What do we think of this one?

**multidon** · Jun-28-2012, 7:27pm

http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/57693

What does everyone think of this one? Looks like the luthier that built it did so just like it was a little flattop guitar. Hard to tell from the YouTube video what the sound would really be like, the guy isn't much of a player (which he admits) and it isn't even in tune. The closest parallel I can think of is a Tacoma? Hard to tell really without examining it in person but judging by the picture the maker had some skill, and it's dirt cheap for a luthier made mandolin. But it just isn't what most of us would think of as a mandolin!

**red7flag** · Jun-28-2012, 8:32pm

I really like the look of it, but I like unusual looks. Would love to hear how it sounds.

**Jim Garber** · Jun-28-2012, 8:49pm

The seller gave us a hint on what to search for... not sure why he didn't just put the link to the video in the ad.

**allenhopkins** · Jun-28-2012, 9:29pm

Looks/sounds good to me for the price. And you get a unique instrument.

**multidon** · Jun-28-2012, 10:04pm

We could probably tell more about how it sounds if the seller had bothered to tune it. Bluegrass chop chords don't tell you a lot either since it's obviously not for bluegrass. I would have liked to have heard it played in tune by someone who knows what they're doing.

**allenhopkins** · Jun-29-2012, 12:38am

Well, how many mandolins offered in the classifieds to we get to hear at all? For the asking price of this one, I don't expect a studio-produced CD demo with Barry Mitterhoff playing Begin the Beguine. (Though that would be cool.) We got a fragment of Whiskey Before Breakfast and several closed chords with the "E" strings slightly out of tune. And it's $350 with HSC.

I'd like to have the seller drive over to my house and bring a pizza and a six-pack. We make do with what we got...

**multidon** · Jun-29-2012, 9:47am

Allen-point taken. Usually we don't get to hear them. It's just that this one is so different and out of the norm I am more curious than usual about the tone. It was nice of the seller to try and put something there. I did a little research and it appears the maker was a rather well regarded maker of classical guitars in Minnesota. No idea what possessed him to make mandolins. he was famous apparently for giving his classical guitars actual names written on the labels. Not so the mandolins. The seller has many more pictures of this instrument on another site, I just googled it. The mandolin he's selling has the "name" "#3". Another thing about it sounding out of tune. It looks to me like it's a straight bridge, uncompensated.