Help a newbie on a purchase?

[thevisi0nary]

Trying to buy a good acoustic / electric mandolin, using mainly for song writing (I am mainly a guitar player first). I am not expecting anything pro for my price point, but I really just need something that can get the job done, sounds good enough, and most of all can be intonated well.

Was going to pick either of these. One is a little more expensive, but what I really want to know is if that extra expense is really going to make any difference at their price points.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez/M...ic-Mandolin.gc

https://www.amazon.com/Gretsch-G9311...5A45T5JQW8XJSY

Also just for what its worth, I would love to know the difference between that gretsch model and this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Gretsch-Yorke...keywords=g9320

Thanks!

[Austin Bob]

This is a fairly common topic, recently discussed here.

The long and short of it is that none of those mandolins you mention above will sound very good acoustically. A good bet for a low cost mandolin is often considered to be the Kentucky KM150. If you buy from one of the site sponsors listed on the front page, it will likely be setup (adjusted) correctly, which is extremely important.

You can always add a pickup later, or play through a mic.

[pops1]

Remember if you buy from either of the places you are looking they may be cheaper, but will need a lot of setup to be playable. If you are capable of doing that yourself great, if not it would be money well spent to get one that is used and has been setup or from a dealer that does a setup before sending it to you.

[9lbShellhamer]

You've come to the right place! Welcome.

It's easy to buy an inexpensive guitar that sounds pretty decent... but it's hard to find an inexpensive mandolin that sounds good because so much is dependent on the set up as well as other factors such as "fit" and good topwood carving.

The Kentucky KM150 purchased from one of the cafe sponsors is a great starting point. It's going to cost a little bit more, but it'll be quality that will provide good tone and enjoyable playing. It's hard to get big sound out of a tiny little instrument and so mandolins cost more than guitars unfortunately.

Good luck in your search!

For what it's worth... A lot of people really like their cheap Rogue mandolins too... But it'll definitely need a pro set up!

[Trav'linmando]

I have a Gretsch New Yorker. Once I got it set up (thanks Rob) it's okay. My Eastman 305 blows it away. To get a decent A/E I think you should review your price range.

Just my 2 cents.

[Sandhills Hunter]

I've heard alot of good things about Kentucky mandolins. I played an Eastman 315 at a local shop and it was really good. The 305 would probably be a nice mandolin also. One of the fellows at our local folk jam plays a Gretsch through an amp. It sounds good. Get whatever floats your boat.

[mandroid]

which matters most ? acoustic, get an acoustic you like and add a pickup.

Loud rock get a solid body with magnetic pickups ..

Amazon / its roulette will they just ship you an un opened box ?

better to buy from a shop that checks it over before sending it to you

[Roger Moss]

Theres no rulette to Amazon. They will ship you an unopened box with an unsetup instrument inside. Most dont even have the bridge.installed. Save yourself a lot of greif and extra expense and buy used from mc classifieds or new from a reputable dealer like a mc sponsor. You will be better off in the long run.

[almeriastrings]

To expand on that... if you buy from a "deep discounter" the instrument you receive will almost certainly be unplayable. Bridges not fitted, nut slots incorrect, frets not fully finalized, and so-on. All of these tasks will need doing, and on mandolins, because of the short scale and high tension it is all much more critical than on longer scale instruments. People can (and do) pay $100 plus for pro setups.... for a reason. You can do it yourself if you are familiar with mandolins and are prepared to acquire the tools and learn - but it will still take quite a bit of time. So, buying a well-setup instrument at the get-go is by far the best route. The Cafe sponsors know mandolins inside out and know how to do this work - so they may cost a bit more than a "box shifter" but they will save you much frustration.

I'd also suggest the Kentucky KM-150.

[gtani7]

I owned the 9320 and played that Ibanez or a similar model. i remember the Ibanezs at guitar center as dull sounding instruments that would need a lot of nut, fret and bridge filing/setup and the tuners are probably not correctly installed, which makes tuning difficult. As to 9320 I've played a few that sounded relatively decent at first 8 frets, not so much higher up neck. I think worth play-testing if you're looking at $150 used models with not much fret wear. I have seen lots of other $240 new Gretschs that were unplayable due to bad bridges. And the pickups in those need a preamp or more gain to lift them above noise floor and give it soem body.

So it's a cointoss if you mailorder one as to whether you get a playable instrument. I would also go with buying from a cafe sponsor.

[Otis_Spunkmeyer]

It will need to be set up. That's the end of that. Just accept you need a setup. That being said I managed to get a used, but new from a shop Kentucky km-650 from reverb.com for 300$. Deals are out there and I recommend used definitly. Again, it will need to be set up. These aren't guitars. Cheap mandolins aren't as cheap as cheap guitars.

[Roger Moss]

Truly it is not really appropriate to compare cheap guitars with mandolins. They are not the same instrument at all.
Several have suggested a Kentucky KM 150. I second this. An sll around excellent instrument well worth the cost. Elderly Instruments sells one inspected setup guaranteed and shipped for $350. You can always install a pickup of your choice later and end up with a much better instrument.

[JeffD]

Trying to buy a good acoustic / electric mandolin, using mainly for song writing (I am mainly a guitar player first).

A few generalizations to keep in mind. (If you already know this, my apologies. It may help others however.)

One is that in general you will do better to get a good acoustic and add good electrics. Accoustic / electric mandolins seem to be, as a general statement, meant as economy models to attract guitar players who don't know better, and for whom on board electrics is a part of guitar culture, and a normal characteristic of some very very good acoustic guitars. Not every mandolin, but as a general statement.

Secondly, and again in general, if you are familiar with how much money will buy how good a guitar, then you can gauge your expectations with mandolins, by doubling it. I mean, a $200 mandolin can be expected, in general, to have about the quality of a $100 guitar. There are exceptions of course.

An OK acoustic / electric mandolin may be all you need for your particular project. So only you can judge. And you may be lucky enough to grab one of the exceptions. They are certainly out there. Just, from 1000 miles away, these two observations seem to be more true than not.

Welcome, BTW, to the greatest obsession in the world.

[mandroid]

Musicians friend is also a box shipper. OK with electronics and hardware..
Shipped back an FM60 with dripping finish, factory QC should have never let out of ROK.

I Don't deal with Amazon much.. Years ago, via Amazon UK , I got a Book,
it was an old fashioned way of doing things
that as I understand the company did
before the Huge, Fulfillment center warehouse inventory ..

Made an electronic connection to an Independent Book shop,
who put the book in the Royal mail, And I got it in Oregon, in a fortnight.

[thevisi0nary]

Thanks everyone. Ended up going with the Kentucky km 150. Appreciate all the help and insight!

[minuteman]

And I got it in Oregon, in a fortnight.

Thank you for this. After 8 years of marriage I am finally able to tell the wife "Look, other people use the word fortnight too!"

[Astro]

Thank you for this. After 8 years of marriage I am finally able to tell the wife "Look, other people use the word fortnight too!"

Only on The Mandolin Cafe .....

[Austin Bob]

Thank you for this. After 8 years of marriage I am finally able to tell the wife "Look, other people use the word fortnight too!"

I used that term a couple of weeks ago.