Re: looking for bowl back mandolins
Those eBay mandos are very hit-and-miss. A lot of problems, and usually they're sold by people who don't have the expertise to identify, let alone describe them. I've gotten lucky and got some nice bowlbacks there, but I've also gotten some unpleasant surprises. Often they need significant restoration work; usually they need at least fretwork and setup. And strings, and a case.
I like to buy these to offer to students, but even with experience there's no way to know for sure what you're getting. Still, there are plenty of good ones out there and I suspect their fortunes are rising. Perhaps as their musical, historical and educational value becomes more appreciated, the market value will follow.
Last edited by August Watters; Sep-12-2017 at 9:51pm.
Exploring Classical Mandolin (Berklee Press, 2015)
Progressive Melodies for Mandocello (KDP, 2019) (2nd ed. 2022)
New Solos for Classical Mandolin (Hal Leonard Press, 2020)
2021 guest artist, mandocello: Classical Mandolin Society of America
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