agree about the silver angels and the bulldogs? Do they belong in the same category with these other mandos? They seem to be readily attainable for under 1500 right now...would you choose them for your only instrument?

The Angels belong in the 3-5k range...they sound that good if you like the deep dark sound of an old Mandolin ...baRgain of the Cafe

[Ed Goist]

...snip...Of course, now that I've been playing for a month or so, I'm already starting to feel the effects of MAS (even though I am still in love with my KM-172). As a result, I'm targeting the $1K to $1.5K range for my next upgrade, and that is what got me started on this project. ...snip...

Seeing mandolins from (and reading comments about) Pomeroy, Collings, Phoenix, and Summit has pretty much blown my $1K to $1.5K target range out of the water...

When will this MAS madness end? Is there a cure for the fever?:)

Thanks;
Ed

[JEStanek]

Yes. You must learn to be content with what you have. My instruments outstrip my abilities. A more expensive mandolin won't make me sound better but might inspire me to play more. I still like and appreciate those other mandolins but I'm pretty happy where I sit now. A good mandolin and an excellent set up are all I require to reach my current goals. If you really want it and can fund it, go for it. I'm not here to judge anyone's purchases.

Jamie

[billkilpatrick]

perhaps you're thinking of mandolins specifically for bluegrass music but i'd be interested to read why top-of-the-line mid-missouri/big muddy mandolins aren't in the list ... i'm pretty passionate about them.

[Ed Goist]

perhaps you're thinking of mandolins specifically for bluegrass music but i'd be interested to read why top-of-the-line mid-missouri/big muddy mandolins aren't in the list ... i'm pretty passionate about them.

Hi Bill:
I have been told that comparing arched-top to flat-top mandos is like comparing apples to oranges. (The mid-Mos/big muddys are flat-topped, no?)
I'd love to hear from others whether or not this is a legitimate stipulation. For example, what does an arched-top mando provide that a flat-topped one can not?
Thanks for bringing this up.
-Ed

[Ed Goist]

Jamie, your points are very well taken. However, I do find this issue to be an intriguing debate. Specifically; the tension between having a REAL quality instrument (and the benefits that provides for one's learning curve) vs. being content with what you already have (and focusing on the playing, and not the equipment).
I'm coming at this as someone for whom the world of guitar playing literally opened up overnight when I got my Martin (my playing improved in one month more that it had in the year before). Add to this the fact that I am now over 50 (with more sand in the bottom of the hourglass than in the top), and my current philosophy is 'get the best I can possibly afford...I own it to my commitment and desire to learn. More importantly, life is too short to shortchange oneself.
-Ed

[Marcus CA]

I am now over 50 (with more sand in the bottom of the hourglass than in the top), and my current philosophy is 'get the best I can possibly afford...I own it to my commitment and desire to learn. More importantly, life is too short to shortchange oneself.

"You better get it while you can.
You better get it while you can.
If you wait too long,
It'll all be gone,
And you'll be sorry then.

It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor.
It's the same for a woman or a man.
From the cradle to the crypt,
It's a mighty short trip,
So, you better get it while you can."

--- Steve Goodman

[Mandolin Mick]

I have a Kentucky KM855, one of the top 10 under $1500. Got it for $700 from Instrument Alley. Great mandolin!

My workhorse is my Gibson but I keep the Kentucky tuned for "My Last Days on Earth" by Bill Monroe. I play it at every performance. In fact, I'm playing it tonite.

[RobBob]

I bought a Weber Absaroka for $1100 on ebay and another one went for $1400 or recently. They beat many on that list IMHO.

[Josh Kaplan]

and my current philosophy is 'get the best I can possibly afford....
-Ed

The catch is with the idea of "the best." As others have pointed out in previous discussions of this sort, it's a lot like asking what's the best car for $30,000 or the best wine for $50. By the time we're done, the list will include a few dozen different kinds of mandolins, which isn't going to help you determine what's "best" for you, especially if you can't try them. I'm all for the idea of getting a better mandolin someday, but it's still a process of trial and error--over the course of years--to discover what you like. The advice here is great, but there's the consumer part of your question, and and then there's the musician part. If you look at it as a consumer decision, you can take a poll and read the reviews, but when you think about it as a musician, ultimately you will have to trust your ears and your hands.

Incidentally, I played a Kentucky 172 yesterday and thought it was a really sweet instrument.

Josh

[Greg H.]

The Angels belong in the 3-5k range...they sound that good if you like the deep dark sound of an old Mandolin ...baRgain of the Cafe


Actually, in the web site they do offer a simple A model in the price range:

" I am offering, for a limited time, a no frills A-style mandolin, with the same great sound as all the other Silverangels for $1500."

Now that looks like something decidedly worth the price!

[Johnny Rico]

I picked up a Gibson A-9 for $1100 and so far I love it. I have had some players much better than I (and with more expensives mandos) all give it rave reviews. I also played a Ratliff RA5 which was sweet. Good luck on your search!

[Bob A]

"What does an arched top provide that a flat top cannot?".

A different tonal spectrum. Flat top and bowlback instruments are rather more lightly constructed, so they have more treble and less thickness in the bass. After playing on a flattop and picking up an old Gibson F4 the difference is quite noticeable. The reason flattops and bowlbacks are not much use in bluegrass is because their treble response is swamped by the banjo treble, I think.

This is not to say that they are inferior, at all. They're just different. That's why we have MAS.

BTW, the light construction does not imply that they are less powerful. A good bowlback can hold its own with a concert grand piano.

[John Kinn]

Have to agree about the A9. Bought mine from the Mandolin Store, and it's a great sounding instrument for a bit more than 1K. I would also bring A40s and A50s into consideration.Have a late forties A40 which is really sweet sounding.. They can be great value! And a Gibson is still a Gibson if you ever want to sell it.;)

[wolfsong]

Larry Muth make a nice A in that price range.

[tburcham]

Greg,

You can get the Econo-A models used from time to time in the Cafe Classifieds for ~ $1k, I'm saying they sound as good as mandolins in the $3-5K range.