Cheap/low-end mandolins...

[Joey Anchors]

I know in the guitar/bass world there are player who love to tone and feel of some cheap/low-end instruments (Silvertone, Hofner Beatle bass, Danelectro, Kay) which got me thinking...

Are there mandolin players who perfer cheap/low-end mandos ($500 and less) to the Gibsons, Collings, Weber...ect?

[Charlieshafer]

Well, one of the main differences is that the cheap guitar manufacturers you mention are all electric. It's much easier to make cheap electric instruments than acoustic. With electric, it's all in the pickup; the body can be a hunk of firewood. Yes, there will be arguments to the contrary, that solid body wood density contributes to the sound, but once you run something through a pedal, it's all irrelevant.

I'm a cheap low-end kind of guy for using mandolins as a gateway for violin players. This simply is to allow them to see how chord shapes move around in an easier way than what they're used to. Young kids can also use them as a starter for a short bit. But, that's about it. I'll stick with the better stuff. I don't own any "great" rare stuff, only due to kids in college, but I'd go there if the opportunity existed, for sure. My stuff is at the Weber level, personally, but that's due to necessity. I'm all bitter and disgruntled because I can't afford the stuff I'd really like to have! My main object of lust is a Monteleone mandocello that I need to raise "stupid money" (in the words of Rudy the seller) to be able to buy.

[Joey Anchors]

Well, one of the main differences is that the cheap guitar manufacturers you mention are all electric. It's much easier to make cheap electric instruments than acoustic. With electric, it's all in the pickup; the body can be a hunk of firewood. Yes, there will be arguments to the contrary, that solid body wood density contributes to the sound, but once you run something through a pedal, it's all irrelevant.

I'm a cheap low-end kind of guy for using mandolins as a gateway for violin players. This simply is to allow them to see how chord shapes move around in an easier way than what they're used to. Young kids can also use them as a starter for a short bit. But, that's about it. I'll stick with the better stuff. I don't own any "great" rare stuff, only due to kids in college, but I'd go there if the opportunity existed, for sure. My stuff is at the Weber level, personally, but that's due to necessity. I'm all bitter and disgruntled because I can't afford the stuff I'd really like to have! My main object of lust is a Monteleone mandocello that I need to raise "stupid money" (in the words of Rudy the seller) to be able to buy.

Charlieshafer I due agree with you on the electric (solid body) argument, but a lot of bluegrass, country, early rock-n-roll upright bassist perfer Kay basses to high end $10,000 and up fully carved basses.

I love my Gretsch G9310 as it's made out of all solid mahogany, plays great and has a tone I really enjoy.

[Steve Zawacki]

There are cheap instruments and there are inexpensive instruments, and the trick is knowing the difference. Finding a good under-$500 mandolin is not that hard to do, especially with all the reviews and advice available here and other forums. It's just like buying a car - you can get expensive lemons and inexpensive sweet-rides depending on knowledge.

As an example - The Kentucky 150 gets rave reviews as a good <$500 new instrument. With a little research, great <$500 used instruments are often found in the Classifieds here. So, there's plenty of opportunities to get quality inexpensive instruments if one decides to invest some research time into sorting the mandolin "wheat-chaff" out there.

[Astro]

No.

[bingoccc]

A lot of the players of older, cheaper acoustic guitars are trying to reproduce a specific sound they know from old recordings. A lot of old blues players and slide players like that thinner sound with less sustain. I don't know if mandolin players ever have a similar goal in mind other than maybe bowlback players.

[Astro]

Well, who the heck knows what bowl back players could be thinking...

[Charley wild]

Some people are for sure. I know a guy who comes to a jam with a mandolin, tenor banjo, tenor guitar and six string guitar. They are all of "Kentucky 150" variety. Good, solid instruments but nothing fancy. He is perfectly happy with all of them. He has fun. He told me once that he was a mandolin player not a player of mandolins. I envy him!
I'm sure this guy isn't the only one of that mind.

[Joey Anchors]

Charley this is exactly how I feel. I believe wood is wood, and a solidly built instrument is all that matter to me..

Another reason I really like my Gretsch is that it isn't fancy at all.. No binding, no fancy exotic woods, or paint.. Just toona sinensis (chinese mahogany) which is a beautiful tree and a fun fact about toona sinensis is that it has healing proprieties in it's leaves.

Yes I did research to find out which species of mahogany was used on these G9310.. Haha

[High Lonesome Valley]

I used Ed King's (Lynrd Skynrd) acoustic guitar he always used for his studio work, a cheap piece of Japanese junk, sounded horrible live but was gold on a mic. He was gentleman enough to tell the studio owner where it resided anyone who wanted to could use it.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Are there mandolin players who perfer cheap/low-end mandos ($500 and less) to the Gibsons, Collings, Weber...ect?

Yes there are.

To find them, all you have to do is look for posts by proud Cafe members who want to show off their latest aquisition.
Click on that proud owner's 'Cafe' name and look through their posting history.
There you will find that approximately 99 percent of those folks were, at one time, thrilled with the tone and volume of their last instrument. Go back far enough and you'll find lots of those people started out with, and were perfectly satisfied with their "cheap/low-end mandolins".

There's a lesson to be learned in those archives... Beware!

[Astro]

Yeah there are a lot of reasons why we may like cheap mandos. Mostly its the price and durability and knowing you can take it out camping and all that. I love my 375 dollar Eastman md305 and played a good sounding km150. I like them a lot for all those reasons mentioned above.

Sure some will prefer to have a cheaper mando because...its cheaper. Or it looks cool.

But the OP asks, price/looks not considered, do groups of folks prefer a cheap mando over a more expensive Gibson or Weber strictly because they prefer the tone or feel of the cheaper mandos. To that, I say no. Its not like with the distinct classic tone some cheaper electric guitars give. I dont think we have classic signature mandolin genres that are defined by a thinner, shallower tone. All other things being equal, I think most everyone would prefer the tone and feel of the more expensive mandolins. Of course there are always contrarians and thats fine and good. But I dont think its a large group. And on average the more expensive mando will have a better feel. So the simple answer to the op I still think is , no.

[allenhopkins]

I have an old Strad-O-Lin that I paid $25 for; with crack repair, new tuner buttons and a hardshell case, probably have $200 into it.

While I don't "prefer" it, I've used it extensively, in live performance, recording, etc. It's my "go-to" instrument for jams, sing-arounds, slinging over my back when I'm walking around a festival, etc.

There are situations where it's exactly what's needed for a particular gig or situation. Would I give up my more expensive mandolins -- if I could only keep one, would it be the Strad-O-Lin -- do I want to be buried with it? No. But there's a place on the menu for hamburger, even if you can afford filet mignon.

[Randi Gormley]

Considering that most people on the café are looking for an instrument loud/full/punchy enough to be heard above other instruments, I'd say that, given as much money as they want to spend, they'd gravitate toward a more expensive instrument, since most of them at the upper price range have fuller, punchier, louder sounds. I like all my instrument and, except for the snakehead, paid under $500 for them --- but given my druthers, I still take out the Gibson because it's just a better sounding instrument than the others for most things.

[fatt-dad]

the first thing that popped into my mind is a Flatiron 1N, "Army-Navy" style mandolin. No frills, well regarded, well made and sound great. With original hard-shell case, though, you'll pay $700 to $800 bucks for one. Maybe a bit less, private party.

I also have a feeling if I reset the neck on my old Kay, it'll sound pretty good.

f-d

edit to add Kalamazoo KM-11 another flat-top mandolin that's sub-$700.00.

[Pasha Alden]

That is a tricky question, as mandolins are few and far between here in sA, with most being the cheaper and low end mandos.


I love my Crafter Ovation style, which would probably fall in that category. Reason: it has its place in my mando development. Its action is not bad and it has a clearer sound. However, when I play at festivals it is the Jbovier that goes along.

[kkmm]

who the heck knows what bowl back players could be thinking

When playing their mind was concentrated on how to hold the bowlback straight so that it does turn around..
I sold my bowl back for this reason.

[Barry Wilson]

If it sounds and plays good, who cares what the name is or what it costs?

My $125 Squire Strat is my go to electric and I have a $1000 Fender Strat hanging on the wall lol. Acoustics are different but I have not met a person that didn't love the tone out of my Fender acoustic and it was $320 new. There's good sounding inexpensive, bad sounding expensive acoustic instruments, but those are more exceptions than the rule.

if you found one you like, awesome.

[bart mcneil]

You can certainly buy some nice sounding starter mandos for under $500. But I suppose that depends on your musical interests as to whether you "prefer" them to quality Gibsons or other higher end instruments.

Blues players tend to prefer cheaper old instruments as that as what was used by most historically important early blues musicians and likely you get a more historically authentic sound out of them.

[MikeEdgerton]

Check out this article that the Cafe published a few years ago.

[Alex Orr]

Other than the fact that they cost less, and the desire to have a "beater" for things like camping and beach trips, I have no idea why anyone would choose a sub-$500 if they were equally as capable of buying something nicer. The lower end of guitars is infinitely better than the lower-end of the mandolin spectrum.

[MikeEdgerton]

Other than the fact that they cost less, and the desire to have a "beater" for things like camping and beach trips, I have no idea why anyone would choose a sub-$500 if they were equally as capable of buying something nicer. The lower end of guitars is infinitely better than the lower-end of the mandolin spectrum.

I paid $50.00 for this Strad-O-Lin on eBay including the shipping. It will hold it's own in any jam. If I didn't already own a nicer mandolin and if I knew what I know now it might be my primary mandolin. It can be done.

[jclover]

I paid $50.00 for this Strad-O-Lin on eBay including the shipping. It will hold it's own in any jam. If I didn't already own a nicer mandolin and if I knew what I know now it might be my primary mandolin. It can be done.

Sure it can be done. The question was: is it preferred? The Strad-O-Lin is not your own preferred instrument, even if it punches well above it's weight class. If it was your preferred instrument, it would not matter that you had a "nicer" one, it would still be #1.

Maybe I am the one missing the OP's point. But it seems to me the question revolves around making a "cheap" mandolin your primary one by choice, because that is what you prefer for your signature tone or style.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Check out this article that the Cafe published a few years ago.

That indeed is a must read article. It shows that there are inexpensive instruments that will hold their own. While my Strad-O-Lin is not on par with your average Gilchrist, Nugget, Duff et al. I would put it in the 2 - 3 k department soundwise. A mandolin that would have to beat my Strad-O-Lin would have to try really hard. So you might say that I prefer an inexpensive instrument (I have an expensive instrument but that is another matter; the Strad-O-Lin just oozes vintage tone).

To me the question is not about the price but about what you intend to use the instrument for. Listen to the "Transatlantic Sessions" and see Russ Barenberg play a Strad-O-Lin. It does its thing nicely.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Sure it can be done. The question was: is it preferred? The Strad-O-Lin is not your own preferred instrument, even if it punches well above it's weight class. If it was your preferred instrument, it would not matter that you had a "nicer" one, it would still be #1.

To me my Strad-O-Lin is my preferred instrument when it comes to an "old" tone. I have played pre WWI Gibson F-4s that I didn´t like as well. When it comes to my expensive instrument admittance is necessary that there was a certain vanity that had to be fed. Power of the instrument was a topic too. The "Bill Monroe thing" comes to mind. My Strad-O-Lin does everything that I want it to do in a wonderfull manner. That I also drive another car does not say anything about "preference".