Reasonably priced entry level lefty?

[badgopher]

Good morning all!

I'm one of those morons who insists on playing left handed. Can anyone recommend a make/model that is a good solid choice for someone not wholly convince he's going to actually keep up with playing (ergo not sure this won't just be wasted money)?

I've seen a few of the 100$ models Amazon sells, and they just feel like someone went to Home Depot and made them out of balsa wood and duct tape. I played guitar for about a year, so I've got a little bit of string experience.

I don't need or want a case or anything. I've got a guitar tuner, if that will work for a mandolin.

I would like to pick up a 'for beginners' book as well, and I'd like to learn some Irish style songs.

Ideal price point would be the 100-150$ range. So, anyone have suggestions for my early morning ramble?

[Paul Busman]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem that you could turn any mando into a lefty-- turn the bridge around, and a new leftie nut should do the trick. Getting a new nut would be a good opportunity to have the mandolin set up properly. An F style would look odd, and you couldn't use the scroll to attach a strap, but any A style should be OK.
All that said, It might be hard to find anything even halfway decent in your price range, but you never know. Why not ask in the classifieds? It's been my experience that lots of people have instruments sitting around that they don't play, but don't bother putting them up for sale until someone asks.

[badgopher]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem that you could turn any mando into a lefty-- turn the bridge around, and a new leftie nut should do the trick. Getting a new nut would be a good opportunity to have the mandolin set up properly. An F style would look odd, and you couldn't use the scroll to attach a strap, but any A style should be OK.
All that said, It might be hard to find anything even halfway decent in your price range, but you never know. Why not ask in the classifieds? It's been my experience that lots of people have instruments sitting around that they don't play, but don't bother putting them up for sale until someone asks.

Honestly, I think 'halfway decent' is probably an over qualification for it, right now, ha. I have a habit of getting very enthused about new things then never actually doing them, so I buy-in very cheap, and will upgrade to something good if I'm still going in a few months.

Didn't think about turning over a regular one, since I basically know as much about instrument components as I do about, say, Russian advanced calculus written in Aramaic. What all would be involved with that? New nut, proper setup?

[bart mcneil]

The problem you have is that a new instrument costing $200 or under is almost never set up properly for playing.... However a $200 mando can normally play quite nicely once it is set up properly.
An un-set up mandolin will normally play poorly and not in tune as you fret the higher frets but more importantly the nut will not be adjusted which it must be for comfortable and in tune playing. So I am suggesting that your chance of buying a $200 new mando which plays well is close to zero. I could be wrong on this because I haven't shopped recently but it is hard to imagine a new mando sold set up at that price. To have a mando professionally set up will usually run beween $60 and $100.

I would set my figure at $300 and go for a used mando. They do come up in classified on this site and are sometimes well set up. Ask about set up if buying a used mando.

Another reason why it might be good to go for a more expensive mando than you are considering is that a cheap mando is hard to sell used but sometimes a lower end quality mando can be turned over for roughly what you paid for it if you buy used..

[pheffernan]

Ideal price point would be the 100-150$ range. So, anyone have suggestions for my early morning ramble?

You might find that a request for a reasonably priced lefthanded mandolin is unreasonable. There are few options in the $100-150 range for righties, and choices for lefties as vastly diminished. You could contact Elderly about this Rover and see what they would charge you to convert it for you: http://elderly.com/new_instruments/names/rover-rm-50-a-model-mandolin--RM50.htm.

[bart mcneil]

Buy the Rover from Elderly as suggested above... I am sure rhey are selling these to get folks interested in mando and hopefully encourage folks to later buy a more expensive mando.

[bart mcneil]

;double post

[badgopher]

Well, that's pretty much what I was expecting. But many thanks for all the information everyone!

[MikeEdgerton]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem that you could turn any mando into a lefty-- turn the bridge around, and a new leftie nut should do the trick. Getting a new nut would be a good opportunity to have the mandolin set up properly. An F style would look odd, and you couldn't use the scroll to attach a strap, but any A style should be OK.
All that said, It might be hard to find anything even halfway decent in your price range, but you never know. Why not ask in the classifieds? It's been my experience that lots of people have instruments sitting around that they don't play, but don't bother putting them up for sale until someone asks.

You'd have to install a left handed bridge, turning it around isn't the answer. You are correct in that any mandolin could be made left handed. A new nut and a new bridge and you're there.

[Charles E.]

If you go to eBay and do a search for "left handed mandolin" you will find more options then I thought there would be. There are a number in your price range.

[ambrosepottie]

Turning a right handed A style into a lefty will cost about $150, give or take. I did it with an old Stradolin and it sounds/plays fine. New nut, new bridge top, and setup. That cost would be the same converting a $100 mandolin or a $20,000 mandolin.

[ambrosepottie]

You're probably saving $50 or so if you can keep the existing bridge base and just get a compensated lefty top, assuming it's properly carved for the arch.

[allenhopkins]

1. You'll need to install a new nut, since the string slots are differently-sized, and you're swapping thinner for thicker.

2. You'll need a new bridge saddle (assuming a two-piece adjustable bridge); keep the bridge base, assuming it's properly fitted to the top of the mandolin -- which is part of proper set-up, and you'll need to consider that.

3. There are companies making mandolin bridges, and I'd contact one of them regarding making a left-handed saddle. Simonoff sells an entire left-handed bridge, (http://parts.siminoff.net/bridge-mandola-gaboon-ebony-left-handed-gold-plated-hardware.aspx) but it's $65 and would have to be fitted to the top, when you only need the saddle.

[badgopher]

Thought I'd give this one another pass; if I were willing to go up in price (to whatever, I'm not spending 1k, but this is 'bored at work day dreaming' so go wild?), what would anyone recommend as a good, solid, simple, lefty, entry level mandolin?

[pheffernan]

Thought I'd give this one another pass; if I were willing to go up in price (to whatever, I'm not spending 1k, but this is 'bored at work day dreaming' so go wild?), what would anyone recommend as a good, solid, simple, lefty, entry level mandolin?

If we're concerned with price,

$600 http://www.folkmusician.com/The-Loar-LM-220-Mandolin-Lefty/productinfo/LM%2D220L/

$800 http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=8375

$800 http://www.theparlorknoxville.com/mandolins/flatiron-1-n-lefty

Personally, I'd see if I could get The Parlor to negotiate on the pancake!