Good starter mandolin?

[totalnewb]

I'm a complete mandolin newbie and was wondering what a good piece to start on would be. As a begginerI'm not looking to spend too much, maybe something around $200. Recommend any good online shops? I'm also looking into F style cause Im interested in bluegrass style.

[sunburst]

Welcome to the Cafe!
Get ready for numerous posts advising you (correctly, I might add) to stay away from F-style mandolins until you are ready to spend more $$.
Also, be ready for numerous posts advising (again, correctly) to keep your eye on the used market for the best deals in terms of playability vs dollars.
Playability is what you want now. Some $200 mandolins are barely playable, but some are pretty good. There will be plenty of time later to think about sound, tone, volume, and the like when you've learned some stuff and are ready for a higher quality instrument. Try to find a deal that includes a set up, or buy used from someone who has had the mandolin set up before offering it for sale.

[totalnewb]

Do you have any other more specific pointers for what I should look for? I know VERY LITTLE about what I should be looking for. Some examples would be good.

Is this a good shop for a starter piece? http://themandolinhut.com/

[Greenmando]

Hi Pablo
Welcome to the cafe.
Just as John mentioned, in your budget you will get a better mandolin in a A style. #For example, even thou it is out of your price range - a Gibson A9 will cost less than a F9 but can sound as good as or better than the F9 at almost half the cost. The scroll is often called a $1000 strap holder. The scroll adds nothing to the tone!
Buying a used mandolin can often save you as much as 50% of the cost of a new instrument.

Avoid laminated tops, sides and backs! Buy a mandolin with solid wood construction. The key here in your budget is to buy a beginner mandolin that you can resale later with little to no loss. I was lucky enough to buy a few that I broke even on and one that even doubled in value. With your budget and your statement that you wish to embrace bluegrass - I would be shopping for a Mid Mo or a Flatiron Y2K. Both great instruments that you would probably even want to keep later if you moved up to a better/different mando.

This is the time to not be hasty, read the other threads here in the cafe and see what other people like and dislike. I get little satisfaction to gain where others have made mistakes, but I like to thank them for sharing so I could save. Sadly there are a lot of stores who love to take advantage of a beginner with a small budget, a very few of those sellers offer a product equal to the money taken.

It might be slow with the holidays, but there will be more responses here in the cafe next week.
Remember to check the classifieds here on the cafe, many great deals to be found.
I bought my Gibson A9 used here in the cafe for about a 1/3 of the current price. Pic below!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b109/ferretkona/Mandolins/Gibson004.jpg

[bush-man]

There's still a Mid Mo on the classifieds for $285. That would be an excellent entry level instrument.

russell

[mythicfish]

Following is the text of my new Buyers Guide in its latest revised form:

A. Buy what you like.
B. Use it in any manner deemed suitable.
C. Take full responsibility for your actions/decisions
4. Learn what you can from your experiencies.

Repeat as necessary.


Curt

[Folkmusician.com]

Look at the Kentucky A models. Buy from someone that does a good setup and you will have a nice beginner's mandolin for not much money. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Practically all the Kentucky models are currently on back order, so these can be hard to come by right now. They should be available in January.

[Loren Bailey]

I am with Russell. You won't regret the $285 Mid Mo in the classifieds. If/when you decide to go for something else (f holes, carved top/back, f model) you'll certainly not lose any money on it when you sell. Heck, as they aren't made any longer you could make money.

Loren

[Walter Newton]

I 3rd the Mid Missouri suggestion, it's what I started out with.

[wichitamando]

I second the Kentucky recommnedation. I think the 250S is right in that price range. Make sure to get a good setup though.

[Jim MacDaniel]

If you are lucky enough to live near one or more music stores that stock mandolins -- especially one that has both new and used instruments -- visit them and play around with every mandolin in your price range. This will give you a better idea as to which instruments sound better to you ears and feel better in your hands. (Since you don't play yet, you can focus on a few basic two-finger chords and plink around with first-position scales.)

I don't play bluegrass, but if that is what you are interested in, but you might want to narrow your search to f-hole instruments, since that seems to be the preference of mandolinists in that genre in order to yield a more percussive "chop" chord. However, its probably more important to buy what sounds good to you and is easier to play, since those two factors are more likely to encourage you to keep practicing than an instrument's style or appearance.