Looking to buy me a mandolin!

[herbsandspices]

Hey guys!

I love the forum.. what a great wealth of information. (Gotta love the internet!)

Anyways, I'm looking to buy a mandolin, and have a few requirements that I'd like to fulfill:

1) Made in USA (or basically not made in Asia)
2) A or F style body - no preference of soundhole
3) Price: ~$1000 preferred... I like to buy things that last, and don't like "upgrading" after a year or so.
4) Condition must be new... I like breakin' them in myself!

I'm in a folk/country/blues band, and play the ukulele, guitar, banjo, and sing... however I know NOTHING about Mandos, besides what I've learned here.

Any specific recommendations of a brand/maker, model, and store, would be awesome!

FWIW, I live in the Chicago area, but have no problem trusting the pros (you guys!) and buying from online.

Thanks!!
john

[ab4usa]

John,
US Made, new and under $1K is going to be an A style. You can buy a Big Muddy (formerly Mid-Missouri) for $500-$600. That's a flat top oval hole. It will sound and play great. May not have a big sound. There are a couple of builders who will make you an arched top solid wood A style (f or oval hole) for under $1K. Morris and Glenn Mandolins are both going to be in the $700 - $900 range. Given your requirements one of these should fit your needs.

[fwoompf]

You may want to see if you can get your hands on a used Breedlove A model, or if you're lucky a really good deal on a used Gibson A9. I've seen them in the classifieds advertised for $975, but it was gobbled up extremely quickly.

[herbsandspices]

Man... you guys are giving me makers that I've never heard of! I've got some RESEARCH to do! And fwoomf... like I said above, I'm lookin' to get a new Mando, that I can break in... that's all part of the fun if you ask me!

[first string]

I'll second the Breedlove...Excellent mandolins for that or any price point.

[Lane Pryce]

J.Mark Lane is selling some of his mandolins. He has a Glenn A
in the lot. Wrote a great review as well about that A too. Send him a private message via the cafe ---- could be your ticket to great little mandolin. Lp

[herbsandspices]

Hmmm.. I couldn't find his FS link... do you happen to have it, JLP?

Man - the Breedlove Quartz FF is a sweet lookin' instrument.

[herbsandspices]

Would someone be able to provide a list of non-custom Mando's (that I could purchase sooner rather than waiting), that are Made in USA/Canada?
Thanks!
john

[Rick Schmidlin]

Just keep your eyes on the classifieds here.

[MandoSquirrel]

You should be able to find a new Breedlove Quartz OO or OF for just under $1000; Cafe home page has links to Elderly Instruments & The Mandolin Store, similar pricing at each on them.

[herbsandspices]

Jeez - that Quartz FF keeps looking at me... someone just tell me to get it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[GTG]

Well, if it's speaking to you, then that may be the one. (Of course, you might find that instruments speak to you differently when you actually play them - it's dangerous to be too obsessed by pretty pictures on the web, IMO). But the FF is a new model for them, just released for '07 I think. The going rate seems to be around $1500-2000, and it seems pretty unlikely that someone will have this brand new model at a discount price.

[Chris Biorkman]

I would suggest that you save up a little more money. If you want a decent U.S. made mandolin, it is going to be difficult to find one for $1,000. Maybe you should look at entry level Weber or Collings instruments. What kind of music are you interested in playing?

[DryBones]

Gypsy is a new sponsor here on the Cafe, you might want to give them a look to compare to the Big Muddy/Mid-Missouri flat-tops.

[mandomick]

Ken Cartwright "mando medic" on the forum has a plain jane Breedlove FF in his new shop. I'll try a link to a thread with some info but if it doesn't work, do a member search and e mail him. NFI and he's a pro.http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=42897

[Rick Schmidlin]

I have seen Collings MTs pop up for $1,600.00 and sometimes a little less.This is if you want to spend a little more,in that price range you better set with many makers.

[herbsandspices]

Hey guys,

So after a little bit of thinkin', a little bit of talkin', and a little bit of spendin', I just pulled the trigger on a Breedlove Quartz FF, from Steilberg String Instruments - I talked to Mick over there, who was really knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful, and it should be here in Chicago Tuesday or Wednesday! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Anyways, thanks for your helpful and QUICK responses - this is an awesome forum, and one I plan on spending a whole lot more time in now that I'm a mandolin owner!!

I'll let you all know when I get it, and how it sounds... not that I have anything to compare it to!

Thanks again http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
john

[fwoompf]

Congrats! I haven't had a chance to play one of those (That's the new model, right?), but I think reviews here were positive.

[herbsandspices]

It's the new model alright! I didn't even see it on Breedlove's website.
I read great reviews too, and it's made in the USA, which is really important to me!
So, we'll see!

[JEStanek]

6 hours! Bang! Trigger pulled. Congratulations, I hope you love it. Did you go with the natural or sunburst finish?

PS. Welcome to the cafe' the mando epicenter of the internet.

Jamie

[herbsandspices]

Sunburst... at least... ummm... I hope! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Jeez - you're right... that was quick!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif john

[PCypert]

I've got a natural one on order...well not order, but they're coming out with some in May and I've got my deposit down to pick up the first one out. Couldn't stand the sunburst look (i'm just not a fan)...can't wait to get my hands on it.
Paul

[8ch(pl)]

Breedlove just came up in the Classifieds for $650. Almost new.

[JeffD]

So ummm...

What is your second mandolin going to be?

MAS - start early!

[herbsandspices]

So ummm...

What is your second mandolin going to be?

MAS - start early!
Well... I thought Weber only made grills, but their Mando's look real purdy!

First thing's first... learn how to play it! Lucky for me, I've got the Old Town School of Folk in my backyard here in Chicago. Great people over there. And their new classes start in a couple weeks... I'll see if I can use my guitar, banjo, and ukulele knowledge to get a good understanding of the Mando, and then hopefully skip to Level 2... level one, people are just figuring out how to make their fingers press down on the frets!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif john

[herbsandspices]

Hey guys - I just got 'er yesterday... WOW! Awesome finish, awesome case, awesome shipping from Steilberg String Instruments... and, oh yeah - it sounds AMAZING! Here's a little pic:

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/1243/mg0556smyc2.jpg

Those are all jars of tea - I'm a big tea drinker, if you couldn't guess!

Anyways, the feel of the instrument is great - awesome balance between all the tones, the finish on the neck makes it awesome on the left hand... great!

So now, I'm just reading the book that I bought, and learning how to play it! It gets a little confusing, after playing the guitar and ukulele half-ways decent, and the banjo somewhat, and now this - all while not knowing how to read music... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

Well, I hope you all enjoy!

john

[first string]

Congrats.


Oh, and I wouldn't worry too much about the banjo and uke thing...if you're anything like a lot of us on this forum, you may find that you won't be seeing much of them for a while. After all, how many of us were guitar players, or banjo players, or whatever and took up mando as a second or third instrument (just to add a little color every once in a while), and now find that it has taken over completely while the guitar/banjo/hurdy gurdy/grand piano gathers dust in a closet. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[herbsandspices]

Ha! We'll see... I gotta say, I sure love my KoAloha ukulele, and would hate to see it start to gather dust!

[Alex Orr]

how many of us were guitar players, or banjo players, or whatever and took up mando as a second or third instrument (just to add a little color every once in a while), and now find that it has taken over completely while the guitar/banjo/hurdy gurdy/grand piano gathers dust in a closet. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
<-------- Raises hand while looking at seldom used Martin guitar in corner of room.

I played one of those Breedloves at a GC a month or two back. It sounded good.

[herbsandspices]

Well, I took her for a longer ride last night, and started in with Bert Casey's "Mandolin Primer" book/cd combo - great book! He goes through each song in the book at a slow, medium, and fast pace (the fast pace is with a rhythm mandolin and a guitar accompaniment), which is awesome.

He REALLY jumps into it quickly, which is fine for someone like me who's used to playing instruments, but if someone who's just learning how to make their fingers do those weird things, I think it'd be a little intimidating!

Anyways, I'm loving this instrument... loving it!

john

[DryBones]

Bert Casey, makes me want to bang out some Worried Man Blues! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif