help

**guitargain** · May-25-2012, 12:28pm

Originally Posted by Tim2723

You got flamed? Where? We don't take kindly to flamers around here. Mess with one of us and they mess with the whole trailer park.

I said in a nice way!!!! I was kidding

**Tim2723** · May-25-2012, 4:17pm

So was I!

**QCS** · May-25-2012, 5:35pm

G-gain- Welcome to the cafe', pull up a chair. Found your thread while spending a few moments decompressing from work. You have already received plenty of suggestions and lot's of good advice. One thing I did not see in the thread is the mention of buying second hand. Do get out and try as many mando's as you can, it will only help you in knowing what you do and don't like. But take some time and troll the classifieds and see if you can get a little more bang for your buck. I for one, have had very positive results in buying used. Many of us maintain a catch and release program and sell perfectly good instruments only because it's time to move onward in another direction. Ya never know what you might find. But first , you need to know what you are looking for. Again, welcome to the Cafe' and good luck on you journey. Q

**guitargain** · May-25-2012, 7:49pm

Originally Posted by Tim2723

So was I!

Haha, you kinda got me. I am usually pretty good with the forum thing as I belong to one called cigarasylum.com for a while. And I see how easy it is for someone new to sometimes not express themselves the way I think they want to and get off to a rocky start. I was trying real hard not to do that here.LOL

**allenhopkins** · May-25-2012, 7:49pm

Originally Posted by guitargain

...I got flamed in a nice way for liking something that was considered to be flashy and had just started my search and learn for what I wanted. I have been playing guitar for most of my life and having something that is flashy and shiny isn't a bad thing if it's good quality imho. I just decided after the advice I received here and thankfully so, I was able to get a little more quality or a lot I guess for a little less flash and that's cool by me too. Thanks for all the advice and I intend to hopefully be able to post some things during my journey that would be beneficial to someone else someday.

Pleading guilty; I said something about OP's "being drawn to the flashier, but not necessarily better, lines of Asian import" mandolins, by which I meant Morgan Monroe and Michael Kelly -- which are consistently great-looking instruments, but not as esteemed as Loar, Kentucky, Eastman etc. by Cafe posters.

Hey, all other things being equal, I want the best looking mandolin as well! It's the "other things equal" part that's more problematical.

**guitargain** · May-25-2012, 7:53pm

Originally Posted by QCS

G-gain- Welcome to the cafe', pull up a chair. Found your thread while spending a few moments decompressing from work. You have already received plenty of suggestions and lot's of good advice. One thing I did not see in the thread is the mention of buying second hand. Do get out and try as many mando's as you can, it will only help you in knowing what you do and don't like. But take some time and troll the classifieds and see if you can get a little more bang for your buck. I for one, have had very positive results in buying used. Many of us maintain a catch and release program and sell perfectly good instruments only because it's time to move onward in another direction. Ya never know what you might find. But first , you need to know what you are looking for. Again, welcome to the Cafe' and good luck on you journey. Q

Thanks for the welcome. The only problem is there doesn't seem to much of a market where I live for used mandolins. And there isn't a real store to buy or play many nearby either, it would be a couple hours drive to get to a store that has any amount of them to try. I did play two MMs that a freind has and I have to say they are pretty good for what he paid for them. I have also played my husband in laws Gibson F-5 (I think) and it was obviously nice but way outta my price range. I would really like to play whatever I buy first but after reading how esteemed folkmusician.com is here I don't think I could go wrong by buying from them. The bigger neck on the LM-600 seems to be a hit with most guitar players so I don't think I will ever notice the difference there.

**Ben Milne** · May-25-2012, 8:34pm

Originally Posted by QCS

troll the classifieds

but only in a nice way...

**guitargain** · May-25-2012, 8:43pm

Originally Posted by allenhopkins

Pleading guilty; I said something about OP's "being drawn to the flashier, but not necessarily better, lines of Asian import" mandolins, by which I meant Morgan Monroe and Michael Kelly -- which are consistently great-looking instruments, but not as esteemed as Loar, Kentucky, Eastman etc. by Cafe posters.

Hey, all other things being equal, I want the best looking mandolin as well! It's the "other things equal" part that's more problematical.

Hey it's kinda good you said that cause it helped me to take a closer look at those two brands and then read more about The Loar too so it kinda fit my purpose for posting the question in the first place. you weren't rude about it and I didn't take it that way.

**Rick Lindstrom** · May-26-2012, 7:24pm

To second a motion- do yourself a favor and pass on the low end F models. Any A model at the same price will be way more bang for your buck.

Rick

**guitargain** · May-31-2012, 8:31pm

Thanks for the tip Rick, but I kinda had my heart set on an F style, and Iknow that there is more bang for the buck in the As. I just now placed my order for The Loar LM-600vs with the CA bridge upgrade from folkmusician.com. I sent an email asking about the upgrade and received a reply from Robert Fear and it was his honesty that made me go ahead an upgrade. What he said was that he didn't neccesarily say the LM-600 "needed" the upgraded bridge, but that it would certainly benefit from it. To me that's an honest answer that isn't designed to just get me to spend more money. I will also say that it's my opinion that the reputation they have here is well deserved. Thanks for all the input and help again. Can't wait to get now and get busy.

**allenhopkins** · Jun-01-2012, 10:55am

Awright!!! Let us know how you like the Loar...

**guitargain** · Jun-02-2012, 8:37pm

Mr. Fear doesn't lollygag around neither. I ordered this on Thursday night after hours. I forgot to mention in the notes on the order that this would be used for bluegrass as I don't know enough about mandolins to know whether or not that would affect how he would set it up. I got an email on Friday pretty early saying he was about to start on mine and that it would be on the way next week. My credit card was charged this morning and the website says it's not charged until the order is ready to be shipped. 1st class gentleman in my opinion and I doubt if I ever deal with anyone else when it comes to mandolins just judging by his attention so far. Thanks Mor. Fear.

**dang** · Jun-04-2012, 7:41am

I am assuming the bluechip pick, tone guard, armrest, leather strap, clip-on tuner, extra strings, hand carved wooden string winder, string cutters, Calton case, Colorado case cover for aforementioned Calton case (with additional backpack straps), metronome (never to be used), mandolin capo (just in case), microfiber polishing cloth, and various assorted "How to play like..." books are already on their way to your house?

Or, you could buy all that stuff first and have it lying around the house while you save up for your mandolin!

**guitargain** · Jun-06-2012, 8:22pm

Originally Posted by dang

I am assuming the bluechip pick, tone guard, armrest, leather strap, clip-on tuner, extra strings, hand carved wooden string winder, string cutters, Calton case, Colorado case cover for aforementioned Calton case (with additional backpack straps), metronome (never to be used), mandolin capo (just in case), microfiber polishing cloth, and various assorted "How to play like..." books are already on their way to your house?

Or, you could buy all that stuff first and have it lying around the house while you save up for your mandolin!

You know what assuming does right?

**Randi Gormley** · Jun-07-2012, 8:28am

So, did it come? How do you like it?

**Axeman** · Jun-07-2012, 12:55pm

Hi Greg. I should have known you were here when you mentioned your setup. The slope can be slippery here, too.

**guitargain** · Jun-07-2012, 2:46pm

Originally Posted by Axeman

Hi Greg. I should have known you were here when you mentioned your setup. The slope can be slippery here, too.

Haha, it's a small world buddy.

**guitargain** · Jun-07-2012, 2:47pm

Originally Posted by Randi Gormley

So, did it come? How do you like it?

No, it just shipped on Tuesday, so it's five day shipping. Sposed to be here on Tuesday. I will say again though that Mr. Fear doesn't sit on orders that's for sure. I ordered it late on Thursday night and it went out the next Tuesday after the bridge upgrade and setting it up seems to be fast to me. The five day waiting isn't fun though.LOL

**mandolirius** · Jun-07-2012, 3:56pm

Hey, look what just happened. A guy comes on asking for advice, gets some that is good and actually follows it. Could that be a first?

Seriously, I'm glad you gave your business to someone who really seems to understand the products he's selling. His emphasis on setup will be a great help to any new players that buy from him.