hello newbie here

[gremlin]

Hello,
I am a newbie not only here but to the mandolin as well.I already play guitar and have been a metal guitarist for about 20 years so my hands are pretty fast(lol) and at this stage in my life now that I am too old for rock and rool as the kids say, im ready to get back to the music i remember my grandaddy playing . I hope I will pick up mandolin pretty quickly because I think a lot will transfer over (sweep picking, string skipping, arpeggios, hammer ons, trills and modal theory etc..) I already own a cheap "bean blossom" a-style mandolin. I am looking to upgrade my mandolin for a decent f-model and taking lessons. what is a good f-style mandolin that wont break the bank I am looking to spend about 400-600. For the money which is a better mando:a Kentucky, Epiphone, Dean, Fender, or Washburn? any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Greenmando]

Hi Jack, welcome to the bored.

With that large of a bank roll you might want to look into MK's also known as Michael Kelly. Pacific Rim made but probably the only fairly decent F-style in your budget. They retail for more but if you watch the Classifieds#and eBay something always shows up.

But you will get more bang for your dollars by purchasing a used A-style. Great deals on American made Flatiron flat-tops and Mid Mo's. Same sound and you do not really need the $2000 strap holder. Quite a few subjects just like this in the
Looking for information about mandolins #section.

[fatt-dad]

Hi Jack, welcome to the bored.

Freudian slip - I mean are we so bored that we type?

f-d

[Lane Pryce]

Jack if you can live without the scroll you may find a used Breedlove in your range. Better yet check with Fatt-Dad to see what kind of offering he may have.Welcome to the "bored." Lp

[Lee]

Gremlin, since you're already an accomplished string instrument player I suspect you are at the stage where you'd appreciate a quality mandolin. Please understand that a carved arched top mandolin is much more labor-intensive to build than a flat-top guitar. #Hence a $400-$600 mandolin will be nowhere near the same quality of an equally priced acoustic guitar. #As a minimum, wait until you've topped $800 and begin to look at used Breedloves or Rigels. In the long run you'll be glad you waited a little longer to upgrade.

[gremlin]

wow,
I am learning a lot here, Thanks a lot guys! I guess quality mandolins aren't like electric guitars. I have a few high dollar electric guitars that never leave the house but usually buy in the 600 to 700 range and hot rod them so they play and sound like 3000.00 custom shop stuff (which is real easy to do if you know how to set them up and what parts to buy) I guess I will re-think my spending limit I set for myself and sell some of my electric guitar gear and add the proceedes to my mando acct. ( I know my wife will welcome the room(lol) I do have another question though, some made me a copy of the dell mcoury band cd called "Dell and the Boys" who is that mandolin player in that band? I was blown away, He would scare the fastest heavy metal guitar legends with his speed and acccuracy and phrasing. His scales and solo's are incredible and is there anyone better than him or in his style that I may like?

[mpeknox]

I do have another question though, some made me a copy of the dell mcoury band cd called "Dell and the Boys" who is that mandolin player in that band? I was blown away, He would scare the fastest heavy metal guitar legends with his speed and acccuracy and phrasing. His scales and solo's are incredible and is there anyone better than him or in his style that I may like?

Ronnie McCoury plays the mandolin with the Del McCoury Band and his brother plays the ba&*o...a family act. As far as there being anyone better than him, that's certainly open to debate. I'm a big Ronnie McCoury fan but I also like Monroe (of course), Mike Compton (Monroe style), Alan Bibey (talk about clean picking), and lots of others. There are a bunch of good 'uns around.

[Eric F.]

Hey Gremlin, you have good taste in mandolin players!

[mando bandage]

Gremlin,

With your, er, more popular musical background, you may be interested in knowing that Ronnie McCoury was a Dead Head in his youth.

R

[gremlin]

yeah I admit it For most of my guitar playing life I was a shredder playing in the styles of ozzy osbourne, black sabbath and, Van Halen. But I also introduced at an early age to Doc Watson, WC Handy, Ralph Stanley,Bill Monroe(Uncle Pen is still an all time favorite song). But like most teenagers when I learned to play it was more about being cool and getting girls, Now Im pushing 40 and find myself listening to more and more stuff like merle travis and chet atkins and doc watson. My granddady was a huge influence on me getting interested in music and since I lost him a few years back those old songs he used to listen to and play on his guitar helps keep him close beside me. Heavy metal today is nothing but screams and growls, Pop music is just silly bubblegum, Country is what we used to call southern rock, and all the great bluesmen are Dieing off(of course these are my opinions) So Im going back to a music form that has remained fairly pure, where the music is what matters and not how much money there is and how many comercial endorsements you can get.