Next Mandolin?

[PoorFlory]

Hello all,

This is my first post, so first, hello. So, I'm an upright bass player mainly, but a year ago I bought a rogue a style mandolin to see what it was like to play. I love it. I, however hate the rogue. It's a piece of garbage. Won't stay in tune, the finish is flaking off, breaks high E strings while tuning. It's terrible.
So my question is, who makes a decent mandolin for an upgrade? I'd really love to get a f style. But remember, I'm not looking for the best mandolin ever made. Just something decent that won't let me down.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to posting.

- Kevin

[Rick Schmidlin]

Check the Red Diamond link below. Don has a Red Diamond A voiced after Bobby Osborne's 1925 F that match's the sound.

The downside is the price is $7,000.00

On the other hand an A mandolin that will not let you down can be a Collings MT and you get a great used one in the $1,600.00 range.

[chip]

:popcorn:

[Tim2723]

Hi Kevin and welcome!

The big question is how much do you have to spend? 'Upgrades' from a Rogue can be anything from a couple of hundred to tens of thousands.

[PoorFlory]

Should have mentioned price, huh?

Well, I'd love to not go over $400. If I could get away with less, even better. I know Savannah makes an f style for around 200, but I've heard they're not very well made.

[almeriastrings]

With that amount, stick with an A-model..... the ultra-cheap F-styles are really not up to much. At all. You will quickly be disappointed.

Look at some of the Kentucky, Eastman and 'The Loar' A-models. Honestly, keeping it below $400 for a quality instrument is a tough call. Once you get to around $500 there are some very decent instruments in the A-style. Thought about used? I would with that budget.

[PoorFlory]

Well, if I have to go about $400, so be it. I really don't want to end up regretting not buying a well made instrument. And an f style would be nice, but it's certainly not a must. Thanks everyone.

[dcoventry]

PF,

A The Loar A style really is a good choice for new instrument. The classifieds here are a blessing that is a curse as you will see.....things....that will make you want to spend a lot of money. And you should always spend only as much as you can comfortably afford as it usually leads to the best instrument and a sound marriage. Also, if you have been playing music for long enough o know the feel and tone of a good instrument......you have the curse.:grin:

Mandos are not cheap:crying:, and I was shocked by this when I first was learning about them. Breathe deep, gird your loins, and go bravely into the fray. You know what I mean.;)

[Douglas McMullin]

Well, if I have to go about $400, so be it. I really don't want to end up regretting not buying a well made instrument. And an f style would be nice, but it's certainly not a must. Thanks everyone.

First, watch the used market for some of the brands already mentioned. Second, if you could go with an A you can get nearly twice the instrument in terms of sound and quality for similar money. I think this is particularly true for instruments at this price point.

[Andrew DeMarco]

A-style
Used

[ToneSter]

I 2nd the Loar LM400 ~ A style as I am waiting on the UPS man to bring mine today.................... wahoooooooooooooooooo

an F-style new would be in the $700+ range or you can take a shot with the used section here but I think the cheapest thing I've seen is about $1200 and if you go ebay sometimes it is like Russian roulette.

IMHO.............."who makes a decent mandolin for an upgrade"
$1500 MIN. is the starting floor

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Without sounding like I'm stating the obvious, I'm a firm believer that the best upgrade is the best mandolin you can afford in your price range. This is coming from someone who's spent way too much time obsessing over the fine, handmade mandolins that I can't afford, and am just beginning to learn to love and play what I have.

In the sub $500 range, there are a number of fine A style choices: many already mentioned 'The Loar' A style, and most of them are readily available from dealers. I just saw and played a very fine example of the Kentucky KM-505, and I was very impressed with how they are put together. Eastman also has an economy A style for under $400, but it seems to be out in most places.

Any of the examples above will be a very, very fine upgrade from the Rogue that you're currently playing. I started out on a Johnson M-100, and when I finally moved up to the Loar LM-400, it was like someone just handed me a Gibson Master model. The difference is that big.

[allenhopkins]

In that price range, look for:
1. An A-model; a basic F-model like the Rover RM-75 (Cafe fave!) will run a bit over $400 ($439 at the Mandolin Store (http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=8383)).
2. Solid woods, or at minimum a solid top; carved if you can get it, but avoid plywood.
3. A recognized brand, like Kentucky, Loar, JBovier, Big Muddy; watch out for "tarted up" imports with inferior construction.
4. Buying used makes really good sense -- if you know what you're doing, and there's a try-out period to see if it's what you want.
5. Hands-on if at all possible; individual instruments vary, set-ups are different, necks don't feel alike.

There's a fair number of good instruments in your price range, and it sounds like almost any of them will be an upgrade from your Rogue (well-named, eh?). Good luck.

[P.D. Kirby]

The Loar LM 400 VS would be my recommendation but there are many good "A" models in the $400 to $500 price range.

Phillip

[JeffD]

A rule of thumb to keep in mind, if you have an idea of how good a guitar you can get for how much, then a mandolin of a comparable quality will be about twice as much. A violin of comparable quality will be about twice again as much.

I have no idea about the bang/buck ratio for basses.

[Greg H.]

Well, my first thought would be a little bit on the high end, but would be an excellent option from our own Classifieds:

Stradolin (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=47109&query=retrieval)

or perhaps a

Mid-Missouri (http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=47063&query=retrieval)

Then from the Mandolin Store you might find a 'The Loar' or two in your price range:

LM-220 (http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=9260)

or a

LM-300 (http://www.themandolinstore.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=9269)

and then at Elderly you might find a Kentucky or two (well you could look at them in both Elderly and the Mandolin Store but they're not in stock yet) But...

KM500 (http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/names/kentucky-km-500-mandolin--KM500.htm)

and

KM505 (http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/names/kentucky-km-505-mandolin--KM505.htm)

After all of this done, what kind of music are you wanting to play (e.g. these are all good instruments, but the Mid-Missouri is a very different instrument than the Kentucky of the The Loar)?

[PoorFlory]

Thanks so much everyone. You've all been quite helpful.

In reply to your question, Greg, I mainly play folk and old time when I'm messing around with the mandolin. I've read that for these styles I probably want f holes. Any truth to that?

[ColdBeerGoCubs]

You can play any type of.music on any type of Mando, f-holes seem to be a bluegrass thing. For folk and old time I usually prefer an oval hole and you might want to take a serious look at a mid-mo or a kentucky 17X series.

[fatt-dad]

Really, for old-time fiddle tunes on the mandoiln, my Flatiron 1N (army-navy "pancake" style) has all the horsepower I need even for a large jam. No foolin' these are great little mandoilns!

I don't know much about the other mandolin listed. I'm just saying that a Flatiron 1N can be had for under $500.00. they run on light-gauge strings so you need to make sure whoever you're buying it from kept light-gauge strings on it over the years. Using medium strings on these mandolins is not a good thing.

Enjoy the hunt!

f-d