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Thread: Fender Fm60e

  1. #1

    Default Fender Fm60e

    So the other night, I was doing some research on 5 string electric mandolins, and I stumbled across a fender Fm60e at guitar center. It just so happened that it was at my local guitar center for the price of $350, which seems to be a really good deal, seeing as most of the other ones I've seen go for $500-600.

    So I call guitar center and ask if they can hold it for me until the next day. They say they can, but if somebody buys it online, they can't stop it. I go in the next day and sure enough the mandolin is gone. I'm pretty upset with myself for not getting it sooner.

    So I was wondering if any of you know of any Fm60e's for sale for around the $350-$400 mark or if anyone could recommend another 5 string in that price range. I really liked the look and sound of the fender, but I'm open to others.
    Thanks

  2. #2

    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Sorry to hear about the one that got away. I've learned over the years with GC that when I have a clerk on the other end of the phone holding the instrument I want at the price I want to pay, to just pull out the credit card and nail it or its gone.

    That's how I got my Fender FM60E - and it was for considerably less than what you were looking at. If you find another one, they require a good setup and electronics swap, but once that's done they're hard to beat.

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    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ktop-make-over

    Other electric 5's at reasonable prices to consider are from Gold Tone [currently in production] and used Kentucky's off the top of my head.

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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    I just want to relate my sad story regarding Guitar Center and an FM60E. It was last Feb. and I was in the market for my first 5 string when I saw a FM60E at a guitar center about 1500 miles away. I called the store and spoke at length with the store clerk. It seemed too good to be true; it was a like new instrument for under $400. I immediately went to my local Guitar Center and ordered it, shipped to the store. Four days later it arrived and I picked it up after giving it a brief look. Upon arriving home I ralized the neck was bent upward at the neck joint. The closest I could get the action at the 12th fret was about 3/8 of an inch and the intonation of C string was not even close with no adjustment left. I drove back to Guitar Center an pointed out the flaw. A fella standing in line behind me said "I can see it's warped from here." They were nice and agreed with me, said all the right things and returned my money. The next day, out of curiosity I checked and, sure enough, it was for sale once again at my local store, completely aware they were selling a horribly flawed instrument. I vowed never to purchase another instrument from them. I did end up buying a 5 string from Elderly instruments, a Bluestar Mandoblaster and have been very pleased. That's my sad tale of woe concerning Guitar Center and an FM60E.

    Ken

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    FWIW, in perusing the classifieds yesterday , I noticed a red Mandoblaster for a good price.

    Ken

  5. #5
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Yeah, sometimes you can get a Mandoblaster in that price range, in which event you should jump on it.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  6. #6
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    I bought an FM60E from GC that was advertised with a case. It arrived without one. After a couple of phone calls I did get them to knock 50 bucks off the price.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  7. #7

    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Quote Originally Posted by Kenny A View Post
    I just want to relate my sad story regarding Guitar Center and an FM60E. Upon arriving home I ralized the neck was bent upward at the neck joint. The closest I could get the action at the 12th fret was about 3/8 of an inch and the intonation of C string was not even close with no adjustment left.
    Ken
    I've read elsewhere that these Fender's were hit and miss. They don't have an adjustable truss-rod making fixes to problems like yours difficult. They do have a fairly substantial neck so if you get a straight one, you're good - as in my case - but if they go wonky all one can do is hope a fret level works, otherwise it's heavy construction time.
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  8. #8

    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Thanks for all the input everyone. I feel better after hearing everyone's stories about their guitar center troubles. For a price that low, It's probably for the best I didn't get it. I actually had a dream last night that I went to a music store to buy a fender fm 60e, but when I got there to look at it, the neck on it was so bent out of shape, that it was terrifying.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    LOL they're not that bad.

    I will admit, setting up my 60 was one of the longest and most frustrating setup jobs I've done. It took forever to get the tuning stable and the action playable. I found the string trees and bridge far more trouble-some than the neck.

    But now that it's dialed in, it's one of my favorite instruments. In fact, it's the one I always take when traveling because it's small, fun to play and pretty much bullet proof.
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  10. #10
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    its all in the lucky draw .. glued in neck , if it has been put in right, great,

    if its not, its not worth the cost of a removal and reset.

    $350 is about what they sold for (@ Mu_fnd) when they came out , those many years ago..




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  11. #11

    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Since we're talking Guitar Center here's my experience.

    I spotted a Godin electric mandolin on GC's used site for a really good price - this was quite a while ago. I called the store and had the sales person describe the instrument over the phone and all checked out. My mistake was waiting for the next day to call to buy it - it had been sold while I hesitated!

    A while later an FM60E shows up on GC's used site for a stupid low price. There wasn't a picture and a lot of times products are mis-filed so I was dubious. I called the store and had the sales rep go over it as I asked questions:

    Is it a 5 string? Yes.
    Is it an electric with 2 pickups? Yes.
    Does it have an f-hole? Yes.
    How's the finish? Couple of playing scratches you can buff out, but nothing big.
    And it's only XX? Yes.

    Not making the mistake I made with the Godin I gave them my credit card number and had them ship it out. They have a 30 day money back on used gear, so if it was a dog, I would have only been out my time and gas.

    It came with a nice set of after market tuning machines, but was otherwise stock. It was setup for first position playing only, anything above the 5th fret was tough to fret, and suffered the usual weak electronics and the pickup switch located in exactly the wrong spot.

    When I was getting the mandolin sorted out I went in search of a case. Fender made a hardshell case for these, but they were long out of production.

    Guitar Center had one in stock, brand new, on sale for under $50! I tried and tried but could not get it to go through on their website so I called the store. When they found it in their store room they couldn't get the sale to go through either but he said they could do an in person cash sale. That meant them shipping the case across the country to a GC close to me where I would go in and buy it without problems.

    It took weeks for that case to finally arrive as they kept sending it to wrong addresses and having to reship but I finally did get it for $48 or something like that. But it sure was an adventure.

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  12. #12
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Nice. That's actually an FM62SCE case, but it works OK for the FM60E.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  13. #13

    Default Re: Fender Fm60e

    Yea, the fit is a bit loose, but it came with a pillow-type piece made out of the same crushed blue velvet that goes over the mando body and holds everything just fine.
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