Need advice...help!!

[LanaMarie]

I want to buy my son his first mandolin for Christmas but don't know where to start. He is a self-taught guitar player and would like to give the mandolin a try. Should I go with A style or F style? What brand? Anything else I should look for? I don't want to spend a huge amount of money just in case he doesn't play it much, but don't want a piece of junk either. I'm okay with buying used.

[multidon]

F styles are much more expensive than a styles so stick with a to save money. Look for all solid carved wood construction and a proper professional set up. It is really hard to go wrong with the favorite beginners instrument around here, the Kentucky KM 150. It is easy to buy junk in its price range but this one is the real deal. Buy from a dealer that sets up for best playability. Elderly Instruments puts together a package with the set up KM 150, a case, a book, and all the accessories you need for 299. Very hard to beat. NFI. I think they might have a 10 percent off special on those right now. Not sure if it's still valid.

Just checked my e mail. The 10 percent off beginners package at Elderly is good from November 28 through Dec. 1st. Black Friday Special. At 270 that package is impossible to beat.

[Randi Gormley]

So cool. a lot of us are self-taught as well.
Is there a particular type of music he plans to play? he might have some ideas about the style of instrument he would prefer.
The general advice is that you get more bang for your buck with an A style and used (from a reputable source) is perfectly fine and also a money saver. That being said, you can get a nice package from some of our sponsors -- a carved-wood instrument, gig bag, strings with a set-up for an amount that won't break the bank. Give them a call (you can find their contact information on the top of the site) and ask them for help. they're good people.

Also generally speaking, you might want to spend some time on the Cafe's ad pages. That will give you some idea of the range of styles, colors and medium-to-high-end pricing. Usually, we recommend -- if it's possible -- try out some instruments at a physical shop so you can see if you like the feel -- balance, weight, height of strings above the fretboard. If that's not possible, try to find an instrument that's carved wood (as opposed to laminate or plywood) because they sound better.

You can look through the forums for other strings on new players/beginner instruments/pricing, too. The models may change over the years, but the helpfulness remains the same!

[Rush Burkhardt]

this thread might help with price ranges and model types, as well!
Mandolins cost ___?____...audience participation
Go to Forum Search
Good luck!
:popcorn:

[UsuallyPickin]

From 300.00$ to 900.00$ I would recommend a Kentucky A model mandolin. Eastman is another maker in that price range that gets very good reviews herein. Kentucky and Eastman have different tonal characteristics ... I prefer the Kentucky. If you want to buy a quality F model plan on spending over 1,000.00$. Keep in mind the more you spend wisely now means the longer it will take an aspiring mandolin player to grow out of the instrument. Do be sure to purchase from a shop that spends time setting up their instruments for delivery. A discount big box store won't usually provide a good setup. With a mandolin having steel double course strings a good setup is the difference between companionable playability and a difficult relationship from the start. Luck.... R/

[Pasha Alden]

As one or two or three posters said, stick with A style, it's cheaper, especially if you do not know if he will stick with it.
Let's hope he enjoys it so much that the future is the F style?


Good luck

[bart mcneil]

The above advice is solid. Get the best low priced instrument for a beginner because within a year or two he will want to make his own selection and he will have a good background to choose something and he will have a nice back-up mando.

[dhbailey]

The advice has all been very good but I will throw a monkey wrench into the discussion -- if your son is like a lot of young people I've taught and known, if he is imagining an F style mandolin as the mandolin he wants to play and you buy him an A mandolin, he might be as thrilled with it and he might not work at it as hard and it may eventually just gather dust.

So I'm suggesting that you try to feel him out about whether he has a preference about an F mandolin or the tear-drop shape A mandolin. If he doesn't care or hasn't even though about it, then by all means buy the A mandolin because you can buy better for less money than an F mandolin. But if he's got his heart set on an F mandolin, then that's what you should buy in my opinion.

[OldSausage]

Anyone who ever says an A style is shaped like a teardrop has already told you how they feel about it.

[Jim Garber]

Some wide advice here, however, I would suggest that, unless it is absolutely essential for this to be a surprise, that you talk to him about it, if possible take him to a store (sometimes hard to do since there are few stores with a decent selection) or if you are doing the buying online, to check out the MC advertisers and see what they have -- a few were mentioned above already.

I am not a big one on surprises and since he has been playing guitar for awhile he might have an idea of what he wants. BTW you didn't mention what his age is. That may very well factor in. Certainly a teenager would have an idea of what is cool and not and prob would prefer to at least have some input in the final decision.

[haggardphunk]

eastman or kentucky. KM-150 or MD305 are the two best entry level mandolins and you can count on getting a good product. If you think for some reason he really wants an F style dont get him one in this price range. Step it up to at least the $6-700 range.

[Austin Bob]

Good luck on your purchase, it is cool that you care enough for your son to ask advice first. The only thing I would add to all of the comments above is to make sure whatever you buy is set up correctly.

To be playable, a mandolin (or any stringed instrument) needs to be gone over by a professional who knows how to check for string height, bridge placement, plus a lot of other factors. Many of the big box retail stores that specialize in guitars do not have anyone on their staff with experience in setting up a mandolin. Due to the short scale and high string tension, the setup is even more critical in a mandolin than a guitar.

Trust me, going from a cheap mandolin that is set up properly to one that is set up professionally is like going from shoes that are too tight to nice comfy ones.

So my advice would be to go to the home page of the cafe. Call a two or three of the stores you see listed in the banners and ask what kind of deals they have in your price range. Most will offer a limited trial, so your son will have a day or so to send it back if something is wrong.

Guitar stores are great for guitars, but I usually don't recommend the chain stores for beginning mandolin purchasers.

[Rob Meldrum]

Well, once again I will take this from a completely different perspective. It depends on your economics and what you expect from your son. If you were hoping to spend under $150, here is what I would do. Go to musiciansfriend and get their "bluegrass two-fer" :
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/rogue-acoustic-guitar-and-mandolin-pack?rNtt=rogue mandolin&index=2

Order a spare set or three of guitar strings and mandolin strings and a variety of picks. Then go to your local auto parts store and buy a feeler gauge. Finally, email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com and put "mandolin set up" in the subject line. I will email you a free ebook to give to your son that will teach him how to properly set up the mandolin. He can use the same technicques to set up the guitar.

Wayne Gretzky's dad bought him an inexpensive hockey stick when he was young. Lots of Wayne's friends got more expensive sticks from their parents. Wayne's father said (paraphrased) "when you're good enough that this stick can't keep up with you, I will buy you a better stick." That gave Wayne the incentive to work hard and improve. He got his "better stick" in his junior or senior year in high school.

After a set up and new strings the guitar sits on a stand in my bedroom, unafraid of any potential hazards. It is a great campfire guitar, and I can hand it to my less-than-skilled friends who want to play a song or two without any worries on my part. It is 80% of the guitar my Martin D35 is, at less than 10% of the cost.

The same goes for the mandolin. After a set up and new strings it will accommodate any beginner well into their intermediate stage. Your son will acquire enough experience to know exactly what his next mandolin should be. Mandolin Acquisition Syndrome ensues.

Merry Christmas!