Munich Mandolin Store

[jenz]

Hi there

Does anyone know if there is a store which carries mandolins in Munich in Germany?

Im going there in a couple of months and saved up for a good mandolin (they are not sold in the country im from :crying:)

thanks

[Andrew Ferguson]

Hi Jenz,

You should check out Folk Laden - www.folkladen.de - run by Rüdiger and Heidi Helbig. They usually have a good selection of mandolins instore.
Its a great place anyway. Hiedi makes a great coffee.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Of course the folkladen is the premier adress for grass. Who but Rüdiger Helbig - being the German bluegrass banjo icon - could point you somwhere.

But... consider, Munich is in bluegrass heartland (in Germany). You might just as well contact the Munich Bluegrass Friends (http://www.mbgf.de/). They are friendly, knowledgable and I figure, they´d lead you down the mando path. (Don´t miss their festival).

As it looks like you´re not from those parts - and you will travel to munich - it might be advisable to think about travelling to other places as well.

There´s the Saitensprung in Schaffhausen (CH) (www.saitensprung.ch), Streichholzschachtel (http://www.streichholz-schachtel.de/) close to Munich, Thomann (http://www.thomann.de/de/search_dir.html?xsid=af3b1d678d3f6475d019a87bdd9e0 262&sw=mandoline) is one of the worlds biggest retailers and online stores (located in Treppendorf (http://maps.google.de/maps?q=Treppendorf&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=de&tab=wl) close to Bamberg/Nürnberg, so it´s on the way to Munich), Session Akustik (http://www.session.de/web/) is close to Heidelberg (Walldorf (http://maps.google.de/maps?hl=de&q=session%20akustik%20walldorf&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl)) etc. All things considered mandolin I´d propose a trip to Hamburg and a visit to the Schalloch/Folkparadise (http://www.folk-paradise.de/) (mainly to Jürgen Richter who built/builds a nice mandolin). And may I propose a look at the café´s bulider database for Germany (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/builders/searchdb.cgi?uid=default&view_records=1&keyword=Germany). Pendennis mandolins (close by Kiel) are respected. Since Bavaria is close to the Czech Republic, you might want to go there and check (czech) out all the marvelous goodies they have there. Close to the German/Czech border is Jirkov, where Miroslav Vana builds his instruments. I still have to play one of his creations.

This is just a quick overview.

[Aisha]

I bought mine at Thomann (online since I live very far away). I am very satisfied with my mandolin (The Loar 700) but that's because of the quality of the instrument itself. Thomann didn't treat me very well, which means very impersonally, no adjustement other than the factory's even though I had requested one, they don't care about the delivery method -the carrier could have as well delivered it to a neighbour when I insisted on the fact that I didn't allow this, and I pass on delays in replying to my e-mails. Thomann is a big supermarket, much choice but there are bad sides... This said maybe they'll give you more "customer care" if you go there directly. My piece of advise is: if you choose Thomann, do not buy online, take your time to examine and try the instrument!

[Jeroen]

20 miles north of munich in wippenhausen is rudi and monika vogel's streichholz-schachtel (http://www.streichholz-schachtel.de).

They have a nice selection of bluegrass instruments there too.

[Tyko Runesson]

There´s the Saitensprung in Schaffhausen (CH) (www.saitensprung.ch),


If you of some reason really should go to Schaffhausen then you just have to visit me too cause I have my workshop just 20 minutes from Schaffhausen!
(and at least 4 mandos for sale)

[grassrootphilosopher]

If you of some reason really should go to Schaffhausen then you just have to visit me too cause I have my workshop just 20 minutes from Schaffhausen!
(and at least 4 mandos for sale)

Sounds like a sound idea.

[Manfred Hacker]

Olaf, thanks for providing all these links. I have not been aware of some these stores in my part of the world.

You should have mentioned, however, that for a trip from Munich to Hamburg (and back) Jenz might have to shell out the equivalent of a good entry level mandolin. :)

[grassrootphilosopher]

Olaf, ... I have not been aware of some these stores in my part of the world..., however ...for a trip from Munich to Hamburg (and back) Jenz might have to shell out the equivalent of a good entry level mandolin. :)

True enough Manfred... Yet Jenz mentioned he´s not from Bavaria (or Germany?). Therefore it all depends how you travel and from where you travel in order to obtain a "good" mandolin (as mentioned by Jenz).

The discussion what a "good" mandolin is... well, I will not go into that. Apart from the taste standpoint there´s so much to dig that there is a world of choice.

Then, the question is, are you "mando savvy". If you know your way around the mando a bit, a bit of research on the net (especially here) helps you to narrow down a sensible choice. If you dont want to go "sight unseen" and if you don´t have access to an interesting number of different builders, here´s my opinion.

You could go to a place that carries a bunch of mandos (Trevor Moyle "Acoustic Music Company") has a bunch. You could visit England and treat yourself to some steak and kidney pie, washing it down with some brown ale. You could take a trip to the Czech republic, visit Strakonice, Caslav and other stellar festivals, pick the snot out of your own instrument while digging Holubek, Krishot, Furch, Capek, Janish, Prucha and the rest and have a blast with the czech hospitality. You could go to France (Laroche-sur-Foron), pick until you drop and check out what´s being played there (Gibson, Gilchrist, Duff, Giacomel, the czech primier league and [very interesting] Coufleau), drink wonderful wine and enjoy the scenery.

If you are ready to shell out 1k you could go with the A-50 on the classifieds or the couple of 30ies Strad-O-Lins on several sites (Grandpa Banana f.ex.). If you are ready to pay about 3 k you could practically get a very good mando from basically all czech luthiers and great mandos from several others, an A-style mando from Coufleau f.ex. If you go higher, you could comission a highly professional mando from one of the internationaly acclaimed builders.

All you got to be is informed.