Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 73

Thread: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

  1. #1
    Registered User Mike Rodbell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Charlottesville, Va
    Posts
    73

    Default Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    I'm planning on going to a music festival next summer, and don't dare bring along any instrument that is either expensive or difficult to replace. Was curious if anyone has used the Rogue-100a? Can't beat the price if its reasonably playable ($60!).

    Anyone tinkered with one & have feedback? Similarly, any other recommendations for a playable instrument for no more than $120?

  2. #2

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    I have a Johnson MA-100 A style.

    It is basically a $50 mandolin, its tone is not too deep or resonating. But it can put out some sound if you can pick a bit stiffly. There really is not much too it, I use it for just like what your talking about. Activities that may prove harmful to it, or it is something that I don't care that little kids to play with.

    For a mandolin under $120, it is pretty much a take what you can get. Most of the mandolins in that price range are laminated wood, so there won't be too much of a sound difference.

  3. #3
    Registered User Clef's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    178

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    I'm in the market for a beater mandolin as well so I'm curious what other people use. The problem I have with the ultra cheap beater mandolins is I can't play well on them. If you get a good setup on a $60 beater, can they at least play well?

    I've considered finding a used and beat up Eastman MD-315, but they don't show up in the used market. It seems that everyone who buys the 315 keeps it and no one beats on it so they can sell it to me for cheap. I don't really want to spend $700 on a new 315 and call it a beater. The reason I mention the 315 is because I like the neck and how well they play.
    2012 Gibson F5 Custom Goldrush (Harvey)
    2014 Rover RM-75 F
    bowlback mandolin (1890's to 1900 era)

  4. #4

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    With some tweaking, you can make a basic instrument "play well". But a lot of what we perceive as "playing well" comes from the responsiveness of the instrument, so you will never get that in a super cheap instrument, regardless of how well it's set up.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    A Strad-O-Lin found on eBay for roughly $200 to $300 in decent playing shape can be a wonderful player. I have two and am always delighted at their sound. There are always a few on eBay, usually at reasonable prices

    Also look for a used Mid-Missouri (AKA Big Muddy). Often found at roughly $300 well used or $400 in decent cosmetic condition. Built in USA they are a quality entry level instrument known for their great sound and moderate cost new. They show up on this site fairly often or on eBay of course.

    Of the two I think the Mid-Missouri would be the least problematic as it is fairly new while the Srad is pre or just after WW2. But either can be a great mando.
    Last edited by bart mcneil; Dec-18-2014 at 5:03am.

  6. #6
    Registered User Steve VandeWater's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    569

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    If you get Rob Meldrum's free set up e- book here on the cafe, he goes into great detail about how he tweaked his Rogue and a couple other cheapies to make them sound and play very well. He swears by them if you do the right set up
    It ain't gotta be perfect, as long as it's perfect enough!

  7. #7

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    You can get a Rover RM-50 for under 120 (here for instance: http://www.instrumentalley.com/Rover...el-p/rm-50.htm). It will not be set up and virtually unplayable, but if you get Rob Meldrum's book you should be able to make this all solid wood and allegedly carved top mandolin (according to the specs on the Saga website) quite playable.

  8. #8
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Idaho Falls, ID
    Posts
    1,278

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Or get a Kentucky km-150 already setup from Folkmusician for a few hundred dollars.
    Weber Bitteroot Custom
    Eastman 905D 2 point
    Scott Cao 850
    Taylor NS34CE
    "You have to go out on a limb, that is where the fruit is"

  9. #9
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Richmond, Virginia
    Posts
    7,635

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    get insurance and bring your real mandolin. I mean do you really think you'll do several hundred dollars damage playing your mandolin outside the house?

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

  10. The Following 7 Users Say Thank You to fatt-dad For This Useful Post:


  11. #10

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Quote Originally Posted by fatt-dad View Post
    get insurance and bring your real mandolin. I mean do you really think you'll do several hundred dollars damage playing your mandolin outside the house?

    f-d
    FD is right. Your mandolins are made to be played, and with insurance, you have nothing much to worry about.

    AND when you get to the festival and find yourself playing a good instrument in among other fine instruments, you won't beat yourself up for turning up with a sixty-buck junker with a muted tone that doesn't cut it in the crowd.

  12. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Ron McMillan For This Useful Post:


  13. #11
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Idaho Falls, ID
    Posts
    1,278

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    I have seen some pretty expensive instruments at festivals, lots of 5 figure mandolins. I agree with fatt-dad get your instrument insured. How do you think your would be Rogue will sound next to a Altman, Nugget,Gibson or a Stiver.

    Ron beat me to it.
    Weber Bitteroot Custom
    Eastman 905D 2 point
    Scott Cao 850
    Taylor NS34CE
    "You have to go out on a limb, that is where the fruit is"

  14. #12
    Bark first, Bite later Steve Zawacki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Sumter County, FL
    Posts
    498

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    If it's the first time going to this festival and wanting to see how things are dne there, the OP's desire to take an instrument which is "expendable" is understandable.

    The advice regarding a Rogue, Rover or anything else in the $100 (+$50) range is not bad, but should be coupled with doing one's own set-up using Robster's E-Book. The necessary nut files can be had (NFI) for less than $10 (the Cigar Box Guitar Nut Files) via EBay or other vendors - been using them for a long time on a lot of stringed instruments.
    ...Steve

    Current Stable: Two Tenor Guitars (Martin 515, Blueridge BR-40T), a Tenor Banjo (Deering GoodTime 17-Fret), a Mandolin (Burgess #7). two Banjo-Ukes and five Ukuleles..

    The inventory is always in some flux, but that's part of the fun.

  15. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    429

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    I bought an Ibanez M615-OPN from Thomann for about Euro 150 that was quite awful but had it set up and changed the dire strings for another Euro 25 and it doesn't play badly at all now.

  16. #14
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Strad-O-Lin -- you can find 'em in the price range, though it's been interesting to watch prices rise over the past five years or so. They are surprisingly good-sounding cheapos from the 1930's-50's era. Mine can hold its own with more expensive mandolins; it's grungy looking and has a very short neck, but I've played the tar out of it for over 20 years. And -- it cost me $25, though I had to drop a couple hundred into getting it repaired and set up.

    Strad-O-Lins are the kind of "beaters" that cause other mandolinists to ask "What kinda mand'lin is that?" On the other hand, though, I don't generally subscribe to leaving my "good" instruments home when I go to a festival, music camp, jam etc. But I have no hesitation in taking the Strad-O-Lin anywhere; it's a good mandolin that just happens to be no-frills cheap.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  17. #15

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    In my experience, Rogue and Johnson mandolins do not hold tune very well, and they sound thin, not loud enough for outdoor.
    However, they look really beautiful and their neck is easy to play, my wife praised them for the look and hated my beat up mandolin, an old pancake Kentucky, which has much much better quality / sound and playability, it sounds loud too which is good for outdoor.
    A good way to get a beat up mandolin is to search on your local CraigList, hopefully there are quite a few, low cost (100$ or less), to choose from. In my area CL, there are a few like that but I already have too many mandolins, so I will skip them.

  18. #16
    fishing with my mando darrylicshon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    atlanta
    Posts
    1,303

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    i have a ovation i use as my beater . the plastic back helps i go fishing with it alot . they make a cheaper one under applause , but if i go where i am not fishing i do take a better one, just try to take good care of it
    Ibanez 70's 524, 521, 3 511's,2 512's,513,1 514,3 80s 513's, 522
    J Bovier F5-T custom shop
    Kiso Suzuki V900,
    The Loar lm600 Cherryburst
    morgan monroe mms-5wc,ovation
    Michael Kelly Octave Mandolin
    Emandos Northfield octave tele 4, Northfield custom jem octave mandolin 5 octave strat 8
    2 Flying v 8, octave 5, Exploryer octave 8 20"
    Fender mandostrat 4,3 Epip mandobird 2,4/8, Kentucky. KM300E Eastwood mandocaster
    Gold Tone F6,Badaax doubleneck 8/6

  19. #17
    TBI survivor Richard J's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Twin Cities, MN.
    Posts
    150
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    CraigList, CraigList, CraigList, A great place to find a better used Rogue but still very cheap.
    I think, therefore, I pick.

  20. #18
    Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Edmonds, WA
    Posts
    446

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    It's always fun sifting through the various words of wisdom here. My big issue with taking a nice instrument to a music festival is dealing with the what-ifs: what if I leave it in a car on a hot day and ruin it? What if someone sits on it? What if someone steals it? What if someone spills beer in it? And on and on and on.

    If you're going to be jamming with strangers a Rogue won't bring you street cred. Lots of people's ears are influenced by labels. On the other hand, if you want a relaible, low-cost campfire instrument that you don't have to worry about, the Rogue is a surprising value. Get the Rogue, new strings, and follow my ebook and you will have a decent playable mandolin. Email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com.

    My favorite deal is the musciansfriend.com "two-fer." It's their RA 100-D guitar and the mandolin. Both, shipped, for $99.00 plus sales tax. A friend just bought the RA 100-D for her son for Christmas, and it needed a very minor tweak on my part to become a nice, playable guitar. NFI on my part!

  21. The following members say thank you to Rob Meldrum for this post:


  22. #19
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Mix Carbon Fiber Mandolins would be Ideal ..

    I'd take mine, if any place was affordable to get to, from here.

    Eastman Fiberglass cases with back pack straps eliminate the need to set the case down anywhere ..
    that reduces the grab and run theft potential a huge amount. a white one will not get hot, so much.
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  23. #20
    Registered User red7flag's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Dickson, TN
    Posts
    3,292

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Red Line Traveler is an awesome (NFI) pancake mandolin made by Steve Smith and Cumberland Acoustics. Here is the link: http://redlineresophonics.com/mandolins/traveler This is a great campfire instrument.
    Tony Huber
    1930 Martin Style C #14783
    2011 Mowry GOM
    2013 Hester F4 #31
    2014 Ellis F5 #322
    2017 Nyberg Mandola #172

  24. #21
    ************** Caleb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    DFW, Texas
    Posts
    3,676

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    I agree with fatt-dad. I never understand the idea of having nice instruments and not taking them along when it's time to play? Life's just too short to fuss over things like that.

    .02
    ...

  25. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Caleb For This Useful Post:


  26. #22
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Central Illinois
    Posts
    3,563

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Quote Originally Posted by fatt-dad View Post
    get insurance and bring your real mandolin. I mean do you really think you'll do several hundred dollars damage playing your mandolin outside the house?

    f-d
    Yep, I agree !

  27. #23
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Kernersville, NC
    Posts
    2,593
    Blog Entries
    3

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    TBh if everyone showed up to jams with 'beaters' it take way one of the things I like about going.

    Live more and worry less.

  28. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Mark Wilson For This Useful Post:


  29. #24
    Registered User Mike Rodbell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Charlottesville, Va
    Posts
    73

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    Not a chance. I'm there primarily as a spectator, planning on having some fun jamming in the evenings. My main mandolin is custom made and would be difficult to replace. I'd rather bring something that I wouldn't miss if swiped or damaged.

  30. #25
    Registered User Clef's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Albuquerque, NM
    Posts
    178

    Default Re: Looking for a "beater" to take to a festival/campout

    A question to those of you who say, "no beaters"... What do you do with your expensive, lifetime keeper mandolin when you're not playing it at a festival?

    When I went to the Pagosa Springs Bluegrass fest in CO, I stayed in a hotel. I would never leave my mandolin/hoffee case sitting next to my luggage when the hotel room cleaning people were there. Not that hotel cleaning people would steal it, but what if someone did? I also wouldn't have been able to leave my mandolin in my car because it was pushing 100F so it was very hot outside.

    Aside from lugging around my mandolin everywhere I went, I don't know what I would do with it if I brought it with me. If I had it with me I would have jammed for a few hours, then lugged it around with me for an entire weekend while I did other things in town.

    Regarding insurance... Insurance could cover the cost of the instrument, but it could never replace it.

    This is why I want to get a beater.
    Last edited by Clef; Dec-19-2014 at 2:38am.
    2012 Gibson F5 Custom Goldrush (Harvey)
    2014 Rover RM-75 F
    bowlback mandolin (1890's to 1900 era)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •