Is a Rogue a mistake for a beginner?

[Joekster]

Hey everyone, this is my first post and I had a quick question for all of y'all. I'm a college student looking to get into playing mandolin and I have learned that most any instrument I get will need a form of setting up before it will be properly playable. Considering I only have meager funds right now I was wondering if I should just buy one of the Rogue 100A mandolins for $50 and then try to learn how to set it up myself. I figure that I would rather mess up something cheap than a beautiful instrument that I have invested into.

Considering I do plan on playing mandolin long term though, I am wondering if this will be a mistake and I should just bite the bullet and buy a higher quality instrument.

Thank you all for any feedback!

[Tobin]

Honestly, if you can afford a better mandolin, buy the better mandolin.

I wouldn't necessarily call a Rogue a "mistake" for a beginner, as long as he or she goes into it knowing what it is and what it needs. Where it becomes a mistake is when people buy it thinking it's a ready-to-play instrument out of the box, or that this is what playing a mandolin should be like. So many people have given up on playing the mandolin out of frustration from these entry-level instruments that they should come with a warning label.

So... if you have the time, tools, patience, and know-how to do the setup yourself, a Rogue can be a playable entry-level mandolin for folks who can't afford anything better. If the only alternative is to never try the mandolin, then it's not a mistake to buy one and set it up. But if you can afford a better one, or afford a professional setup, that's the way to go.

[WoodyCTA102]

If the choice is between saving up a little money and buying something else in a couple of months vs. having to put it off for a long time, I would go ahead and get the Rogue. I think you are better off, short and long-term buying something like an Eastman 305 ($480 or so new, much less used) that will likely play and sound better than the Rouge. It makes a huge difference in how you progress.

But, you are also better off having something to play -- even if you will get something better later -- than not having anything.

There are lots of threads on the Rogue, here's one -- https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?69252-Beginner-Review-Rogue-RM-100A-vs-Kentucky-KM-140S

Good luck.

[Bob A]

I bought a Czech bowlback at a pawnshop in 1966. In less than a year, the cheap brass frets were too worn to play, and replacement would cost far more than the mandolin was worth.

I've had great success with buying through a layaway program. You end up with an instrument worth keeping, and if you bought it used, you can get most of your money back if you want to trade up, or if you decide the mandolin is not for you.

As a general rule, always try to buy an instrument that is above your playing level. Buy once, cry once.

[Al Trujillo]

I asked a similar question almost three years ago (buying now 'cheap' vs. buying later 'better')....some pretty smart guy on this forum told me to buy the instrument that was many steps above my abilities and an instrument that 'inspired me' to pick it up to play often. I took that advice, waited a few months and bought a much nicer instrument. I'm so grateful for that advice...and I do have an instrument that remains above my skill level...but that inspires me to play it as it deserves.

[allenhopkins]

A dedicated beginner can learn on anything; ask some Cafe members about their first instruments.

That said, you're looking at a real minimum quality instrument. If you want to learn to do your own set-up, there's this standing e-book offer from Cafe member Rob Meldrum (swell guy and great benefactor):

Just send an email to rob.meldrum@gmail.com with "mandolin setup" in the subject line and I will email you a copy for free (free to all mandolincafe members).

If you can find a Rover RM-50, or even a Rover RM-35S which at least has a solid top, you'll have at least gone beyond plywood, and they're not much more than the Rogue you're considering.

A Kentucky KM-150 is still less than $300, and it's all solid woods and carved, rather than heat-pressed. This may significantly exceed your current budget, but you're getting closer to a quality instrument.

To be fair, some Cafe members have gotten a lot of mileage out of plywood Rogue mandolins (current thread (https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?134447-Gear-I-gig-with-on-a-tight-budget-that-works)). As far as playability is concerned -- and that's what's most crucial to someone learning the instrument -- set-up is the most important factor. The mandolin should sound in tune, and have comfortable "action" (distance of strings above fretboard). Then you can learn on it, even if its sound's less than stellar.

[B381]

I bought a Rogue and it was a decent mandolin, it proved to me that I was going to continue with this pursuit and I have since invested in a Kentucky KM150 which is a fine instrument with a very pleasing tone. Check Craigslist, there's often deals on there. If you have some funds, pick this one up or continues to search the used here, they drop in price after periods of time.

Oh, I got the setup guide from on here (free for the asking) and did my Rogue in a matter of a couple hours. It's pretty good now and I keep it for times I don't want my Kentucky "in danger"....LOL.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Kentucky/KM250-Artist-A-Style-Mandolin.gc

[Br1ck]

I think almost everyone has bought a better instrument than their starter as soon as they realized a long term interest. I started with a very nice Eastman MD 505, but soon upgraded. I imagine most have moved up weather they started on a Rogue or a Weber, LOL.

You could save yourself some time and trouble starting with an all solid mandolin like the KM 150, but I live by the motto "having a mandolin is better than having no mandolin."

[MikeEdgerton]

I see nothing wrong with starting on a Rogue and getting a copy of Rob's e-book to learn the setup. I'd rather see somebody experiment on a $50.00 Rogue than a $500.00 Eastman. If you decide it isn't for you you're not out a whole lot and if you decide it is for you you're going to start buying more expensive mandolins anyway no matter what you started with.

[mandoglobal]

Highly recommend that you get the best mandolin you can possibly afford.

[Gary Leonard]

Learn on the Rogue, get one with a solid top if possible. You can kill two birds with one stone, you learn how and why to setup a mandolin, and have something to play. Then I would skip any slight upgrade later, and after saving up, getting the best mandolin you can possibly afford. By the time you spend 350-500 for an "upgrade", then another $700 for an upgrade after that, you are not far from a nice used, quality mandolin.

[Denny Gies]

You go Allen. I bought an Aria for my first one, cheap.....but I learned enough to decide I wanted to stick with it and finally had enough cash to get a 'teens Gibson A model. No regrets at all.

[Tomando]

I would compare learning mandolin on a Rogue (or equivalent), to learning to kayak on a heavy, beat up rental kayak. It can discourage one from keeping with it. Just sayin'…

[CES]

If that's all you can do, go for it and do or get a good set up.

If you can find a used KM 150, especially a recent one, it will take you much longer to outgrow. Ditto for Eastman 305. Used Big Muddies come up used for < 400 not infrequently as well...

But, if you get a well set up Rogue, it's certainly workable as a starter instrument...

[allenhopkins]

Learn on the Rogue, get one with a solid top if possible....

Don't think Rogue offers a solid-top mandolin.

[Eric Platt]

As others have said, the Rogue will work, especially if you want to try setting it up yourself. However, just going up a bit in price will probably yield a much better instrument. Besides Kentucky and Eastman, would also suggest keeping an eye open for a used The Loar. Got lucky and found a used one for $225 earlier this year when I wanted to get back into playing.

Now, everyone on this forum is going to have a favorite beginner mandolin. So take what I say with a big grain of salt.

[MontanaMatt]

13 years ago I suffered through the mando learning curve on a sub $800 gold tone, this was after I was making money playing fiddle in a band. I had many thousands of dollars in fiddles, but didn't know if I'd love the mando, so I aimed pretty low for my expectations...After about a year I was able to out pick my goldtone, and decided to take the leap. I got a pro caliber Weber, of which I couldn't wait to open the case each day. I plan to keep that mandolin for life and teach my kid how to pick it when he's old enough. I've had many students in my studio whom I've advised to go for it with purchases, none have expressed any regrets for getting an instrument beyond their current station.
You get what you pay for. $50 is approximately 6-6packs of good beer, shouldn't a mandolin be worth more than what amounts to a week or two of collegiate pee? Good luck and happy pickin!

[UsuallyPickin]

Whenever ,. wherever , always buy the best instrument you can afford. Get Rob Meldrum's setup book no matter what you buy. It's part of the mandolin continuing education program. Used Kentucky and Eastman instruments are often for sale at a reasonable price here on the Café Classifieds ..... Check them out..... R/

[HappyPickin]

I have a Rogue that I bought on sale for 49.99 shipped. It wasn't too hard to make playable. A short term later I bought a used better mandolin but I still play the Rogue when I camp and take it to work when I work graveyard shift. I learned quite a bit playing the Rogue. No one knows me here so I can admit to owning one.:mandosmiley:

[doublestoptremolo]

A good deal on a set up beginner mandolin in the $155 Rover RM-50 from Elderly.

[Paul Busman]

Don't feel pressured to buy a more expensive mandolin right from the start. I've been a college and post college student and I know how tight money can be. If what you can afford is the Rogue, buy the Rogue and learn to set it up. That's a skill all mandolin players should be familiar with,IMO. Things sometimes go awry on any mandolin and being able to tweak it yourself is very satisfying and a whole lot cheaper than taking (or shipping) it to a luthier.
If it's not too much of a stretch, that Elderly Rover is probably worth the extra bucks. It's not much more and you'd end up with an instrument that plays OK right out of the box. Learn to set it up anyway though.

[Randi Gormley]

The rogue is a perfectly fine beginner mandolin once it's set up. but it does need a setup. The nut on mine was a good eighth of an inch too high and the bridge was way out of whack. i had it professionally setup for $60 -- yup, more than I paid for the instrument. but it's good to go.

that said, you'll need new strings pretty much immediately (the ones it comes with aren't usually particularly good) and it doesn't hurt to have a tuner of some sort -- you can get a cheap one or an expensive one, a tuning fork or a keyboard if you want, but you will need something to make sure it's in tune, because one of the translations of mandolin is "always out of tune." Especially with double courses, the instrument is easy to get out of true. And the rogue, being wood (albeit plywood), will be affected by temperature and humidity.

[sbhikes]

My opinion: I traded a flute for a $100 mandolin many years ago. I played my $100 mandolin for about 10 years. I loved it. It was set up nicely, easy to play. I tried everybody else's fancy mandolins and always liked mine better. After about 8 years or so people kept telling me I deserved a better mandolin. It took me 2 more years before I started to realize maybe they were right. I sold my old one for $50. I hope it makes the person who bought it as happy as it made me.

Bottom line, if the instrument is easy to play and you like it and you care more about the good times to be had playing music than how fancy your mandolin is, then yes, a Rogue is just fine.

[allenhopkins]

...$50 is approximately 6-6packs of good beer, shouldn't a mandolin be worth more...? Good luck and happy pickin!

Or, it's one fairly high-class dinner out with your sweetie. Or a tank and a half of gas, a pair of decent jeans, going "halfsies" on PPV for the Mayweather-McGregor "fight."

Sometimes I wonder how much thought we lavish on an expenditure that would pass unnoticed in our routine daily lives. The real question, of course, is Joekster wasting $50 on an instrument that will be useless to him? Probably not -- if it's properly set up -- but as the consensus seems to be, wouldn't hurt to put a few more buxx into a better mandolin.

[SincereCorgi]

Or, it's one fairly high-class dinner out with your sweetie. Or a tank and a half of gas, a pair of decent jeans, going "halfsies" on PPV for the Mayweather-McGregor "fight."

Sometimes I wonder how much thought we lavish on an expenditure that would pass unnoticed in our routine daily lives. The real question, of course, is Joekster wasting $50 on an instrument that will be useless to him? Probably not -- if it's properly set up -- but as the consensus seems to be, wouldn't hurt to put a few more buxx into a better mandolin.

The tricky thing is that it's such a jump from a $50 mandolin, which pretty much any bubba can afford, to $200-300 for a Km-140 on the next tier up. Also, depending on where you buy it, that Kentucky is going to take just as much set-up as the Rogue. I don't know if I'd be keen on buying a budget canoe if everybody told me I'd need to get Rob's Basic Canoe Building Guide to make it usable.

[PJ Doland]

They're actually totally serviceable instruments if you put a little effort into setting them up.

And even after you upgrade you'll always have a "beater" to take camping or leave in your office.

-PJ

[NursingDaBlues]

In my opinion, the mistake would be to delay getting a mandolin while there is still a fire in the belly. I truly understand (and faintly remember) my college days, so I understand meager funds. In my life, I have found that learning an instrument is as much motivation as it is the instrument. While it’s not a great mandolin, the Rogue is one that many have purchased and learned on. With the addition of Rob Meldrum’s set-up book that Allen Hopkins provided an email link to in his post, you’re ready to start on your wonderful mandolin journey.

I don’t know where you’re located, but just be sure that you’ve combed the pawnshops, music stores, thrift stores, craigslist ads, and bulletin boards for other likely candidates in your price range.

Whatever direction you choose, I wish you success and enjoyable picking.

[Br1ck]

I'd also place a want to buy add in the classifieds. There must be hundreds of playable instruments out there that don't even get taken camping because now our beaters are Eastman MD505s and the like. Give someone a reason to clean out their closet.

[Rob Meldrum]

I've weighed in on this topic before. If you're new to the mandolin and not sure if it is going to be your passion there is no better way to start than to buy the Rogue, set it up yourself, and play it. You'll know in 6 months or so if it is going to stick with you - or you with it. After a year or so of practice you'll be ready for a better instrument. You'll have the skills to play other instruments and know which one(s) speaks to you.

My favorite deal (no financial interest on my part) at Musicians Friend is the guitar and mandolin two-fer. Nice spruce-top dreadnaught and the mandolin for $99.95, delivered. Right now they have a 10% off Labor Day deal on, so it's $90 plus tax. You cannot beat that deal. Buy new strings for each instrument. Set them up. Have fun. BTW it's nice to have a guitar for a friend to play while you play the mandolin.

For the free setup guide, email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com, put mandolin setuo in the subject line, and I will email you the pdf book. Enjoy!

Rob

[A 4]

A $50 Rogue was my first mandolin. Here's the thing: if it were more expensive, I may never have tried mandolin, let alone picked up any musical instrument (I was an adult beginner). Is that worth $50? Oh, yes. Getting started on the path is important, and an inexpensive mandolin greases that path a bit.

Let's say you try the Rogue, and three months later figure out that you love mandolin but are not satisfied with what you have...have you wasted your money? I would say no, even if you could have put that to a nicer mandolin. You got three months of learning/playing out of it, you learned you wanted to move on, learned enough so that you can try other mandolins and pick one you like more, and you can keep it as a travel mando or pass it on to someone else.

Maybe I got lucky, but I didn't need to do much to my Rogue: set the bridge for intonation, set the bridge height, and go. I know I later fit the bridge to the top, but not right away, and I did not need to adjust the nut or truss rod.

[Mark Wilson]

Go for it.

[HonketyHank]

And heck, when you do move up, you can give the Rogue to another potential mandolinner and it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[JeffD]

I agree with those who say get the best you can afford - if you are sure that you are going to love it. If you are not sure, I would beg, borrow, or rent something for a couple of weeks, to plink on and see if you are going to like it, and save even the cost of an entry level mandolin.

Getting the best one can afford is different from getting the most expensive you can afford. There are mandolins you can get that are great value for the dollar, and worser ones that cost more. Depending. So for example if you are not necessarily going full out bluegrass, you can often get into a higher quality, better made, better materials instrument getting a flat top instead of an arch top. A flatty can do it all, but does not have that particular bluegrassy gibsonny sound bluegrassers crave.

If bluegrass is already your passion, then we are talking arch tops, and you can normally get a better A style mandolin for the same price as you would pay for an F style.

I personally have the prejudice that there is nothing to be gained buying real cheap if you can afford better. I am not of the school one sees sometimes in the guitar world where one gets all kinds of mojo out of the cheapest guitar shaped object, fixed up and stapled together, better if found in the men's room at the bus stop, with a jute chord for a strap and an old jasmine rice canvas sack for a case.

OTOH if you are one to work on your own mandolins, and modification, set up, fixing etc., are part of the fun for you, there is great value in getting a cheapie and learning how to customize and set it up. Worst case, you aren't out a whole lot of money.

[mandroid]

Hey everyone, this is my first post and I had a quick question for all of y'all. I'm a college student looking to get into playing mandolin and I have learned that most any instrument I get will need a form of setting up before it will be properly playable. Considering I only have meager funds right now I was wondering if I should just buy one of the Rogue 100A mandolins for $50 and then try to learn how to set it up myself. I figure that I would rather mess up something cheap than a beautiful instrument that I have invested into.

Considering I do plan on playing mandolin long term though, I am wondering if this will be a mistake and I should just bite the bullet and buy a higher quality instrument.

Thank you all for any feedback!

Been thru this many times before..
Better to get something sold already set up, by the retail dealer , rogue from musicians friend ships
un opened cartons, out of a warehouse.

You are then the one that has to go find or do the set up..

[rljmusic13]

I own and play a Rogue. It will need some improvements to be a better playing instrument but when you are short on cash it is a great way to get in the game. You WILL want to do a slot filing on this to get the action lowered. and you will want to take a look at a video by Rosa String works. He can do a full meal deal on a Rogue and have it ready to play and you will get some enjoyment out of it. You can get a cast brass tailpiece on e bay that looks like the Bailey one and a set of Grover tuners and a fairly nice beginning instrument that has great sustain and great tuners. I use GHS Bobby Osborne strings on mine. You can get a Rogue starter kit with a gig bag, strap, tuner and strings for under 100 dollars and get a set of Grovers and a cast brass tail piece on ebay and still be under 200 dollars and you will at least be able to learn and join in on some jam sessions. Then later look into getting a Washburn or a Rogue or even an Eastman if you stay with it and need an upgrade. Those other brands make decent mandolins. I have a Washburn M3SWK F body that I bought used. I did change the tuners out for a set of Grovers and got a strap for it and I did my own setup.
Anyhow the Rogue is a great beginner mandolin and once set up it is a pretty good player.

[backpacker]

I've weighed in on this topic before. If you're new to the mandolin and not sure if it is going to be your passion there is no better way to start than to buy the Rogue, set it up yourself, and play it. You'll know in 6 months or so if it is going to stick with you - or you with it. After a year or so of practice you'll be ready for a better instrument. You'll have the skills to play other instruments and know which one(s) speaks to you.

My favorite deal (no financial interest on my part) at Musicians Friend is the guitar and mandolin two-fer. Nice spruce-top dreadnaught and the mandolin for $99.95, delivered. Right now they have a 10% off Labor Day deal on, so it's $90 plus tax. You cannot beat that deal. Buy new strings for each instrument. Set them up. Have fun. BTW it's nice to have a guitar for a friend to play while you play the mandolin.

For the free setup guide, email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com, put mandolin setuo in the subject line, and I will email you the pdf book. Enjoy!

Rob

I have played mandolin for several years. (mostly poorly) Guitar is my main instrument. I sent Rob an email regarding his Mandolin set up eBook. He emailed me the eBook. Today has been a cold, wet, rainy Saturday, so I read through the "book". He gives what I believe are very good instructions and it truthfully does not seem to be a difficult task. My current mandolin sounds good and plays well, but I am seriously considering buying a Rogue just to try doing a set up. He also had a youtube video of Rogue mando before and after set up. Quite a difference. If you were to follow his instructions a Rogue should be a good mando to learn on.

[Sothoth]

Buy what you can afford, upgrade later if you love playing. As others have said, it's better to play something than it is to not play because you don't have a mandolin.

If you love playing it, you'll find yourself wanting an upgrade fairly soon, but that's how it's supposed to work. Have fun!

[Smyrna5]

I know this is a dinosaur thread, but still useful for beginners considering a Rogue. I can only say that for me, it was not a mistake buying a Rogue for $42.99 delivered to my door a month or so ago. I got Rob's book, and watched a few videos on setting it up and had at it. Only weeks after getting it, I was in love with the instrument enough to order a new Kentucky km252 on sale. The 252 is back-ordered, but in the meantime, I have a mandolin to learn on, and either sell later, give away, or just use as campfire mandolin. Well worth the pocket change for me. I play it every day and enjoy it.

I will say that if you are not a DIY person as I am, you may want to get a better mandolin to start with that is already set up. Mine was playable (and even enjoyable) before I set it up, but its far more fun to play now. I also learned from the Rogue that even though I feel confident setting one up now, it is probably worth paying the custom mandolin maker I found in my vicinity that says he will set up my Kentucky for $45-$65 when I get it.

[Dave Fultz]

Almost any new mandolin is better than the $50 Rover. I had one and traded it in.

Imagine buying a new car that was not tuned and the wheel alignment was all out of place, and the doors weren’t adjusted to shut properly. That’s the $50 Rover.

However, maybe stupidly, I am considering buying another one, and while reading Rob Meldrums book, see if I can do it up proud. Then give it to our Folk Music Society’s instrument petting zoo.

[Foolish Frost]

I think the problem is threefold.

1. It’s not that a cheap mandolin CAN’T be good, it’s that it tends to take trying several to find one that isn’t bad.
2. The neck on the really cheap ones can’t be adjusted. No rod to Chang the bend. This means no way to correct the neck for curvature issues.
3. The setup by a luthier costs roughly $100 with new strings, neck and bridge work, and the like. So that can triple the price. Generally, I did a basic setup on my own, and it was ‘fine’. A pro did it and it rang like a bell.

So, it’s down to, do you pay $150 for that rogue to be ‘fine’, or double that with a $300 one that sounds ‘pretty darn good’.

[dhergert]

I see nothing wrong with starting on a Rogue and getting a copy of Rob's e-book to learn the setup. I'd rather see somebody experiment on a $50.00 Rogue than a $500.00 Eastman. If you decide it isn't for you you're not out a whole lot and if you decide it is for you you're going to start buying more expensive mandolins anyway no matter what you started with.

^^^^ This ^^^^

The important thing to keep in mind with any inexpensive mandolin is that it will not play well until it has been setup. Whether you do that setup yourself using Rob's eBook, or have a professional setup person do the work, it needs to be done before you become too attached to that inexpensive mandolin (to avoid learning bad habits that accommodate the shortfalls of the instrument's original setup).

A good setup from a pro will probably cost ~$100, and it will worth every cent. Or, following the instructions in Rob's eBook will require some tools, a little handy woodworking aptitude and will take some time to do it well. And just so you don't feel bad about it, in general a good setup has to happen with almost any new mandolin under ~$5K (and some over that price).

Just also note, a good number of the supporting advertisers here in the Cafe' provide a great setup on the new Rogue mandolins that they sell for not very much money, so then the mandolin comes to you ready to play.

Just remember, it is an inexpensive instrument, so don't expect to resell it in the future for a great resale value... However when you are ready to move on to something better, your Rogue will continue to serve you very nicely as a backup mandolin for those situations where you don't want to risk your better mandolin.

Most of all, enjoy your mandolin, whatever you get!

[Br1ck]

Both I and dhergert worked wonders on our MK mandolins, but there was a lot to work with. The horrible factory setup was the main issue. These were solid wood mandolins. I'd only spend my time on something I thought could be good. But the fact remains there is no reason a Rogue can't be made to play well. What you can't overcome is the sound.

But the fact also remains that any mandolin is better than no mandolin at all.

[JeffD]

Put all your money into your second mandolin. You will know what you like, you will have developed a discerning ear to chose better, and you will appreciate it more having struggled with whatever your first one was.

I have still not exceeded the capabilities of my second mandolin, and that was a bunch of mandolins ago.

[dhergert]

Both I and dhergert worked wonders on our MK mandolins, but there was a lot to work with. The horrible factory setup was the main issue. These were solid wood mandolins. I'd only spend my time on something I thought could be good. But the fact remains there is no reason a Rogue can't be made to play well. What you can't overcome is the sound.

But the fact also remains that any mandolin is better than no mandolin at all.

Yes!!!

However, I'd probably also submit that a whole lot of the sound of an instrument is in the touch of the player. I've heard some pretty lousy instruments sound wonderful in the hands of a master.

That said, whether a person can learn all the skills needed to become a master on a Rogue mandolin is a fair question.

[William Smith]

Any Mandolin is better than no mandolin in my opinion, its a learning experience that helps you learn set up, playing chords, double stops etc...It will want you to keep stepping up in mando quality! I started off on a not so good mandolin, then started trading up and saving up with work $ and credit till I have some really great mandolins now "after way too many to speak of that didn't make the cut". Sure the better mandolin will make you want to play more again in my opinion because of the quality of sound/build etc.... But again any mandolin is better than nothing!

[Br1ck]

The voice that is missing here is the 'I bought a mandolin and it hurt so bad I quit' person. I have no idea, but that could be 90% of everyone who ever bought a Rogue. What we have here are the people whose will was such that they overcame the obstacles. Kudos to them, but what's the big picture?

[Smyrna5]

The voice that is missing here is the 'I bought a mandolin and it hurt so bad I quit' person. I have no idea, but that could be 90% of everyone who ever bought a Rogue. What we have here are the people whose will was such that they overcame the obstacles. Kudos to them, but what's the big picture?

I think that is correct, but I don't think those folks read the forum. I am also guessing that 95% of the people that try any instrument give up when they find out that it is work to learn it. I would never recommend a Rogue (or even an un-setup guitar or ukulele) to a non-handy person who isn't going to have an expert set it up. Coming mostly from the ukulele world for the last 8 years, I have played an awful lot of really bad action ukes that had such high action that the intonation was unbearable (to me anyway). Some of them were not even cheap instruments.

[chuck3]

The voice that is missing here is the 'I bought a mandolin and it hurt so bad I quit' person. I have no idea, but that could be 90% of everyone who ever bought a Rogue. What we have here are the people whose will was such that they overcame the obstacles. Kudos to them, but what's the big picture?

Good post. My first was a Rogue and it certainly didn't encourage me to love playing mandolin. But I've played enough musical instruments of different kinds to have recognized that, so I upgraded to an Eastman. A common progression I guess. Then once I played the Eastman I knew it was worth investing in a Collings.

[Roger Moss]

The voice that is missing here is the 'I bought a mandolin and it hurt so bad I quit' person.

That's probably because they don't play mandolin now, and therefore won't be lurking around here.

[Mandoplumb]

My first mandolin would probably make a rogue seem to play like "butter" but I would practice on it all week because on Fri. Night there was a jam at the local barber shop whose owner would let me play his A50 Gibson for a little while. Man that mandolin played good and sounded great. P.S. It took years but I now own that A50 and a few more better mandolins but there's a lot of memories in that little mandolin.

[Mark Gunter]

The voice that is missing here is the 'I bought a mandolin and it hurt so bad I quit' person. I have no idea, but that could be 90% of everyone who ever bought a Rogue. What we have here are the people whose will was such that they overcame the obstacles. Kudos to them, but what's the big picture?

Spot on. Any mandolin is better than no mandolin, unless that mandolin is virtually unplayable and in the hands of a beginner who knows nothing about it. No mandolin at all would be better than that one.

[TimB989]

After hearing me talk about wanting to learn to play mandolin for several months, my wife bought me a Rogue beginners kit for Christmas. I am using it to learn the notes, chords and basic techniques, and to develop a better understanding as to how to play blues and folk mandolin. The sustain is especially lacking, and the tone is less sweet than I’d like, but I’m progressing. I’m going to upgrade eventually, but if every blues player in the Mississippi delta put down their guitar because it was cheap, old or worn out, think of all the great music we would’ve missed out on.

[mbruno]

My first mandolin was a rogue back when I was in college as well. It was good enough for what I needed at the time - but the action was super high and the bridge did not make full contact. I sanded down the bridge till it was close and finished it off by taping the sandpaper to the body to get a flush finish. Took a couple hours to do by hand but was the best thing I did for it - played a lot better after.

When I was learning - it was a great $50 mandolin. I didn't really care if it broke because it was so cheap, so I took it everywhere and never had a case for it. I walked all over Albany NY playing that thing for hours while attending SUNY. I strongly believe that having a Rouge I could play anywhere is one of the reasons I continued playing and got better faster. If it was a more expensive instrument, I doubt I would have carried it where I did - meaning less playing. I would 100% recommend it as a first instrument - just know you'll probably have to do some tweaking to it.

Fun ending: I was working at Greyfox Bluegrass festival on the stage / sound / artist relations crews and I had mine signed by a lot of folks (Mike Marshall, David Grisman, Chris Thile, Tim O'Brien, Sierra Hull, and others). After that, I retired the Rogue and got a new (nicer) mandolin (I believe it was a Morgan Monroe). My mom still has the Rogue in her house and every so often when I'm home I pick it up and I'm always amazed how thick the neck is and how difficult it is to play now that I'm spoiled with nicer instruments. haha.

[MikeEdgerton]

...The sustain is especially lacking...

Guitar players (I am one as well) have to learn that mandolins do not have sustain anywhere near what a guitar has. My friend Eddie Connors always said "A guitar will give you something. With a mandolin you have to go in and take it". You can strike a chord on a guitar and it can be pleasant no matter what your skill level. Mandolins take a little more work. You notice this the most when you finally try playing a mandola or octave mandolin after you've been playing mandolin for a while and you realize they have the sustain that the small bodied short scale mandolin doesn't have.

The Rogue is an excellent starter mandolin. You'll eventually upgrade because we all do :)

[HappyPickin]

I now have a nice hand built mandolin that is better than my skills will ever justify but I still have my original Rogue. It is my autograph collector. I knew my "better" mandolins were going to be stepping stones so I didn't want autographs on them. I always explain that it is my first mandolin and that it got me hooked. Both Sam Bush and Adam Steffey told me the stories of their first and that they wish they had kept them.