I know, it sounds to simple, but let me try and explain my dilemma.
Huh...
I've been craving a mandolin for quite some time.
Living in Serbia makes ordering it from The Mandolin Store (which I came to know, form many stories on this forum is (one of) the best) a pretty expensive business, due to high shipping and customs expenses.
Afer a year of internet drifting, I got fixated on the Kentucky KM-252 and I was so close to ordering it, when I took (I thought) one last look on Thomann.de stock and found The Loar LM-170 VSM.
Now, ordering from Germany is much less expensive, so the total costs for the mandolins (with hard cases) would be:
Kentucky KM-252: 650€ / 707$
The Loar LM-170 VSM: 327€ / 356$
What annoys me the most is that so much of difference goes to shipping and customs expenses.
I know that there is a difference in the set up. When I asked about their set up process, the guy from Thomann e-mailed me 2 YT videos about mandolin set up.
The other one tells more about the importance of the process than about the process itself. Still, nice of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSKtndpbyC4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21PlyVkQMl8
TMS, on the other hand, does great set up, as I hear.
I really like and respect their dedication and professionalism.
But is the difference worth the price?
I know it looks like I'm making a fuss about 2 entry level mandolins, but let me put in some more context:
This is my first mandolin (and my faculty graduation present) but, although I'm a starter, upgrading as I go is not all cut and dried, as you see from the listed expenses, and more considering that (no pathetics intended) the average monthly salary here is not much more than the above price for The Loar and much less than the price for the Kentucky.
So, you see, this purchase has to be well thought trough.
I need to, so to say, hit the bulls eye with my first shot.
Now, KM-252 being all solid spruce and LM-170 having laminated maple back and sides, how will the teeth of time treat them and all... I guess you guys know the factors that need to be accounted...
I'm looking forward to your advice and words of experience and wisdom!
Thank you! And sorry for the looong story!
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