Ozark and Washburn F style Mandolins

[WinterOak]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice about the quality of Ozark and also Washburn Mandolins, more specifically f type mandolins in the £500 ($800) price area. If you actually own one I'd be very interested to get your opinion on their quality.
Many Thanks - WinterOak

[Bluman]

I presently have a Washburn and have owned one other during my time (both F's) and both in your price range. I was satisfied with the quality of the mandolins. The first is about 10 years old and still going strong and have no issues. I sold the second one about 5 years ago but not because of any quality issues. Good luck in your search.

[almeriastrings]

Ozark is merely a re-branding operation... they commission various Pac-Rim (and Romanian) factories to stick their logo under the lacquer. The brand originated with the Stentor music company in the UK, quite a few years ago now. There is not a lot of consistency, as the mandolins all come from different sources, and specs can change. Some are decent, some are awful, none are great. To be blunt, there is no way on earth I'd spend £500/$800 on an Ozark. I have worked on/repaired a few in my time. Resale value, for one thing, is incredibly poor. I would not fall over myself to do the same with a Washburn, either... you could get quite a nice mandolin for that price, especially used... I'd keep looking.

[WinterOak]

Hi, thanks for both your posts. I've done a bit of looking around, and at the moment I'm thinking about possibly a Kentucky, or a Loar, although I keep reading about finishing issues with the Loar's (but people like them anyway). I'm also thinking of secondhand, US made, which would probably be better. I'm looking for an intermediate level mandolin, as I'm just learning at the moment. I'm also thinking that maybe an F style may be wrong for me, as I'm more in the celtic direction than Bluegrass. From what I've read people seem to think that oval/round holed A style are better for that style. I just think the f style looks great (being honest).

So if I said a US made secondhand/new A style, Oval hole mandolin for around the $1,000
price range, what would you suggest? Or is that just not enougth $ ?
All suggestions welcome...

Many Thanks - WinterOak

[JeffD]

I'm also thinking that maybe an F style may be wrong for me, as I'm more in the celtic direction than Bluegrass. From what I've read people seem to think that oval/round holed A style are better for that style. I just think the f style looks great (being honest).

They do look great. There is very little difference sound wise between and F and an A, all else being equal (both with f holes, same length neck etc. etc.). Big thing is that, quality for quality, the F will cost you more. So you can look at it as the A will get you the quality you want for less price, or you can say that for a given price, you can generally get a better quality when you get an A.

[almeriastrings]

I would not rule out some of the best UK makers, you are just getting into the price range where you might find a good one used. Phil Davidson, Oakwood and one or two more. These are very nice especially for celtic and more general (non-bluegrass) genres. Of course, you can get vintage US built round/oval hole carved top A and 'F' styles, F2 and F4, etc., but unless you are incredibly lucky, not in the sub-$1K range.

[pdb]

I purchased a washburn new around 1991 when I first started playing mandolin . I was dissapointed in the sound and the non working truss rod on this mando. It is an expensive student grade mandolin at best. The bridge was also an incredibly weak spot on this mandolin. It was a heavy, overbuilt mando. I did not keep this mando long. Since that time I have played several washburns and all had an inferior sound and were overbuilt. There are far better choices in todays market. A few that come to mind around your price point or less are the kentucky km-900, eastman 300 or 500 series, The Loar 400 and 600, and for a little more money, the loar 700. The Loars will benefit greatly from an upgraded quality bridge and their fit/finish will probably be a little rougher than the kentucky's and eastmans but they have a fine sound. All of these current offerings blow away the washburn mandolins imho. Any of these should fit your needs nicely. I wish I had these choices available when I started out. I would never have purchased the Washburn if I had. Good luck with your search.

[WinterOak]

Hi, thanks for all the info. I've done a considerable amount of looking around at things, reading reviews and comparing different brands. In the end I've decided that when I upgrade I'll get a Big Muddy. I really like the fact that you can get a proper US made mandolin, that people really like the sound of for well under $1000. Sure, you dont get the scrolls, and fancy inlays and stuff, but they have, in my opinion, an elegance and simplicity that I really like. I did look at some independent UK makers, some of which were great, but just out of my reach, money wise.
To be honest, the fact that it's made in the US means something to me, the same as if it were European, Australian etc made. I've owned many Chinese and Korean made guitars and other instruments, and have to say that some of them have been really great quality. The mandolin I'm playing at the moment is a Wesley with a pickup fitted. It sounds good, is reasonably well constructed and only cost me £52 on Ebay, brand new. Fantastic, I don't have that much money so I was happy. But really, it shouldn't be possible to buy an instrument that cheap. The thing is that people want everything quick and cheap, and that's understandable. But in the past, people couldn't get paid on friday and buy an instrument on Saturday, it'd take weeks of saving up, and when they finally got their instrument they'd love it all the more.
I just feel that rather than go for the usual budget brands, it really is better to save your money, and buy from a proper independent maker. You get a proper instrument, constructed by someone who really cares about what they are building. These are folk instruments after all, surely an independent maker is more appropriate.
So I'm saving up for a Big Muddy.

Thanks for all the advice - Mark