Anybody know of some good $400 or less f-style mandolins?

[boombox]

I don't mean to knock Michael Kelly and Morgan Monroe, as there are many good instruments out there made by them, but there are also many poor ones. Unless you can play the actual one you are looking to buy, then they are more of a crap shoot whether you'll get a good one or not.

Fair comment: there is not as much consistency in modern instrument manufacture as there should perhaps be. This sounds like the same advice I'd give on guitars though, especially Martins and Gibsons - you've got to play them to know you've got a good one. Each brand has its faithful followers, yes, but for me, I've only ever played two really stellar Martins (in the normal Joe Public price ranges, it must be said), yet they were only a 15 series 00 and a plain jane 00-018. Similarly, I'd never buy a new Gibson sight unseen as from the many I've tried, they are so much more inconsistent than vintage models. What is heartening though is that in mandolin manufacture, it seems like the inconsistency seems to be limited more to the starter end, which mean no beginner should get stung for too much if they do have to buy without playing and get a lemon.

[SpudHuskerMando]

It's the slippery slope! Go looking for a $400 instrument and for just a couple of hundred more get into that F or a "better" piece than the $400…But then you're so close to the $1000 mark, you may as well just go for that…and then it's $1500 and the loyalists there…and then it seems like the big leap to the lower end, high dollar stuff. Good times! Seriously, though, there are a number of good, used instruments on the cafe classifieds right now that are in the $500-$600 range…At least from what little I know about mandolins, that is!