hohner hfm100

[mandolinbill]

Hey there! I opologize in advance if this has been asked before but I didnt find it in a search. I've been looking at getting a new mandolin. The one I have is a JB Player. A cheap one but all around good beginer mandolin. I saw one today at the local store that was a Hohner HFM 100. Anyone have any experience with this? I was looking at other as well but were out of my price range. This seemed like a good one though. I dont know if it was carved but the to was solid and not ply. nice inlays in the neck, awsome feel. Adjustable truss rod.Nice gold colored hardware.It was priced at 549.00. I dont know what to think. I personally dont pay that close of atention to sound because it will always sound different when you get it home but it did sound pretty good. I checked it out on the internet just for more details. Any ideas or sugestions? Thanks!

[Richard Polf]

Mandolinbill,

I own a Hohner HFM 100. They are a well made "Pac Rim" instrument made in Korea --- most likely by the Saga corporation for Hohner. You'll see a lot of these mandos with different names on the headstock. A lot of people on this board don't like "Pac Rim" instruments, but I was nicely surprised that Mike Compton, at a workshop of his I was attending last December, commented that he liked the looks and the sound of mine. I upgraded mine with a Weber cast tailpiece FWIW, which may have helped the tone a bit. It certainly makes changing strings a lot easier. I don't play it enough to open it up, however, because my main instrument a Tacoma M3. But I think these are fine instruments. Enjoy.

Richard