Hi folks, i'm not to mandolin's and seriously looking at purchasing this Morgan Monroe mf-1. it has solid sitka spruce top and solid mohogany back, side and neck.
Does anyone have any comments or feedback on this unit or on Morgan Monroe in general. any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Luc
They are nice looking. They probably have a warm, mellow tone, due to the mahogany and the satin finish. The solid woods and the cast tailpiece are plusses. Non-traditional headstock on an F style can be cool if you're an independent sort. I have not played one, but the comments on the Morgan Monroe brand run the gamut from very negative to very positive. As with practically every Asian-made mandolin, the quality will probably be hit-or-miss. Hopefully you can get a trial period for the mandolin, but if you can't a $550-600 mando should not be too hard to resell if you really don't like it.
"I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is."~John Mellencamp
"Theory only seems like rocket science when you don't know it. Once you understand it, it's more like plumbing!"~John McGann
"IT'S T-R-E-M-O-L-O, dangit!!"~Me
Hi Luc,
The MF-1 is a nice mandolin in this price range. The tone is good, but may not be as appropriate for a bluegrass mando as the standard maple/spruce combo. Playability, is really about the setup, which all the Morgan Monroe's need. I am very happy with the new Ashton Bailey tailpieces. The finish is too thick, but that goes with the territory. These have fairly nice tuners. An ebony fingerboard and bridge are nice additions at this price point. There is no binding. Overall, I would give it the thumbs up.
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
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