Need Help on Mandolin Decisions

[GuitarDogs62]

Hi Everyone:

I was a member a long while back and gave up Mandolin to keep progressing on my guitar. Since that time I am doing great with guitar and playing the songs that I always wanted to. I have learned a lot and still have more to learn, however I am in a Bluegrass/country band called the Seaside Ramblers. We are doing well but I need a Mandolin in the band at times and I also have missed playing the Mandolin as well. So I am wanting anf longing to come back to playing Mandolin again and have some Questions on which Mandolin that I should start looking at and eventually purchase. I will be looking and trying over the next month or two and will make a purchase decision. My Budget is around $1,000. Here are some of the Mandolins that I am considering:

1) Loar LM400 with a Cumberland Acoustic Bridge
2) Eastman MD315 or MD515

I would like to know about Kentucky and which model should I consider and look at. I am at the point where I matured musically and know that I want an instrument that will last me a long while and be comfortable & fun to play.

Now I do not care if I play an A-Style or an F-Style mandolin. I just want to play it in the band and just enjoy the daylights out of it like my Martin Guitars.

So I am really open to honest and true opinions on what to look at. I am having fun playing on stage and singing with the band. So I want this purchase to be the right one for me and be happy with my final decision. I do plan to play all the different Mandolins that I am considering and the suggestions made here by this forum. The purchase is going to happen in about two months. I really just want to get the right Mandolin that I feel will work and be happy playing.

Thank You all in advance.

Sincerely
Andy
AKA: GuitarDogs62

[HonketyHank]

1. Look for used rather than new - much more bang for the buck.

2. Although I started with a TheLoar, at the upper price range, I am more partial to the Kentucky. Look for a 900, 950, maybe even 1000 or 1050 at around $1k.

3. I haven't been around enough Eastmans to have an opinion, but I have no doubt that you could find a good one that you like at $1k and competitive with the Kentuckys.

4. If you want the Gibson sound, you might be able to find a late 40's or early 50's A-50 at your price point.

5. Weber Gallatin A's can sometimes go for 1-1.2K $.

[fatt-dad]

double your budget and get a Collings MT. You have Martin taste, but are looking for a Yamaha mandolin.

(I'd likely look at Eastman before, "The Loar." I think The Loar has changed in recent years. I also don't think Gretch is a thing.)

f-d

[Mandoplumb]

If you want to approach Gibson sound at that price I think the 900 is what you want. About your budget new and a couple hundred less if you find a used one. Fatt-dad the guy that played guitar in our band had a Martin and a red lable Yamaha. When he brought his Yamaha I'd say you brought the good guitar tonite, I wasn't kidding.

[themandocello]

Stay away from "The Loar". Not worth the $$. Lots of Eastmans are nice, but you get what you pay for. My advice is to start putting $100 a month away now for a couple of years and buy a Weber or an old Gibson.

[Northwest Steve]

Do you have any idea of nut width and neck profile? That could make a difference. Hear are a couple worth a look -

I really like the Kentucky master models and this is a recent one at a fair price
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/123734#123734

Gibson A9 is the entry level no frills model but can be good. I would want to know more about the separation/defect. But if it is stable that is a good value. Flatiron Performer A models from 1999-2001 are worth watching out for. They were made in Nashville on the same benches as Gibson mandolins and have a Gibson Master Model label.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/124120#124120

[lflngpicker]

I agree with all of the above answers, and would emphasize that based on your musical taste, the Kentucky KM900 and 950 are hard to beat. A nice used one can be had for $750 occasionally. I do like the Eastman MD515, for a nice F style mandolin in that price range. Finding a great used instrument gives you a better opportunity be happy with your mandolin longer. Great post and good luck!

[04Bravo]

I owned an MD515 for about a year before trading it in. I had no complaints about the sound, it was the neck profile and nut width that I wasn't happy with. Other Eastmans I've heard played are competent, but if you're looking for a step up. I tried a number of different makers (at different price points) before getting a more expensive instrument -- and yes, it was a dent in the budget. I'd second the suggestion to look at used mandolins, if that's an option for you. Good luck!

[rcc56]

The better Eastmans are going to be better instruments than the "The Loars."
I had an older Eastman 505 go through my shop that was a good enough instrument to make a living on. I would be reluctant to gig on a "The Loar."

If a company offers and A model and an F model for the same price, the A model will have a better quality of construction.

[Mike Arakelian]

+1 for a good used Kentucky 900 or 950. A Used Flatiron Performer series should also be available in your price range with several now available in the classifieds. There is also a Gibson A9 in the classifieds. All would be good choices. Good luck.

[Br1ck]

I agree about the Martin taste thing. Your stated budget is a couple hundred below what would get you a much better mandolin, say $1200.

The Kentucky 900 and 950 mandolins are worthy contenders though. But Ken at Silverangel is offering a new econo A for $1250, and Weber Gallatins go around that for used. Ratliff, Sumit, and a host of others are in this range, with a Collings MT being in the $1800 ballpark.

Sticking to your budget, the Kentuckys are the way to go, but MAS is probably quicker to set in.

[Mark Gunter]

I owned an MD515 for about a year before trading it in. I had no complaints about the sound, it was the neck profile and nut width that I wasn't happy with.

+1 for me, the Eastman MD315 I owned for about a year was a pretty fine mandolin for it's price point, but I sold it and kept a Washburn I'd had earlier instead of the Eastman, after I got a Collings MT, because the Washburn and the Collings were both much better to my feel for the neck, etc.

I think the moral of these stories is that if you want a long-time partner on a one-time purchase, and you have a Martin taste, then you should definitely play the mandolin in person, a few times if possible, before making a decision. Don't just go by brands and testimonies. We're not all the same, and neither are these mandolins.

BTW, a good, used Collings MT can be had for $1,800 and sometimes as low as $1,500.

Between an Eastman and a Kentucky, I'd pick the Kentucky, for the reason stated above. It's a personal thing about how they feel in your own hands.

[Eric Platt]

Look for a used Gibson. Should be able to find one around $1000. A-40 or A-50. It should work well with your band.

[Northwest Steve]

Forgot about the Silverangel Econo deal -
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/124007#124007

You could get a new mandolin with your choice of woods, neck, nut width and finish for a reasonable price. Worth a look if you could swing another $300.