Need mandolin suggestions

[Deano0523]

I have got the mandolin bug again and need your suggestions, opinions. I like a mandolin with good clarity and strong across the mids. Price range up to12k area for F model. Have been considering an Ellis. Of course playability up and down the neck is a must. I have a Collings MF5 already. What say ye one and all??? Thanks.

[Zach Wilson]

Buy 12 $1000 dollar mandolins and give them to those that comment first on this thread 😉

Thanks!

[Denman John]

Will Kimble or Michael Heiden.

[JeffD]

With that budget you have many options. Playability up and down the neck you can get for a quarter of that price.

[Phil Goodson]

Ellis, Duff, Heiden would be at the top of my list at that price point.

[darrylicshon]

Take a trip to Nashville and try as many as you can, you'll find one there

[Jim Garber]

Sounds like you are a seasoned player. None of us, even those as seasoned as any of us may be, are you, so I agree 100% with daryllcshon. I don't know where you are but travel to stores who have what you want to try. if you need suggestions, let us know, but i would guess you probably know who is selling what out there.

Unless you want to play the shipping game with multiple 5-figure mandolins.

If it were me I would get an A-model Nugget or Gilchrist in that price range, but that is only me. I am not you.

[Deano0523]

Well,Heiden,Gilchrist, certainly not in my range. I am at least 9 hrs. from Nashville . Not really any shops with high end instruments around. Heard good things about Kimble. Appreciate the feedback. Thanks

[Jim Garber]

Well,Heiden,Gilchrist, certainly not in my range.

Well, sure, if you are only considering F-5 models.

I have liked every Kimble I have ever played. There are two in the classifieds within your price range (both asking $9K):

• 2004 F-5
• 2009 F-5

[Mark Wilson]

Well,Heiden,Gilchrist, certainly not in my range. I am at least 9 hrs. from Nashville . Not really any shops with high end instruments around.

Check some of the popular instrument retailers on this site for the return policy on new instruments. Reading Elderly's policy it looks like they offer 7 days on used and 30 on new. Just not as much fun as a day spent at Carter's probably

I've never spent more than casual time with a mandolin of that pedigree so nothing to offer but my envy.

[yankees1]

Check with George Gruhn at Gruhn Guitars and play/look at the Wienman mandolins . Great price ! Also, check out Griouard mandolins and of course Ellis !

[Eric C.]

Well,Heiden,Gilchrist, certainly not in my range. I am at least 9 hrs. from Nashville . Not really any shops with high end instruments around. Heard good things about Kimble. Appreciate the feedback. Thanks

Cut your budget to $11,500 and fly to Nashville...

[pheffernan]

I have got the mandolin bug again and need your suggestions, opinions. I like a mandolin with good clarity and strong across the mids. Price range up to12k area for F model. Have been considering an Ellis. Of course playability up and down the neck is a must. I have a Collings MF5 already. What say ye one and all??? Thanks.

I'm an unabashed fan of the work of Stefan Passernig. Like Collings and Ellis, he is working out of Austin, only as an independent builder. Currently, one of his F5's is available through Fiddler's Green:

http://www.fiddlersgreenmusicshop.co...assernig-f5-84

And another is listed on Reverb, presumably from the remnants of Smoky Mountain Guitars:

https://reverb.com/item/4850656-pass...emona-sunburst

While I haven't had hands on these particular F5's, I think that Stefan consistently builds mandolins comparable to the work of Collings and Ellis for a fraction of the price. The only better value in independently built American F5's, in my opinion, would be a used Passernig.