budget. need new mandolin. help!

[Violasaur]

hey there forum,

i've been playing (dealing with?) my chirstmas-present kentucky km-150 for about a year and a half now. my parents got it at a shop no one had ever heard of, and out of the case it was still factory set, with the bridge flat on its side, the pick guard flapping in the wind, and the action at an ungodly .7 cm above the 12 fret after the bridge was finally erected. i got the bridge and nut shaved and the frets checked out by my trusted luthier, but still for the last year i've killed my fingers with the action.

as a violist and violinist, i know the realms of arch topped instruments, and how much of a financial pain in the butt they can be. i'm a classically trained violist in high school who loves his viola to death and got lucky and found his fiddle in a wall that only required $300 of repair. unfortunately, my parents are only willing to support my interests in the field of viol instruments, where as i'm left to scrape up the cash to pursue a bluegrass thread for myself. i play in a local fiddle band that does tours and jams at festivals and the like, and i always have my fiddle in hand to play the tunes i know, but when i don't know a tune or someone pulls out some skaggs or doc watson, i have to kill myself playing what i have now.

that being said, i want a new mandolin! i have a budget of $800 at the moment, and with odd jobs, i could raise that to $1100 by early summer. i've been saving up for a while, so i want to make the right choice. after this much commitment to a new instrument, i don't want to end up with the "wrong choice" feeling...

my requirements are a hand carved top (back is preferable) f-style. my mando mentors have urged me to look at the km-900 a style, but i'd rather be happy with what i play, and make a right choice to make up for it.

that being said, the options i have dug out so far are:
THE ALVAREZ F3ANT - not carved, but i play an alvarez classical guitar that works wonders, so if anyone knows about the quality of their mandos it would be helpful
THE LOAR LM600VS (or 700 if i save some more)
THE EASTMAN MD315
THE EASTMAN UMD805 2 POINT
THE MICHAEL KELLY FIREFLY (FBL321)
THE KENTUCKY KM675

phew.

i've stumped by the difficulty of finding places to try out anything besides the kentucky or the eastman. i've tried my friend marc berman's 515, which feels neglected because he recently got a lawrence smart F5 (grr.) i've tried the kentucky out and the sound is brighter and chuck-ier, while the eastman is a tad quieter. i've called up themandolinstore.com, and they played me a used eastman 2 pointer they have up. it sounded great on the phone, and very different from the 2003 804 that my guitar teacher plays. the alvarez is an outcast, but if their name holds true from their guitars to their mandolins, i could be in luck. the michael kelly has been IMPOSSIBLE to find at shops. i saw a glance at one in a brooklyn store i went to, but i hadn't the time to try her out. the loar, i hear, is the best value, but whether it beats the eastman is tough to say.

another factor i have in mind is that sometimes you get a good mando, sometimes you don't. a daunting example is the simple fact that i've played much better sounding 150's then the one i have in my possession. but if any of the mandolins i have listed hold true to what their brands say, i should get a good one.

which of the ones i have listed would be the best for an intermediate fiddle crossover mandolin player with a thin budget?

thanks much forum!

~the violasaurhttp://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/images/smilies/mandosmiley.gif

[JEStanek]

If you can actually get one of those Eastman 2 pointers it may retain more value since they are out of their product line. The Kentucky and The Loar get good reviews too. I have an Eastman 2 pointer. The Eastman mandolins are nice to my ear, in general - they all will vary some from instrument to instrument) and have narrower necks and thinner fret wire than the Kentuckys.

I think you'll benefit from going to Mandolin Brothers on Staten Island and playing things within and well above your price range. It would be a grand day to try many instruments and find ones that fit your ears and hands.

Jamie

PS Welcome to the Cafe!

[Ed Goist]

Welcome to the Cafe!

Since it sounds like you have your heart set on an F-Style, and that you might prefer a more traditional design, I would recommend that you consider looking into the JBovier F-Styles at The Mando Shop. I'd certainly recommend that you at least contact Kyle Dunn at The Mando Shop and discuss the models he has in stock. I have found him to be remarkably responsive to inquiries.

Many folks here have spoken very highly of the JBovier F-Styles, particularly since they were recently displayed at MerleFest.

I own a JBovier electric (EMC-4, see signature) and I love it.

You might want to also watch the classifieds, but for $800 new, set-up & with a warranty a JBovier F5 Tradition would seem to be a strong contender. (No financial interest on my part)

Let us know what you decide! Again, welcome.

[sunburst]

I'm starting to feel like a broken record around here, but here goes again.
If you get a good set up done to the mandolin you have now, the action will be very playable. If your "trusted luthier" left the action so high that you kill your fingers, it probably needs the bridge modified or replaced, but there is always some way to get a comfortable action on any mandolin that does not need repairs.
I realize that the playability of the one you have is probably not the only reason you would like to get a new one, but if you get your current mando set up and playing easily, you can have more time to save for and research your next mandolin because you won't be hurting yourself playing what you have.

[Stephen Perry]

1. Going to Mandolin Brothers and testing things will be a great deal of help. See supra.
2. Getting your current instrument really set up nicely, with a good bridge, may do more than you expect. See supra.
3. If you buy a mandolin, get it from someone who gets great reviews for setup.
4. Get an A model. Don't need to, but it's easier on the pocket book.

[Violasaur]

@ JEStanek - I have been looking for a good shop. The only shops you find around these parts are ones that are filled with electric types and who are boggled to hear that there's a thing called a "mandola" or "mandocello". it would be great to get my hands on some of the models i've been dying to get my paws on.
also, the two-pointer i would have to strive for in the near future - it's posted as a used model up on themandolinstore.com. but deals like that come and go, and before i spring for that model, i'd like to get to a shop and try out some of my other options, in case something one of the models i listed or even another one comes into play.

@Ed - thanks for the warm welcomes! i haven't heard much of the J-Boviers, but i'd be willing to give them a shot... heck i'd play every mando in the northeast before i make my decision! and i've fiddled around with some electric mandolins, but not more than a silly mandocaster in my friends' basements. i own a jaguar by fender and a tiny little amp and that's all i like to think of myself as an electric player. anyway, i'll definitely give the mando shop a shot, and i'll spring to buy a model from there if the J-Boviers come into play.

@sunburst - my luthier (who salvaged my poor old fiddle from the wall) did suggest i get a new bridge. the one i got was... substantially annoying as of now. and yes, even if i do fix it, which i will do (the old 150 will probably be demoted to backseat instrument), i plan on getting a new bridge. plus, the sound of the mandolin itself is too bad to not spend $800 on a new instrument.

@Steve Perry - the mandolin brothers shall be consulted! now i just need a break from exams to find a day to peruse some new mandos...

[Steve Ostrander]

From the list you presented I would choose a Kentucky km900. I own one and I've played pretty much everything else on your list. Without playing all of them to compare, I'd take my chances with the km900. Best bang for the buck, IMHO.

[Folkmusician.com]

I am the largest seller of the KM-150, and aside from a small percentage that I reject, they have all setup great. These do often need wood removed from the bridge foot to get the action down. Each of them receives a full fret job and extensive bridge work (which is not exactly profitable for me), but they play great once shipped. There is no reason barring warped neck, etc.. that your KM-150 cannot have excellent action. It shouldn't need a new bridge. Just some work on the current bridge.

Now, I am not saying you shouldn't buy a new mandolin. Just that your KM-150 can have action on par with any of the other instruments you are considering. A well setup KM-150 doesn't sound half bad either.

[garyedelman]

If I'm reading his website correctly, and if you believe
the rave reviews Shawnee Creek Woodworks is getting
on another thread here, Mike Holmes is making hand
carved F's for $ 750. You might want to check this out.