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Thread: Mid-Missouri help

  1. #1
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    I'm going to get either a M4 or M3 and looking for comment on both to help me make a choice. Thanks for any help you can give.

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    You can't go wrong with a Mid-Mo. I really enjoyed the M-11 I had for several years, and others on this board have praised that all-mahogany model as well. Don't have any experience with the M-3 or 4, though.

    Jonathan Jensen

  3. #3
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    I would tend to lean toward the M-4, other things being equal. I think a lot of the high end Celtic mandolins like Sobell use rosewood back and sides. But I could be wrong!
    Keep it acoustic.

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    To generalize the walnut will add more sustain and the rosewood will have more of a complex tone. #Both are great. #There's a cool 3 model at maple leaf music (if they still have it) that has a neat herringbone binding going down the back. #Both are great tone woods for an oval hole mando. #I think both are better on Mid Mo than maple. #You can't go wrong either way. #Check if they have an upgraded Adirondak top as that will play into things as well.
    Paul

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    I also have a M-11, and i can hardly imagine a better sounding mandolin.
    Mandolins:
    Mid-mo M11 (#1855)
    Ovation MM68 (#490231)
    New flute CD:
    Wellsprings 2: Joyful!

  6. #6
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    I've played a number of other Mid-Mo's as well as another M-11. The M-11 sounds best to my ear. (To my tastes the spruce-topped model were brighter in comparison. I prefer the warmth and mellowness of mahogany)

    FWIW: My M-11 is a weirdo. Satin finish, with a spot where the color didn't hold. No binding. No rosette. The most plain Mid-mo I've ever seen.

  7. #7
    Registered User jim_n_virginia's Avatar
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    I had an M-2 Mid Mo (spruce top, maple sides and back) and it was a great little mando. I traded it in on an upgrade for a Flatiron A.

    It's the only instrument I ever sold that I wish I had kept. While it was pretty simplistic in design it was loud, sweet and bright and I miss it.

    It was perfect for Old Time and Celtic Music, heck even fiddle tunes sounded good on it!

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    I recently bought my first Mandolin, a pre owned M3 W (W denotes the slightly wider neck) and I find it very comfortable to play compared with the regular width necks I have tried in stores. I love the sound and quality of this instrument - it's nicely understated in design terms. I don't think you can go wrong with a Mid Mo whichever model you eventually choose.

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    Very reassuring to hear all this praise for Mid Missouri. I've never played a note on a mandolin but have recently developed an obsession with learning & over the weekend ordered an M3W as my first. A kind sales rep was nice enough to play an M3 for me on Sat. & I fell immediately in love with the sound. Ordered the wide neck because I've been playing guitar a couple years & thought the added width might make for an easier transition. Now I just need lessons...

  10. #10
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    Hey,
    Good choice on your first mando! Too many fall into the asian import mode of thought. Everyone should start on a Mid Mo. One for the cost to product ratio. The other so they have an idea what a real company acts like (honoring warranty's even on the third owner of an instrument). That should be a great mandolin for you.
    Paul

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by (PCypert @ April 12 2005, 17:56)
    honoring warranty's even on the third owner of an instrument
    That's good to know, since i'm the third owner of mine!
    Mandolins:
    Mid-mo M11 (#1855)
    Ovation MM68 (#490231)
    New flute CD:
    Wellsprings 2: Joyful!

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    I don't know if I would push that one, but have heard many say they were upfront about not being the original owner and they still said ship it...me included. Even had some trouble getting the mandolin set up at elevation and they sent me three or four bridges to try out.
    Paul

  13. #13
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    I have an M4 which I love. #I bought it to have a backup/ travel mandolin, but I'm having a blast playing it. #My other mandolin is a wonderful Collings MF5, but it doesn't sound like an oval hole. #I'm not going to pretend the Mid Mo is a better axe, but I do like it more for the oval hole sound than a Gibson F4 and an A2-Z I used to own. #Those Gibsons were beautiful and valuable, but I found their sound to be a little harsh and banjo-like, which is why I rarely played them and eventually sold them. #The M4 sounds sweeter to my ear. #The setup and intonation are on a par with the Collings. #These kinds of things are not so hard (or expensive) to get right, as long as a builder makes it a top priority. #Many don't; the folks at Mid Mo do.

  14. #14
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    quote "Even had some trouble getting the mandolin set up at elevation and they sent me three or four bridges to try out."

    I owned a Mid-Mo for a while, and had a similar problem due to winter dryness in the low humidity of Ohio. The neck on mine seemed to bow ever so slightly during the winter and a higher bridge was the solution. While this works, it also raises the action. I consider this to be an issue of concern in mandolins without adjustable truss rods. If you get a Mid-Mo, be sure to get some sort of humidifier. BTW, I loved the sound of the mandolin, just didn't enjoy playing it as much after the action got higher.

  15. #15
    Registered User mikeo2's Avatar
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    I owned an M3 (Walnut) and loved it. Since I've upgraded to a Weber, my old M3 is acutally for sale at a local music store now (you can contact me michael-at-brtc-dot-net for information. I played both an M4 and an M3 and liked the tone of the M3 better.

    Mike @ Mid-Mo also sent me several bridge and helped me get mine setup very nicely.
    Summit F-200S (1994)

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