Need a new Mando

[josh12345]

Hi,

I am looking to upgrade to a new mando in the 600-1200 range. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Josh

[Jill McAuley]

1) What are you upgrading from?

2) What style of music do you play?

3) Any preference for A style vs. F style? Oval hole vs. f-holes?

Cheers,
Jill

[josh12345]

Thanks for the response, in answer to your questions

1. I currently play a kentucky m-800, i know most say km-800 but this one just says m-800 serial number 8016. It was made in japan in the 70's i think. I posted to try to get information on it, but no one knew much. I like the sound i just want something "fuller".

2. Mainly bluegrass

3. I definately like the look of the F style better, however if the sound is right the sound is right and i really don't care. Same applies for the holes, i like the look of the f better, but if oval is right then so be it.

Thanks a lot, look forward to the reccomendations,

josh

[John Kinn]

http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=8992

Just a suggestion. Well spoken for at the cafe, and in your price range. No strap hanger,though.

[Tim2723]

When you're already playing a 40 year old Japanese KM-800, you're in the arena of 'try everything you can' before you buy. For that upgrade range, you'll have to work hard to beat the mandolin you have. I can't think of a new $600 instrument that would top it.

[Cheryl Watson]

Ken Ratcliff Econo model! It might be a tad bit over your budget but...

[Ed Goist]

Since you're looking for an F-Style, bluegrass mandolin, I'd highly recommend that you consider a custom made F5 from Howard 'Sonny' Morris.

Sonny charges around $1400 for his F-Style mandolins, and although this is a little outside your range, I believe that Sonny's mandolins are such strong values, that it really makes sense to spend the extra couple hundred bucks. Consider that by spending a little extra you'll be getting a premium, custom-made, domestic F-Style mandolin!

FYI - Here's a pic of one of Sonny's F5s:

http://www.ozarkmountainmusic.com/Mandolin_Content/Howard_Morris/Howard%20Morris%20F5%2045.jpg

If $1,400 is just a game-breaker, Sonny's A5s are around $900. I own one, and it's as good (playability & sound) as any mandolin I've played (including a handful in the $3K to $4K range).

By the way, I have no financial interest here - I am just a big fan of the man and his mandolins, and I think they are a tremendous value. If you want to read more about Sonny's mandolins, there are many threads about them here on the Cafe. There are also other Morris owners who frequent the forums.

Good luck. Please let us know what you end-up getting!

[Brent Hutto]

The Howard Morris "A1" model looks awfully nice. Any idea about what those go for, Ed? Do you think something on the order of a thousand bucks? That would be in the upper reaches of Kentucky/Eastman territory for what's likely a much finer instrument (albeit plainer in decoration which is fine by me).

[Jill McAuley]

I'd second the recommendation of the Kentucky KM-900, or you could keep your eyes peeled for a used Kentucky KM-1000, or a used Weber Gallatin, or if you can save up about $300 more I've sometimes seen Collings MT's going for $1500 used.

Cheers,
Jill

[Ed Goist]

The Howard Morris "A1" model looks awfully nice. Any idea about what those go for, Ed? Do you think something on the order of a thousand bucks? That would be in the upper reaches of Kentucky/Eastman territory for what's likely a much finer instrument (albeit plainer in decoration which is fine by me).

Hi Brent:

I believe the mandolin listed as an A1 on the Ozark Mountain Music site is actually one of Sonny's A5 mandolins. As I understand it, Sonny makes 6 styles of mandolin: A5 (a-style, f-hole), A4 (a-style, oval hole), F5, F4, A5 - two point, and A4 - two point.

Sonny's A mandolins are $850 (with gig bag). Here are some pics of my A5 (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2072531&id=1307520521&l=9ff3608962).

You're right about the lack of bells & whistles on the Morris mandolins (they have Grover tuners & tail pieces, simple purfling instead of binding), but in terms of the things that affect playability and sound, it's all there. Of course, one can upgrade hardware if desired. Sonny's building philosophy is pretty well outlined in this interview (http://archive.mandolinsessions.com/aug08/Mendel.html).

Also, one of Sonny's A4 mandolins (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=43376&query=retrieval) is currently being offered in the Cafe classifieds. Again, NFI.

Finally, I do want to say that I believe there are many very good options in this price range. As suggested by others the KM-900 would be a very good choice, as are the used Webers and Collings suggested by Jill. Most/all of these instruments have the potential to be lifetime partners...

However, I will admit that I'm partial toward Sonny's mandolins, both because I really appreciate his work, and because I find great value (practical, ethical and philosophical) is knowing I can pick-up the phone and call the person who built my mandolin from start to finish.

[Brent Hutto]

Those are quite a value, Ed. I had failed to notice the one in the Classifieds (actually I rather deliberately "fail to notice" the entire Mandolin section most of the time so as to keep the MAS at bay). I remembered that you had a Morris but forgot a second is on the way.

There was a guy walking around a guitar show I went to a few weeks ago with a mandolin he had built for sale. Not a vendor with a table but just the one instrument he wanted to sell. I'm not qualified to judge instruments but I did take a look at it and noodle around on it for a few minutes and it sure seemed a cut above factory instruments to me. Not a lot of bling but it had features like a Tru-Oil neck that had been rubbed out to be slick as eel poop and sounded just super responsive up the neck.

Anyway, he said it had been for sale for $750 for a while with no takers and he had decided to let it go for $500. I'm not confident enough to buy something like that since I don't know what I'm doing but it was almost certainly an awesome deal from a new builder just starting out (I think he'd made a bunch of fiddles but only a couple of mandos before that one). He gave me a business card which I promptly lost. I can not remember his name to save my life. But he's just an hour and a half up the road from me and it's killing me not to be able to track him down and go for a visit and see his shop and so forth!