RamblinRover
Mar-17-2016, 6:04pm
Ok so I'm wondering if any of the helpful people here have any helpful insight in this area :) There seems to be little to no info about Smokey Mountain mandolins anywhere on The Web. Are they any good at all?
multidon
Mar-17-2016, 9:16pm
There are Smoky Mountain branded mandolins that are pretty much the same as dozens of other "brands" of cheap imports of a quality that personally I would not bother with. However, properly set up they could be decent enough. Heck, even a 50 dollar Rogue can play acceptably when set up. Set up is the key.
There is also a dulcimer maker in Florida who makes "Smokey Mountain" mandolins. The design appears to be inspired by the now defunct Tacoma mandolins, with the offset tone hole. I would expect those to probably have a typical flat top sound, and would have the "charm" of being luthier made.