Biggest Mandolin Surprise

[KnotClever]

For those of you that have picking the mandolin for a few years, interested in knowing your thoughts on the following:

1. Most overrated mandolins.
2. Most underrated mandolins.

Thanks from Spokane

[Charles E.]

:popcorn:

[Freddyfingers]

Seeing how I only own one acoustic, and its a Epiphone mm20, its the same answer to both questions. But I hope to be changing that soon.

[kevbuch]

:popcorn:

[CeeCee_C]

i haven't been playing that long, but I can tell you that the Northfield F5S really
surprised me with it's power. I don't think it's either under or over-rated and I
wouldn't say so if I did.

This is one of those dangerous topics where peoples' feelings get involved. I think
if we stuck to positively surprised, we'd all enjoy the conversation without anyone
being offended.

[bratsche]

http://i.imgur.com/BGI81.gif

bratsche

[Wolfmanbob]

Over-rated...Gibson Lloyd Loars
Under-rated...Flatirons

[Bill Bradshaw]

For those of you that have picking the mandolin for a few years, interested in knowing your thoughts on the following:

1. Most overrated mandolins.
2. Most underrated mandolins.

Thanks from Spokane

Hah. Well my friend did tell me last night that my mandolin was "coming along nicely". Thanks a lot Mr. Loar owner (and no, not a "The Loar")! So I guess one of the mandos was overrated..... or undrrated.

Cheers,

BB

[CeeCee_C]

Let the pissing contest begin!

[OldSausage]

Most overrated mandolin = your mandolin.
Most underrated mandolin = my mandolin.

or vice versa, depending on how much you love/hate your own mandolin/s.

[dcoventry]

Well, I was most surprised by the Loar LM700 I bought through folkmusician.com. WOW!! The setup was PERFECT and I could really get a lot out of that mando. Better for chording than single note, perhaps, but shockingly good overall. Dang.

[Marty Jacobson]

Most overrated mandolin = your mandolin.
Most underrated mandolin = my mandolin.

or vice versa, depending on how much you love/hate your own mandolin/s.

Haha, you beat me to it. I was going to say:

Most overrated: whichever one you want to buy next
Most underrated: whichever one you currently own

[JeffD]

I think in general that flatties are underrated. Arch tops are great for what they are great at. But if you are not too bluegrasscentric there are several flatties of great make, fit and finish, sound and playability that you could love for ever.

[mandobassman]

This is one of those dangerous topics where peoples' feelings get involved. I think
if we stuck to positively surprised, we'd all enjoy the conversation without anyone
being offended.

I couldn't agree more. There's instruments out there that some may think are junk that the owners of such instruments may think are wonderful. No point in hurting feelings here. Seems kind of pointless to highlight "under-rated" mandolins. Let's keep it positive here.

[JEStanek]

The most over-rated one is the one you got cheap on e-bay that needs more work than it's worth to repair.
The most under-rated one is the one you're not practicing when you're obsessing over other mandolins.

Jamie

[allenhopkins]

No opinion on overrated, and agree it's a touchy subject.

Underrated: Strad-O-Lins, mid-20th-century cheapos that consistently punch above their weights. Recently being "discovered," so prices are going up. My $25 Strad has been one of my most useful instruments.

Second place in "underrated" goes to Flatiron "pancakes." Simple design, minimal frills, great sound.

[Pasha Alden]

Hooray! Let's hear it for subjectivity!

[Ivan Kelsall]

An impossible question to answer (IMHO). Every make/model has it's pros.& cons. & they differ from one person's opinion to those of another person. I can imagine that even the very finest of our current builders don't always produce a mandolin the 'everybody' would die for.They will make mandolins that vary in tonal / volume qualities.Some folks will like one over another,that's their opinion & choice.Other folk will like another one & so on & so on............ !. In other words,you can NOT generalise re.which are good,better or best. Like most of us on here,i've read good & bad reports on all sorts of makes / models of mandolin & that's about as good as you can get ie. - different makes / models of mandolin are good / bad ''some of the time''. One person's opinion is as good as anothers - with the proviso that they each have similar experience,
Ivan

[Tom Coletti]

Overrated: anything that looks like it may actually be playable.
Underrated: eBay folk art mandolins.
113629

--Tom

[Jim Garber]

Most underrated: high quality vintage bowlbacks, esp in North America... and I personally would love to keep it that way. :)