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mandoJeremy
Sep-16-2004, 1:29pm
Both of these are just too cool and Mandolin Bros. says these are the very first two made. Little hefty on the price tag but still cool.Fenders (http://www.mandoweb.com/15_MandolinFam.htm)

mandofiddle
Sep-16-2004, 1:48pm
Yowsa! That IS quite a hefty price tag. I'd want at least 5 strings, and a few humbuckers (not just a single coil) pickup.

Sellars
Sep-16-2004, 3:36pm
I would take the old one (or vintage if you like) over the new custom sop any day, but they sure are lovely mandos to see.

I would love to play one once just to hear and feel whether they live up to their proce tag.

I really like that they are still building these babies:blues:

Ted Eschliman
Sep-16-2004, 5:13pm
I think these were the ones I saw (but didn't play) at the Winter NAMM show. They looked great, and it was a huge temptation to order one built, but as you noticed, it packs a pretty hefty price tag. (List price, but limited availability makes it a sellers market. Probably not much negotiating room...)
It's a Custom Shop option, available from the designated "Fender Custom Shop" dealers...
Great to see them available, even better if there was enough interest in the "street" market, but there are enough really great cottage luthiers out there making them to satisfy the niche.

mandoJeremy
Sep-16-2004, 8:12pm
You're probably exactly right Ted because I saw NAMM pics of that see thru blonde quite a while back and that looks just like it.

mandoJeremy
Sep-16-2004, 8:14pm
I still don't get it on the price...if it were an acoustic mando vs. an acoustic guitar I would understand the labor and all of that which makes a difference. But a solid piece of wood and a pickup, notice A pickup, not two or three. I don't get it but then I usually don't.

mandocaster
Sep-16-2004, 8:52pm
The price is basically in line with Fender Custom Shop guitars. I want one. I can't explain it.

jmkatcher
Sep-16-2004, 10:47pm
What I'd like to see is a Gibson Custom EM200 Florentine with a channelled body, like a Cloud 9 Les Paul.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

mandoJeremy
Sep-17-2004, 12:18am
It is basically in line with the name Fender and that's about it. Smaller wood content and router to do it's job on one pickup space and electronic space. Show me the Strats and Teles from the CS that have a list price of that, not to mention that cost on them is going to be what you can buy a vintage one for. I'll stick with me, mandofiddle, and Ted on this one....way too hefty of a price tag. Fender needs to get a clue on this one.

Lee
Sep-17-2004, 8:19am
Yes, certainly way overpriced. #I wonder if they've retained the same slightly radiused fretboard. Hard to see from the photos and Mando Bro's "cutesy" descriptions don't mention it. #
I always especially liked the contoured body on the reknowned "mandocaster". #The Pentaula copied it but I haven't seen other new e-mandos incorporate it. #The shape is really easy on the right forarm and it cuddles itself up to your belly. #A classic.

Lee
Sep-17-2004, 8:43am
And another thing; why in the world would Mando Bro's plug the venerable "Mandocaster" into a Fender Acoustasonic SFX?
That punchy little single-coil would be much happier driving a Fender Prosonic!

mandocaster
Sep-17-2004, 8:51am
I think a lot of new products are overpriced. G****n in particular. I still want a Master Model, even if I am not going to run out and get one. Same with the Custom Shop Fender Electric Mandolin.

mandoJeremy
Sep-17-2004, 9:57am
I would love to have one myself. I was also wondering why Mando Bros. would plug it into an acoustic amp?

Lee
Sep-17-2004, 11:35am
MandoJeremy, for as long as I can remember it seems people just don't understand electric mandolin. Hence, the Acoustasonic blunder.
From another thread I've learned that Barry Mitterhoff will attempt to play mandolin along with electric Hot Tuna on the upcoming tour. If he walks out on stage with a Fishman on his F I will be very disappointed.

johnsmusic
Sep-20-2004, 12:49pm
I'm thinking about one of these. The actual selling price is around $2400. Still pretty pricey. John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

mandofiddle
Sep-20-2004, 1:04pm
You can get a custom made electric for quite a bit less than that. All in all, your'e mostly paying for the Fender name.

For example, I would LOVE one of these...
http://www.sjryder.com/5-string_cutaway.htm

And base price is only $1200, with the "as shown" price as $1600.

johnsmusic
Sep-20-2004, 1:35pm
Well, it is a "Custom Shop" for what that's worth. Also, who said that common sense had anything to do with buying another mandolin.

Tom C
Sep-20-2004, 1:39pm
....And Mando Bros (same page) also has a 1960's period for the same price.

mad dawg
Sep-20-2004, 1:58pm
I don't get it -- it costs less to buy a vintage (and highly sought after I might add) Mandocaster than a new one. I wonder how a vintage Mandocaster and the new Custom Shop model compare in a side-by-side?

mandoJeremy
Sep-20-2004, 6:55pm
I would say the vintage one would kick the CS's butt. That's like comparing a '62 Jazz to a new Custom Shop one in my opinion. Who knows though? The new one may have a better neck and all of that but I would still go for the vintage one, especially since you can realistically buy one for around $1600.00 to $1800.00. I think Mando Bros. is usually a little high on some of their prices.

mandroid
Sep-22-2004, 10:31pm
For a bit more money they'll beat it up in a very precise manner, perhaps just like the Clapton owned one that sold for WAY , i repeat Way too much money , at auction, (not Ebay).
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sleepy.gif

LGS
Sep-23-2004, 7:26am
Early this year a Fender Custom Shop quoted me a list price of $5600 & actual price of $4500. I laughed. I thought he was kidding me. Even a price of $2400 dosen't interest me.

delsbrother
Sep-23-2004, 1:05pm
I thought the consensus on old Fender mandos was the pickup placement wasn't ideal - anyone remember? In any case, they look so cool I still want one.

mandocaster
Sep-23-2004, 9:01pm
I played one regularly for a while (a '66 vintage). The sound was pretty harsh, but it was well suited for some tunes. It was very poorly shielded, and combined with a noisy tube amp and a distorsion pedal it was exremely noisy. I sold mine after I got a Schwab and needed to raise money for an acoustic mandolin.

It had mojo out the wazoo.

I miss it so (sob)

Christian McKee
Sep-25-2004, 5:54pm
Best of my knowledge, these instruments were copied from a few different pre-1960 models. One would hope that they retained the unique qualities of those little gems. Still, I'll stick with my Ryder for the price they're demanding.

Christian

johnsmusic
Sep-25-2004, 10:49pm
BTW, the white one is mine. I will probably put a tortoise pickguard on it. John

zeke
Sep-26-2004, 12:25am
Well there certainly are quite a few deals to be had out there at much less than mando bros' "pie in the sky" prices. I'd say $1000-1500 would be more appropriate unless things have gotten more turned around recently than I'm aware of. I've got a '66 that I've got less than a grand in; there's more deals floating around I'm sure.

But I have to admit that from a purely "lust in my heart" place, that white one is about as sexy as they get. Seriously, that's yours John?

johnsmusic
Sep-26-2004, 5:44am
Yes, should be here in a day or two. I can't explain it, just went ahead and called Stan. I have known him for years and bought from him before I owned a music store. He has always been very nice to me and anytime I get something very rare that I know that he can get bigger dollars for I send it to him. In return, any time I need a concrete appraisal of something vintage, he is very gracious with his time and knowledge and has never charged me a penny. Not like certain others who want $100-$150 for a written appraisal. I am not a Fender dealer and even if I was, would probably not be able to obtain one so what the heck. I too had a '60's one which I paid about $1100 for and sold for about $1500. J

uncle ken
Sep-26-2004, 4:53pm
A friend of mine works at the factory in Corona, CA where the custom shop is located. He used my '64 as the model for the ones at the NAMM show. They often don't have any records to work from for the 60's reissues so they must use an actual instrument and carefully scan, measure and photograph every detail. I played the ones at the NAMM show and they were every bit as good as the vintage ones.

I bought the '64 for $1100 last year and it appeared to have been barely ever played and left in a closet since it was new.

zeke
Sep-28-2004, 12:26pm
So, did you get it, johnsmusic? Is it as nice as your old one? Better, worse?

johnsmusic
Sep-28-2004, 1:55pm
Not yet....?! I expected to see it Monday but nothing so far. John http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

zeke
Sep-28-2004, 2:26pm
How frustrating, I hope all is well. But please keep us posted.

jefflester
Sep-29-2004, 9:09pm
I paid a visit to Mandolin Brothers this past Saturday (all the way from L.A. - okay I didn't go just to visit the store but...) and checked these out. I've never seen one in person before, much less played one, but man I didn't care for them (either the vintage one or custom shop one). The neck is awkwardly wide, feels like a log to me. Like they were designed for guitar players rather than mandolin players. My only previous experience with a 4-string electric has been a Mandobird, which I returned because the neck was unnaturally narrow (15/16" at the nut), but a Mandobird with say a 1&1/16" nutwidth would feel better to me than one of these.

But they sure looked cool, and the custom shoppers looked and felt very much like the vintage one. I only played the sunburst custom shop one. I didn't bother plugging any of them in, since I didn't like the way they felt.

The white one was still on the wall on Saturday, so it certainly wouldn't have appeared on Monday. :-(

The Rono was pretty weird, too.

But then maybe I'm just not destined to be an emando player.

I didn't see the Rigel killer bee, either it's no longer there or I just missed it. They did have a blue G-5, which was pretty nice.

Ted Eschliman
Sep-30-2004, 6:14am
They did have a blue G-5, which was pretty nice.
Rumor has it that there is a (signature red to yellow sunburst) "Atomic Burst" G5 in the oven at Rigel. Should be done in a couple weeks.
Delicious!