Alabama mandolin

[rjnewbie]

Do any of you folks have experience with Alabama mandolins? How do they rate?
(I am new to the mandolin world!)

[MikeEdgerton]

Chances are that is a generic model that was labeled for a company. Can you post a picture of the mandolin?

[allenhopkins]

Five-year-old thread on the subject. From the fact that most internet references are from Canada, I'd guess an Asian-made brand imported by a Canadian distributor. However, one of the posters on the old thread said he bought his in Germany, and that it was made in Korea.

Here's a listing from a Canadian store of an ALM-50S spec-ed as having a solid carved top, for around $430 US, which would be a reasonable price. Specs say "sycamore" back and sides, which is unusual.

So -- probably safer to stick to more recognized brands (Kentucky, Rover, Loar, Eastman, JBovier) if you're looking for a carved-top, f-hole mandolin, either F-model or A-model. But if Alabama instruments are there and available, at least get a mandolin-playing friend to evaluate them with you.

[Bill Snyder]

FWIW maple is called sycamore in England. Sycamore is called plane.

[rjnewbie]

Thank you for the quick response! There is a business close to home who uses Coast Music based out of Quebec and it would be the ALM50S that I'm interested in.

[JH Murray]

They are a entry level import brand by a Quebec importer. Made in China mostly. The Ottawa Folklore Centre sold a lot of them. Not bad quality for a starter.

[NorOntNewbie]

Just spent the morning looking around locally (not much available here in Northern Ontario) and found an Alabama ALM50S in a pawn shop for $350 . . . didn't pick it up since I have pretty much zero experience and knowledge at this point and the name was not familiar to me from the reading I've been doing here.
Any additional information will be happily received!

[JH Murray]

They go for about $500 CDN new, so that's a good price. Here's an ad for it. http://www.nantelmusique.ca/product3...ma-alm50s.aspx . The importer's website doesn't have any more details than that. It is a very basic quality beginner instrument.

[Bluntfipple]

Here's their main site:
http://alabama-music.com/

[MikeEdgerton]

The A and F mandolins appear to be pretty generic imports.