Is my mandolin any good?

[Pauly]

Hi folks, this is my first post on here so I hope it's in the right place. I have crossed over from guitar to mandolin and must say I wish I did it years ago. I have a "vintage" brand vfm400bs which I think sounds ok but I don't really know much about mandolins yet. It has a solid spruce top with solid flamed maple back and sides, an oval sound hole and is a f style body shape. Would this be a mandolin I could keep for years to come without being laughed at at jams. Would it benefit from some upgrades like the bridge/nut or should I start saving for a better mandolin. Thanks for any advice.
Paul

[mrmando]

Photos, please.

Get a new one when you stop being satisfied with how this one sounds or plays. (Not with how it looks or the name on the headstock.)

[DataNick]

Pauly,

I googled vfm400bs and got zip...A or F style? Who is the manufacturer?
What kind of music will you play?

And of course the most important component is "setup, setup, setup!"

Let us know when you get some info/pics...

[Michael Bridges]

I read the OP as "Vintage" being the brand.

[Jordan Mong]

Here is a thread on the Vintage brand of mandolins:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?60906-quot-Vintage-quot-the-brand
There is some information in there, but I can not tell you the condition or worth of your instrument.
By the looks of it, you have a decent-good instrument on your hands. I have not heard anything bad the brand, with what little information I can find. Like the posts in that thread say, the brand being named "Vintage" does it no justice when looking it up.

[pheffernan]

The brand is discussed in this thread but not the model: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?60906-quot-Vintage-quot-the-brand

[MikeEdgerton]

I am going to hazard a guess that they might be similar to one of these (http://www.jhs.co.uk/pilgrimmandolins.html) models. It appears they changed their brand name from Vintage to Pilgrim. Similar numbers as well.

[DataNick]

I read the OP as "Vintage" being the brand.

Thanks Mike!

Here's what I found(closest to what the OP says he has):

VMT400VB DOUBLE CUTAWAY MANDOLIN
With its ornate oversize headstock, vertical oval mouth soundhole and sharp horned, double cutaway arched top body, the VMT400VB’s sunburst finish is the ideal complement to its intriguing looks.

Specification includes double bound body with solid spruce top, figured solid maple back and sides, adjustable rosewood bridge, bound edge 26-fret neck and gold-plated open gear tuners with ‘crushed ice’ effect pearloid buttons. Also features an attractive abalone Vintage headstock logo with elegant ‘flower pot’ inlaid peghead motif.

106695


Probably a pac-rim made instrument I would venture...don't know much else!

[Mike Bunting]

Thanks Mike!

Here's what I found(closest to what the OP says he has):

VMT400VB DOUBLE CUTAWAY MANDOLIN
With its ornate oversize headstock, vertical oval mouth soundhole and sharp horned, double cutaway arched top body, the VMT400VB’s sunburst finish is the ideal complement to its intriguing looks.

Specification includes double bound body with solid spruce top, figured solid maple back and sides, adjustable rosewood bridge, bound edge 26-fret neck and gold-plated open gear tuners with ‘crushed ice’ effect pearloid buttons. Also features an attractive abalone Vintage headstock logo with elegant ‘flower pot’ inlaid peghead motif.

106695


Probably a pac-rim made instrument I would venture...don't know much else!

The description doesn't match the picture. What double cut-away? What oval "mouth"?

[MikeEdgerton]

Look under the guitars on the site I linked to above and go here (https://www.facebook.com/groups/47066726886/)for their Facebook page. I haven't found any mandolins on the Facebook page yet.

[mandolirius]

Would this be a mandolin I could keep for years to come without being laughed at at jams.

Seriously, this a concern for you? Are you jamming with six-year-olds?

[Perry Babasin]

Two-point Oval...
106697

[DataNick]

The description doesn't match the picture. What double cut-away? What oval "mouth"?

My Bad!

Try this:description of 3, picture of 1...rough day here at work!

http://www.jhs.co.uk/New%20Products/vintagefstylemandos.html

[OldSausage]

Honestly Pauly, no-one will ever laugh at you at jams whatever you have. But within a few months you will be buying yourself a new mandolin anyway, so just don't even worry about it. It will all come to you when you need it.

[Pasha Alden]

Hi there enjoy the mandolin. I agree with Imando do not buy for the name. My Crafter lead me into the mandolin world and now I have a Jbovier a5 and am loving it. Your mandolin sounds special enough so go ahead and play!

Vanilla

[Bertram Henze]

My Bad!

Try this:description of 3, picture of 1...rough day here at work!

http://www.jhs.co.uk/New%20Products/vintagefstylemandos.html

Does anybody find it strange that they describe the perfectly normal F-style headstock as "ornate oversize"? :grin:

[bratsche]

Does anybody find it strange that they describe the perfectly normal F-style headstock as "ornate oversize"? :grin:

No. That actually seems like a perfectly normal description, to me! But then, the difference between sizes of violins and violas, I always heard, is that they're actually the same, only they appear to differ because violinists' heads are so much larger.

You can apply that answer to your question however you want, as well... :grin:

bratsche

[OldSausage]

Actually that headstock does look a bit bigger than a standard f5 one.

[bmac]

You say you already have a Vintage brand mando... I would venture that this is not a step up in quality... Though I could be wrong. So little seems to be known about these instruments that I would guess it is at best a beginners mando... Which is OK, but you are buying your second mando and should focus on a better sounding instrument.

As many will suggest, go for an A style mando with oval or f holes for the best quality for the least money. that should allow you to get a decent lower end player. One of the current favorites is the "The Loar" mando... You will find a lot of info on that mando on this site and it seems to be a well-reviewed instrument even in its lower priced models. there are others of course, but make sure you are basing your purchace on sound recommendation not on appearance alone. There are plenty of nice looking mandos made with wood which does not produce much in quality tone.

[almeriastrings]

What I would say about this brand (and I encounter them fairly often in Europe) is that they are "OK for the money". Not fantastic instruments by any means, but not terrible either. A decent, basic, beginner level mandolin. They are somewhat over-built, over-finished, and do not have much finesse or sophistication - but at that price, it would be a miracle if they did. The name "Vintage" or "Pilgrim" is just that. An overlaid logo put there by the factory fulfilling an order for the importer. They are a generic mass-produced instrument sold under various names. They are better than the typical beginner instruments of 30 years ago, though. Much better. I would suggest sticking with it until YOU feel you need something better. In time, you will. Until then, it will be absolutely fine, and you would have to spend a considerable amount more to get a significantly better one.

[jesserules]

Hi folks, this is my first post on here so I hope it's in the right place. I have crossed over from guitar to mandolin and must say I wish I did it years ago. I have a "vintage" brand vfm400bs which I think sounds ok but I don't really know much about mandolins yet. It has a solid spruce top with solid flamed maple back and sides, an oval sound hole and is a f style body shape. Would this be a mandolin I could keep for years to come without being laughed at at jams. Would it benefit from some upgrades like the bridge/nut or should I start saving for a better mandolin. Thanks for any advice.
Paul

If you tell us whereabouts you live, probably somebody will be able to recommend a good luthier/setup person to give you an in-hand evaluation. But really, if the tuners hold, the intonation is okay, and the instrument is reasonably comfortable to play, you should be fine for your first two or three mandolin years at least.

[bjewell]

Hey Pauly, glad you got the mandolin bug. Yeah, there are folks at jams who will do their level best to make you feel bad based on wGood luck!

[bjewell]

Lost some of my post... "...feel bad based on what you bring. But most folks at jams share a love of the music and could care less what you play. Just go for it. good luck!"

There, that's better...