Buying A New Mando

[zeppobird]

I am relativley a beginner mando player (about 8-9 months)and have been playing with a Mid Missouri A-Style.
My instructor believes that I need to move up and so I have been looking for an F-style. I have seen a couple of Webers, Gibsons, Breedlove, and Collings (nice!), and others of lesser quality.
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions, pros, cons, dos, or don'ts.
I'd be most appreciative!

[Fuzzyway]

Zeppobird,

You list Portland Oregon as your location. Ken Cartwright's Music aka Mandomedic is an hour south of you in Stayton Oregon. You would be remiss if you did not check this mando friendly store with a great inventory in just about any dollar category you want to look at.

Artichoke Music in Portland is a great music store, but last I checked they didn't have much mando inventory to choose from.

Best, Fuzzy

[Lee]

Don't forget our Classifieds. Check out the back on that Eastman 605!
(No financial gain here; unless the seller is still in the giving mode...)

[futrconslr]

I heard moonbeams are good....:laugh:

[jim_n_virginia]

My first mandos were a Harmony and Rover before I got a decent playing M-2 Mid Mo and when I upgraded I got a Flatiron A and then years later I upgraded to a Flatiron F style. Never regretted going Flatiron. I might upgrade again one of these days and I probably will try to get a Bush Model Gibson but I'm keeping my Flatiron no matter what.

If I were starting out on mandolin these days I would be eyeballing the Eastmans if I couldn't get a good deal on a used Flatiron F.

Good luck there are SO many choices now for great mandolins these days!

[fatt-dad]

I'd consider moving up from a Mid Mo to a hand-carved a-model. I love my A5 Flatiron, even though jim_in_virginia said it first - ha.

f-d

[fatt-dad]

p.s., I'd also look at the Nashville-made Gibson A5Ls. I've seen some of these in the $2200.00 range. Get one signed by Charlie Derrington for added investment potential.

f-d

[mpeknox]

This Eastman (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=12259&query=retrieval) is a good deal...I paid more than that for mine. DOH!! No financial interest.

[John Rosett]

there is a prucha A style in the classifieds that i used to own. at $1400, i think that it's one of the best deals around. when i got it, i compared it to several collings mandos, and i thought it was better than any of them. if i had the money, i'd buy it back.
that's my $.02...
john

[GBG]

Buy the best sounding used A model(with f holes) you can afford and keep the Mid-Mo.

[Jim M.]

If you're in the market for a custom, you've got two great luthiers in Portland, John Sullivan and Bob Schneider. I've played killer mandos from both builders.

http://quicksitebuilder.cnet.com/sullivan_mandos/

http://www.schneiderf5.com/