Inexpensive mandolin for a piano player who'd like to "dabble"

[Greg Guarino]

Just finished my sixth decade; playing piano and keys almost all of that time. I've played guitar on and off during most of that time as well. I've got a home recording system and while I do use sampled instruments (especially for clients), I've developed an itch to record as much as I can with real instruments. Toward that end my music room is rapidly filling up with percussion instruments, guitars and a bass.

I'd like to get a mandolin, likely exclusively for playing chords. I have some facility for playing leads on guitar, but the "tuned in fifths" thing is going to be a hurdle on mandolin.

Any ideas about an inexpensive mandolin for occasional fun? I don't want to spend a great deal but I don't want to be greatly frustrated either. In case it matters, I'm pretty good with tools, so if there are a few adjustments to be made, I'd be up for it.

[Rodney Riley]

Godin A-8, if you want to just plug in. Or an older Ovation acoustic/electric. If using a mic and in recording sessions only (not in front of an audience) Find a used A-style, same sound but cheaper than an F-style. (Scrolls are very costly) Now, what genre of music will you be playing? Lots of advice will come in to answer what mando will work best for classical, bluegrass or other.

[CES]

For < 500 dollars, Kentucky's KM 150 and Eastman's 305 would be good choices, especially if purchased from a Café sponsor. For plugging in, agree with Rodney's recommendations, with the caveat to try to avoid Ovation's Applause line if possible. Both the Godin and Ovation should be in the 500-1000 range, and maybe a little less than that for a used Godin.

If you're willing to expand your budget to the 1000-2000 range, a ton of good options open up. That said, I own an Eastman 315 (the scrolled version of the 305), and it records pretty well. The average listener couldn't tell me whether I'm playing it or my Silverangel in a blind testing format (though I can tell and feel the difference).

If mostly just strumming and not looking for a bluegrass chop, flat tops (like Flatiron 1N, Redline Traveller, and Big Muddy) can be professional quality at much lower prices. I have a 1N that I really like, and it was my first good mandolin. Works great for everything but bluegrass chopping.

Good luck! In addition to Café sponsors (who'll set up before they ship), the classifieds here tend to be a good place to shop. I've bought several instruments through them and traded one octave mandolin without issue.

[Greg Guarino]

Thanks for the reply. Not playing (mandolin) live, I will likely never need a pickup. I have found that pickups sound pretty artificial on acoustic guitars. Mikes sound much better. I imagine the same would hold for mandolins.

Style?Bluegrass is great but I have no plans to devote the time that would be needed to get proficient. I promised myself a couple of decades ago that I'd make a go at getting decent on Bass. Just starting now.

I'm fond of music that uses uncommon combinations of instruments, so you never know what I might dream up.

[allenhopkins]

Sounds like you just want a mandolin to play chords on -- not leads -- to add the "mandolin sound" to the texture of what your recording/sampling. I'd get a decent flat-top instrument, perhaps from Big Muddy, since you're probably not into the "bluegrass chop chords" or high-speed lead pickin'.

If you wanted to go cheaper, get an Asian-made instrument, mandolins by Gold Tone and Trinity College have the flat-top, oval-hole sound. Since you want to mic it rather than use a piezo, you would have a variety of models from which to choose.

[GKWilson]

Morris mandolins are a very nice quality instrument. Inexpensive because Sonny doesn't
add all the bling. Still beautiful in a minimalist way. Custom built in an American one
man shop. You can find them in flat top ovals, A4's A5's, F4's and F5's. You can often
find new and used ones in the classifieds. Also several video's are available.

[Br1ck]

I didn't think I wanted to ever play bluegrass either, but the sound and how much fun those old recycled Monroe licks are to play has me dabbling more and more. To that effect, I wouldn't want just a flat top. That said, a Flatiron 1N is a beautiful thing and a best buy.

[Capt. E]

You didn't mention if you have a budget. You need to realize that a mandolin will cost around twice the price of an equivalent quality guitar. I also like the Kentucky line...good quality and value...the KM-150 and KM-250 are pretty nice. If you are more into americana/ jazz etc, then a flat-top may work very nicely. Bluegrass requires a rather high playing ability to do it "right".
Don't worry about "fifths". Chords on mandolin are much less complex than on guitar. You learn the basic shapes that move up and down the fretboard. Hand position and is different as well, more like a violin as the tips come more or less straight down on a string instead of across the fretboard. Not that you can't do barre chords etc.
Anyway, welcome to the cafe. I started mandolin when I was 58, 9 years ago, having mainly played reed instruments up till then.
You'll love it.

[Ausdoerrt]

The Loar LM-220-VS is another good choice under $500 (under $300 if used).

Mine took some time to open up, but now sounds quite good, especially if recorded and equalized properly.

[FatBear]

I didn't think I wanted to ever play bluegrass either, but the sound and how much fun those old recycled Monroe licks are to play has me dabbling more and more. To that effect, I wouldn't want just a flat top. That said, a Flatiron 1N is a beautiful thing and a best buy.

There's bluegrass licks and there's bluegrass. You can play bluegrass licks just fine with a Big Muddy if you're not chopping along with a band. Bluegrass is a band style that includes a lot of chopping for mandolin players along with those fun licks. I'll never be that good, but the OP may find that weaving mandolin chords into his mix can include chop chords as well. Then he can lose those drums and then he'll only need to learn banjo.
Of course, the Big Muddy and other flat tops can also do chop chords, they just don't do them as well as an arch top does and I agree that you probably wouldn't want that with BG, but might be fine with the OP's independent sound.

[FatBear]

Don't worry about "fifths". Chords on mandolin are much less complex than on guitar.

Yeah, don't worry at all. If you've played piano for most of your 60 years, then chords will come a lot easier for you than they did for me (saxophone background). And 5ths is just a really natural environment for chords. I tried learning guitar after 6 years of mandolin and found them to be totally bizarre.

[fatt-dad]

Already mentioned, but. . .

I love my flat-top Flatiron 1N! Mine is from the mid-80s and I bought it well used. That said, I just made the finish blister bigger! These Flatiron, "Army-Navy" style mandolins are copied after WWI Gibson models that were made for soldiers going to war.

Big Muddy, Mid-Missouri, Poe, Crystal Forest, (others?) also make such flat-top mandolins. Never played one, but they are also likely for your purposes.

The only concern about a used Flatiron flat-top is whether the earlier owners used too-heavy strings. That said, if it's been strung correctly, they are very stable - at least based on my experiences.



enjoy the hunt!

f-d