Buy Without Hearing?

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

I was wondering. How many of you would buy a mando without hearing it? Does it depend on price?

Would you buy a mandolin costing less than $500 without hearing it? How About less than $1000? Or $1500? Or $2000+?

Or does it depend on the builder?

Or would you ever?

For example I bought my Kentucky 250s fromm ebay for IIRC about $160 without hearing it and have been very happy with it.

The reason I ask is I am considering buying a mandolin that appears to be well made and attractive (spruce, flamed maple triple binding, nice inlay, etc) from a builder who flys very much under the radar (not on the cafe database) due I suspect to not having a very good marketing plan. This is the builder's 10th mandolin and he also makes violins and banjos - equally I'm guessing unknown. I'm thinking by number 10 he is likely getting a handle on quality and sound and given his varied instrument making probably has a pretty good idea about what is desirable soundwise. The workmanship looks pretty good. I've not heard it though. I'm thinking if the price is right (highly likely inexpensive! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ) I may go for it.

I'm not afraid to gamble a bit - long as I can afford to lose - and I know my limit. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Appreciate any feedback.

Take Care! -Ed-

[djweiss]

A lot of builders will offer a trial period...I wouldn't buy any instrument without being able to test drive it first...

[Tom C]

I brought a BRW sight unseen, tone unheard base on Scotti Adams' reccomendation.
And yes, I had a trial period of which if I did not like it or it just wasn't what I was looking for I would have gotten all my money back when he sold it to somebody else. Nothing to lose. I kept it.

[duuuude]

I took that chance on a Gibson F-9 and wasn't disappointed in the least, but then it's a Gibson. It would really depend on the manufacturer's reputation for consistency.

[tiltman]

I have purchased 4 gibson's over the years without playing them first. No problems so far (knock on wood).
Don't know if I would do that with any builder without a good return policy.
Kirk

[jmkatcher]

I bought both my Rigel and Gibson electric without hearing them first. I figured that if I didn't like them, I had a return period. I'd never buy an instrument remotely without that.

I do have a custom instrument on order without an explicit return policy, but the builder's outstanding reputation makes it a pretty good bet.

[dwc]

I would, and I have bought mandolins without hearing them first, and once without hearing it and without a trial period. I would consider a couple of things. First, does the builder offer a trial period. If he does not, then that is a warning signal that something may be wrong. Its not the death nell to a deal, but it should give you pause. Second, will this be your main instrument. I am more willing to take a flyer with my backups and niche instruments than with the one I play all day. Finally and related, can you afford to have a mandolin you don't like. Alot of people can't. Some can. I can aford to have a $150 mandolin I don't really like, but I can't afford to have a $15000 mandolin I don't like.

[ab4usa]

Ed,

A builder now has my deposit and will send me my new almost $2K A style before Xmas. All without having played one his mandolins. He does have extremely high ratings from other owners, has made over 300 instruments and I have heard one of his mandolins via a mando tasting CD. I don't think I would spend that money on an unknown builder without being very comfortable with the product. That would mean having played one or haveing a couple of days to play the mandolin before committing.

[Tom C]

You still need it to feel comfortable in your hands.

[Bob A]

Lessee now; I've bought something like a dozen bowlbacks over the last couple years. All but four of them were bought either off ebay or from dealers overseas. Of the four others, three were from US dealers with return privileges, and one was bought overseas by a friend, who was willing to keep it himself if I didn't like it.

Of the eight, one was a slight disappointment, two needed work that I didn't suspect, but were not in real bad shape. One required extensive restoration but was well worth it. All but one remain in hand, and played frequently. Prices ranged from about 500 to more than 3K.

Most of the instruments I bought were by established (though dead) makers. Some were highly vouched for by the sellers, and after receiving the instrument I agreed with them.

A new maker with no examples to hand is perhaps slightly riskier. I assume you could negotiate for a 24 hr approval period, and eat the shipping of you didn't like it. (My assumption is based on the impression that this is not a special order instrument, with options like your name inlaid in pearl on the peghead, or something like that).

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

Thanks for the replies. The issue with the try before you buy is the hassle factor of an international border. I'm in Canada an the builder in the US. Takes a lot of time and you have the customs hassle to deal with otherwise I'd see about that. We're talking about a <$1000 mando here. My suspicions are I could resell locally an not lose much maybe nothing considering the relative unavailability and prices of mandos in this part of Canada.

Any experience with sound over the phone? Does it give you a realistic measure of a mando's sound potential?

In addition this is a tone bar mando that is about 5 months old and has not been played much at all.

Any further comments welcome. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Take Care! -Ed-

[duuuude]

You still need it to feel comfortable in your hands.
Yep, that's for sure! I would suggest having at least played the same model just to be sure there are no issues with neck shape, width, etc., but if there's a return policy and the builder has a good rep why not go for it.

[acousticphd]

I've bought most of mine without first hearing the actual instrument. I played sister instruments in stores or belonging to other people, read reviews and got word-of-mouth opinions here and elsewhere, and looked for things that seemed like excellent deals as far as price. That includes both starter instruments (Kentucky 150S) and several used high-end handmade instruments (Old Waves, Legacy), an old Gibson A, and some older oddities.

I think everything is a consideration - Maker/brand, price, your budget, opportunity, confidence about the quality. If for example you've heard half a dozen Brand X mandolins that all sound great, a chance to purchase one, especially if at a nice savings, is probably a no-lose deal. Though I have ended up with a couple of older mandolins (backups, oddities, "niche" mandolins - I like that) that are maybe so-so, I'm very happy with the several better ones I've gone after. I've never spent more than $1000 - $1400, though, and I think I would definitely want and expect an approval on a new, made-to-order instrument if I ever go there.

[Bob DeVellis]

I don't think the risk is huge unless you have extremely specific requirements you're looking for. If there is one and only one sound you want from a mandolin, then not hearing it may be more risky. But if you can hear several nice mandolins and think at least a few of them sound good (although probably different), then your range of acceptability is probably high enough to make this an okay proposition. By the way, I'm not talking about willingness to take a dud here or being unable to tell good from bad. I'm talking about having more than the narrowest range of tone variation that's acceptable. For example, I've heard Rigels, Cohens, Gibsons, Collings, Webers, and others that I thought were very good mandolins, although each sounded different. I know other people who might find only one mandolin on that list acceptable because they have very specific tone requirements. You be the judge. If you only want an instrument that sounds just like the one you heard a friend play and nothing else will do, see if your friend will sell you that one but don't expect a different maker to capture exactly that sound. I'd also ask the builder how this instrument compares to his/her others. I'd worry a bit if it's described as miles better than anything else from that shop because that might mean that there's a real consitency problem. Obviously, I wouldn't want to hear that it was one of the poorest. But something like "probably one of the better ones" would suggest that it's a good example from that builder. I think most builders will be fairly honest about this sort of thing because their reputation is so important.

[mike_c]

i think most all the top mandolins are bought without playing them first..monteleone, gilchrest, nuggets, etc..but,,you should always be able to return it within say, 48 hours if you don't like it

[mrbook]

I've purchased several mandolins without hearing them ranging from $500-1300, which fits my budget. I also think you can get a decent instrument with careful shopping in that price range, despite what others might say. Most have been from dealers, particularly Elderly Instruments, where they sometimes played them over the phone and I got the salesperson's comments - they talked me out of a couple, and in a couple cases seemed surprised that they had overlooked an instrument. Some have been better than others, but I've been pleased with all of them, even those that are now played by others. All were set up well, and only a couple required a little tweaking to meet my requirements. I don't think my requirements are quite as exacting as those of others posting here, but I also like the adventure of buying an instrument I haven't heard and seeing what it sounds like. My life doesn't have a lot of danger, so it is my way of taking chances - that and telling the waitress at the local coffeehouse to choose my flavor and not tell me what it is. As mentioned, I've never been disappointed, but I'm also willing to try a new instrument and see what it does. I've also bought some after trying them out - it just depends where the instrument is when I'm in the mood to buy.

Would I pay more without hearing the instrument? Yes, if it was in my budget to do so. I've never thought about ordering a custom instrument because I can't say that I really know what I want - but I do know what I like when I play an instrument. I would take a chance without listening or playing if you feel good about the builder.

[POB]

I'd have no hesitation ordering a custom mando from a builder with a proven track record, with whom I had good communication as to what exactly I wanted.

I've also bought several instruments online from Elderly. I feel safe in doing so because Elderly are held in high regard by so many people, and my own experience of them has always been positive.

I did buy one instrument from Elderly that I decided I didn't want to keep - a copy of a Sobell mandolin. It wasn't hugely expensive (approx US$700 including shipping here to Ireland). When I decided I didn't want to keep it, the easiest thing for me to do was to sell it locally, which I did quite easily. I broke even on the transaction and I didn't have to deal with the hassle of shipping it back to the US.

[AlanN]

I've ordered Gilchrist mandolins when the specifics were a gleam in my eye. I told him what I wanted, he built, and when I took delivery - bingo! A classic case of throwing the dart, then drawing the bull's eye...but then again, I knew it would be a bull's eye before I threw the dart http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[fatt-dad]

Well, I would also echo most of what's been said. Knowing traits of some maker's instruments provides some confidence to buy without first hearing/holding the instrument (i.e., I recently bought a Washburn on ebay without a trial period - but it was cheap). Sometimes, you just want it and the price is right and the risk is within reason. Sometimes, the instrument is damaged, but the repairs are within the scope of the instrument's potential (i.e., how can you play an unstringed 1919 A-3 when there is seam separation?) That said, I knew that when the repairs were done, I would likely be pleased (I was).

Regarding a builder, I would first have to play one of their mandolins before I placed an order just to see if I liked their typical neck shape, and the tone/projection of the instrument (understanding that each can be different). That said, I didn't play one, but having heard a Lawarence Smart mandolin last week, I really thought that was a great-sounding mandolin! Maybe one day. . . .

fatt-dad

[Jaws]

I bought my Phoenix mandolin unheard and, save a few online photos, unseen from a member of this very board. The decision was based pretty much on Rolfe Gerhardt's reputation, various online sound files of Phoenix and other brand mandolins (of varying quality), and the fact that I was getting it at a very good price. I will admit that there were a lot of butterflies in my stomach until it finally arrived and I played a few bars, at which point the butterflies vanished and this huge smile planted itself on my face. Still, it was a bit of a gamble for a (back then) 18 year old to throw that much money after a mandolin. Oh well, it'll feed me for a year if I go broke before I finish college...

[John Flynn]

Ed:

I am trying to break myself of playing without hearing. Buying without hearing is just out of the question!