Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 31

Thread: Evaluation period

  1. #1

    Default Evaluation period

    I imagine this varies all over the place, but I'd like to hear what other's honeymoon period is, and when your infatuation subsides and you can honestly evaluate the merits of your new purchase based more on playability and tone than emotion.

    When do you know you have a keeper?

    And, tell the truth, how much weight do you give to that beautiful flame maple finish.

    I myself will cop to not liking a logo sometimes. Totally turns me off if I don't like it.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    I'm not sure if this is what you are asking, but for me, as the old saying goes, the feeling of quality remains long after the sting of the purchase is forgotten...or something to that effect.

    Settling for a cheaper instrument will always stay with you everytime you pick it up....

  3. #3
    Registered User Roger Moss's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Charlottesville Va
    Posts
    1,052

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Six months and counting. I don't think I compromised at all with an inexpensive instrument (KM250).

  4. #4
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    1,745

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    For me it comes back every time I clout in new strings and it sounds like it did in the store on the day I bought it

  5. #5
    Registered User Mike Snyder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Neosho, Mo
    Posts
    2,320

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    My standard; Never give up on a mandolin until the first set of frets are worn out. That was before EVO, Jescar, stainless, etc.
    Mike Snyder

  6. The following members say thank you to Mike Snyder for this post:


  7. #6

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    I knew I had a keeper when my wife, who has no interest in instruments, said, "Wow, that's really loud and sounds great." I was recently jamming with my dad on a deck, and my Aunt came out and asked me if the mandolin was plugged into an amplifier.

  8. #7

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Well, to use a car analogy, I bought a Honda CRV new in 2005. It now has 180,000 miles on it, and every time I get in it, I think this is a good car.

    You can't help but be on an emotional high with a new purchase. Instruments for me take a month or so for that yeehaw feeling to subside.

  9. #8
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Richmond, Virginia
    Posts
    7,635

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    I know immediately whether I really like a mandolin. It takes a few years for me to know whether it's a keeper.

    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. #9
    Gummy Bears and Scotch BrianWilliam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Summit County Colorado
    Posts
    1,306

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Quote Originally Posted by fatt-dad View Post
    I know immediately whether I really like a mandolin. It takes a few years for me to know whether it's a keeper.

    f-d
    +1

  11. #10
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    I only buy keepers. I only sell under duress.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  12. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to JeffD For This Useful Post:


  13. #11
    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    2,526
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    The 48 hours you get is enough time to play an instrument and get a feel for how well it's made and how well it plays. Tonally if I like it I keep it. if I'm not sure I take it to someone and get a second players opinion as I can, of course, hear one better from the front. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  14. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Kernersville, NC
    Posts
    2,593
    Blog Entries
    3

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    All I know is it takes more than a day or two for me. I'm hoping after I've owned a few more and become a better picker I'll know right away.

  15. #13
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Posts
    3,859

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Quote Originally Posted by UsuallyPickin View Post
    The 48 hours you get is enough time to play an instrument and get a feel for how well it's made and how well it plays. Tonally if I like it I keep it.
    The 48 hours you get is enough time to see if the instrument has arrived as described. If it does, I keep it, but it usually takes me about six months of playing, in different environments and against different rivals, to determine whether it's a keeper.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  16. The following members say thank you to pheffernan for this post:


  17. #14

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    Well, to use a car analogy, I bought a Honda CRV new in 2005. It now has 180,000 miles on it, and every time I get in it, I think this is a good car.
    I try to take the car thing one step further. I buy a used one with 180,000 on it and try to get ANOTHER 180,000 out of it! So far, it's actually worked with 8 different vehicles.....that's what I call "cutting out the middle man!"

  18. #15
    Registered User Pasha Alden's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Grahamstown South Africa
    Posts
    1,705
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    I tend to do a great deal of research: the rand and all those little problems. So when I choose my instrument it has to be good. Emotion: only when touching the beautiful wood, hearing the honey sweet tone. If no obvious defect then it is good for me.

    Playing:
    Jbovier a5 2013;
    Crafter M70E acoustic mandolin
    Jbovier F5 mandola 2016

  19. #16
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Manchester - Lancashire - NW England
    Posts
    14,187

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    When you stop getting a 'buzz' out of your instrument,then it's usually not the instrument's fault. We tend to become disatisfied with 'things' all the time for one reason or another & decide we need a change,even though we know that somewhere down the line,we'll become disatisfied with the 'new thing'. Fortunately, after 9 years of owning my Weber / 8 years of owning my Lebeda & close to 2 years owning my Ellis,i still enjoy them 100 % every time. When i play my 30 year old Stelling banjo,i still get a real kick out of playing it & i can't see that going away any time soon. I'm afraid that the ''must have'' bug never got close to me either. I've always bought 'the best that i can afford' at any one time, & usually it's good enough to satisfy me. I'd only change something if it had a distinct advantage or was substantially better than what i already have,
    Ivan
    Weber F-5 'Fern'.
    Lebeda F-5 "Special".
    Stelling Bellflower BANJO
    Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.
    Ellis DeLuxe "A" style.

  20. The following members say thank you to Ivan Kelsall for this post:


  21. #17
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Richmond, Virginia
    Posts
    7,635

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Yeah, I'm at 305K on my MB wagon.

    Back to the to the topic at hand, the longer I own a mandolin, the more stories with the instrument. These stories become important.

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

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

  22. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to fatt-dad For This Useful Post:


  23. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    1,322

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Got my Weber and Pava in the spring and am still thrilled every time I paly either one. Got my bowlbacks last fall and still like them too. So apparently I am either still in the "honeymoon" period or they are "keepers" (I think the latter is true.)

  24. #19
    Gummy Bears and Scotch BrianWilliam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Summit County Colorado
    Posts
    1,306

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    How do the Weber and pava compare? Never played the latter.

  25. The following members say thank you to BrianWilliam for this post:


  26. #20
    Mando-Afflicted lflngpicker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    2,239
    Blog Entries
    6

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Assuming you didn't mean the 48 hour trial period, I think it takes a week and hours of playing to determine where it will fit in your arsenal. I usually change the strings right away and set my intonation and string height, but not every instrument needs this and not all players are prepared to do those adjustments themselves.

    If you are referring to the 48 hour trial period, it makes sense that if the instrument is what was described in the ad, you keep it and give it time to become yours. If it has issues you were not informed of when you purchased it, you would consider a return.

    I believe a buyer should decide they want something and be responsible in making a purchase. If it doesn't work out, the new owner has the option of selling it themselves.
    2014 BRW F5 #114
    2022 Kentucky KM 950 Master Model

    YouTube Original Recording of My composition "Closer Walk"

  27. #21

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Not talking about 48 hour trial. Thinking more about the raw newness dissipating and a more measured evaluation possible.

  28. The following members say thank you to Br1ck for this post:


  29. #22
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    The question really is "When is the honeymoon over?" Doesn't mean it isn't a keeper any more, or that you want to replace it, just that it has become a reliable part of the stable and you can concentrate on the music now without being distracted by the wonderfulness of owning the instrument.

    And I find that takes me about six months or so. And if I put it aside and play something else for a while, when I take it back out the honeymoon starts again for a few months.

    I got thrown by the "keeper" part.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  30. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to JeffD For This Useful Post:


  31. #23
    Registered User Pasha Alden's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Grahamstown South Africa
    Posts
    1,705
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    Well perhaps one should also say when is the mandolin-/mandola-playing honeymoon phase over? It is for me the tone and the music! The honeymoon starts anew.

    Playing:
    Jbovier a5 2013;
    Crafter M70E acoustic mandolin
    Jbovier F5 mandola 2016

  32. The following members say thank you to Pasha Alden for this post:


  33. #24
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    4,881

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    The OP asked about the grain of the maple wood...A lot of people are drawn to an instrument by the way the wood grain looks...I don`t really believe the grain has a thing to do with the tone but I may be wrong...No one sees the back anyway when you are playing it...

    Willie

  34. #25

    Default Re: Evaluation period

    As a true beginner I've been asking my self and others the same thing. For veterans I assume years of playing and having the ability to stretch an instrument out would be much easier to reach that conclusion based on your preference. For me the answer is harder to come by. I totally rely on the shop I purchased from by asking them to make that choice for me. I feel comfortable and trust the place I purchased from and feel like I'm getting a quality product even though I'm not really certified to give an honest opinion. Both my mandolins sound better than I do and the wood and Finnish on either are not what I've seen on some of my friends instruments. I still love playing them and paid for both with my hard earned money so I'm proud to have them.

    Payton

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
  •