f style questions

[John Adrihan]

Hello,

This is just my second post here. I just recently bought a kay A style and I am playing the #### out of it. I am a beginner and a novice on just about everything when it comes to Mandolins. I have beeen doing a lot of searches and have seen these three F styles pop up and was wondering what the feeliings were on them for their prices and how they play. I am mostly just curious but I do have a couple of guitars that I may trade on. I know that a guy can find great used mandolins, but since I would be trading I was wondering what the thoughts were on these three new mandolins and their prices.
Ibanez m522s $299.00 Epiphone mm50 $499.00 and Fender fm63s $599.00

Any info or thoughts would be greatly appreciated

[Paul Hostetter]

The three you chose are all pressed-top, basically Korean (or Korean-derived) clunky things. I'd skip all three and look for others, notably The Loar, Eastman and Kentucky items that are really carved from sold woods.

[John Adrihan]

Thanks. I see that brings it up to $750 and higher. But I can wait and save. I would rather have solid or even find a used one and upgrade right. thanks again

[John Kinn]

If you check out the classifieds here, and also take a look at the Mandolin Store's website, you will find decent mandolins for less than that.

[mandopaul]

I don't know if it is a pressed solid top or carved, but a Rover RM75's got a very good tone, and will not break the bank. Kentucky makes them, a budget brand, but just as good as some Kentucky's.

[allenhopkins]

(Rover RM-75)...I don't know if it is a pressed solid top or carved...

"Hand-carved, solid spruce top" they say. Price is $415 here (http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=8383) at the Mandolin Store. With a hard case. Step up from the pressed-top, in most people's opinions.

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't know if it is a pressed solid top or carved, but a Rover RM75's got a very good tone, and will not break the bank. Kentucky makes them, a budget brand, but just as good as some Kentucky's.

Actually Saga IMPORTS them as well as the Kentucky line They are both Saga Music (http://www.sagamusic.com) brands.

[Ron McMillan]

Alternatively, since budget is an issue, take onboard the apparent fact that there is NO advantage in terms of sound or tone from the F style's scroll over the simpler A style mandolin.

Buy an A for the same price as an F, and you do get more mandolin for your money. The recent discussions on the The Loar LM400-VS, a hand-carved A-style retailing (if you can find one) for under $500, is a case in point. A similar-quality F model from the same maker costs a lot more; people in the know here tell us those Fs are slightly better instruments, but that the difference in quality doesn't match the fifty percent higher price.

br

[Paul Hostetter]

What BR says.