Which dealer to purchase without being able to visit?

[seanhess]

Hi all,

Right now I play a piece of crap ebay special, and I love to play, but don't love the instrument. I have some money and would like to upgrade. I'm still a beginner/intermediate, but I want an instrument that has great sound. I play a wide variety of music.

I don't live near a good dealer, and I've been putting off buying a mandolin because I wanted to visit a shop, but it's just not happening. I think I'd rather find a dealer I can trust and just go for one. It's better than sitting around playing this piece of junk. I can spend up to $1000.

I went through the sponsors on the main cafe page, and these are all the general dealers. Which one would do the best job helping me select a mandolin without being able to play it? (And would also set it up and ship it nicely, etc). I will need some hand holding to pick one that is right for me since I'm too new to know exactly what I need.

http://www.themusicemporium.com/
http://www.jdmc.com/category/mandolins.html
http://www.themandolinstore.com/
http://www.vintagemandolin.com/instruments.html
http://www.folkmusician.com/Mandolins/departments/28/

Thanks for your help!

[Eric C.]

Call Robert at Folkmusician and talk with him for a bit. He'll be able to help you out.

[allenhopkins]

The Mandolin Store and Folkmusician.com get very high marks among Cafe posters. Janet Davis as well has received praise. I would add Elderly Instruments (http://elderly.com/departments/mandolin) to your list of possibilities; I've dealt with them on instruments and accessories and have had positive results. I have also dealt with the Music Emporium, though only in person, and have found them quite helpful and knowledgeable.

I know you're trying to reduce your number of options, and here I am adding some choices, but I do want to put in a good word for a dealer in my city, John Bernunzio, (http://bernunzio.com/category/instruments/mandolins/) who also has a good selection, and with whom I've had many positive dealings. He's also recently joined the Cafe as a sponsor.

[vegas]

Call Robert at Folkmusician and talk with him for a bit. He'll be able to help you out.

+1

[chasray]

Whoever you talk to, ask them about the Kentucky KM900. I picked one up a few months ago and think it's a great buy for the price, and it's in your price range.

[seanhess]

Ok, I talked with Robert at FolkMusician and he was very helpful. Here are the models he recommended, and the best prices I could find.

$550 - The Loar LM-400 (A-style)
$700 - The Loar LM-600 (F-style)
$1000 - The Loar LM-700 (F-style)

$970 - Kentucky KM-900 (A)
$??? - Kentucky KM-1000 (F) (couldn't find it)

$620 - Eastman MD-505 (A)

$950 - Breedlove OF (A)

Which one would you recommend?

Has anyone played the breedlove? I kind of like the plain look.

It seems like the sound of these A-styles vs F-styles will be equivalent. You're just paying more for F-style, right? Is there any difference besides the look and the ability to play really, really high?

I understand that there are tone tradeoffs between the brands, but I don't really know enough to evaluate which I would like more. I'll go listen to some clips, but in general, which tone do you prefer, and what kinds of music or situations are they better for?

[Rodney Riley]

I test drove a Breedlove a little over a year ago. Fantastic, utterly fantastic instrument. :) Played soooo easy and had wonderful sustain. With my Weber F-style only being a year old at the time, couldn't justify getting it. :(

[J Mangio]

Compare neck size before you commit to purchase.

[seanhess]

Compare neck size before you commit to purchase.

Neck size? Which neck size is best? Is that another thing that is mostly opinion based? This is the first time I've heard of that being a difference.

[J Mangio]

Neck size is a personal choice; some people like slim, like the KM-900, and some like chunky, like the LM-400.

[seanhess]

Moved the final decision into a new thread.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?94529-Down-to-three-models-which-would-you-choose

Thanks for your help everyone!