Gretsch New Yorker supreme

[dshiner]

I'm new to the cafe. My daughter has been playing for about two years and I have caught the mando bug. I've started playing in a band and need something that can be plugged in. I'm looking for a cheap electric mando that has a good sound when it's being played acoustically and doesn't sound like a little guitar when plugged in. I know that's a lot to ask. Has anyone played a Gretsch New Yorker Supreme?

[roysboy]

I've played a handful of Gretsch New Yorkers . Didn't like the sound at all . I played several in that price range- epi phones Ibanez Alabama etc. I bought a Kentucky 150 . I thought the tone and playability surpassed the others by far and was only about 50.00 more .

[JeffD]

My thinking on this is that combining an acoustic and electric at the economy end of the price continuum is in many cases a compromise of both the acoustic quality and the electric quality, with the aim of attracting guitar players. (Acoustic/electric is much more a part of guitar culture, in my experience.) Substandard acoustic because "you can always plug in" and cheap electrics, because "whaddaya want for a couple of hundred".

In any case I would think for an economy instrument you would do better to get an all acoustic and a microphone. Or an all electric instrument if that is your direction.

YMMV

[EdHanrahan]

Keep in mind that the $-to-quality ratio for mandolins is about double that for guitars, meaning that a $200 mandolin is the equivalent quality of a $100 guitar (lots of factors, that have filled lots of prior threads). And that pretty much holds true across the price spectrum.

Folks often get upset that a setup, that is always required on a really cheap mandolin, costs as much as the mandolin itself. In reality, the manufacturer got to that low price by skipping over the last hour or three of careful hand labor that should have been applied but weren't because, hey, it still looks like a mandolin whether adjusted or not.

Strongly suggest buying from one of the Cafe sponsors, all of whom do the setup and will make sure that you're happy.

[dshiner]

Yeah, yeah.... I get that. It took me a long time to find a good beginner mandolin at a reasonable price for my daughter. She plays on a KM500 from The Mandolin Store, and lets me borrow it come gig time. It had to be set up twice and I am still messing with it to get better tone and playability. My situation is not wanting to fumble around with mic stands, I'm playing on a small stage with a country/rock band. I know that micing is always better, but then there's the price for a good mic. And if I don't want another stand on stage it would have to be one that is attached to the instrument...price goes up.......... You get the idea. Looking for a good solution without breaking the bank. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Tommcgtx]

Have you checked the classified ads? These two are $800 and $600, respectively. I don't know if that's your price range.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/69964
http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/69859

[allenhopkins]

The Gretsch can be bought, discounted, for $239. It has a solid top (a plus at that price), which is heat-pressed into shape, rather than carved (a minus, but you need to spend more to get a carved top). Back and sides are laminated wood (a minus). It's an all-mahogany mandolin, rather than the more prevalent spruce top, maple back and sides.

You can get an all-solid-wood, spruce and maple Kentucky KM-150 for comparable buxx. Probably a better buy, IMHO.

Now, amplification: you can retrofit a piezo pickup to either mandolin, and I leave it to Cafe-ers who use pickups to recommend which ones they like. Inexpensive piezos generally need a pre-amp; don't know if you're using an amp or going directly into the PA. Also, without some fairly good EQ in the signal chain somewhere, piezo pickups often deliver a sound described as "quack" which compromises the "natural" mandolin sound. Here's a current thread discussing "quack," pre-amps, EQ and such-like.

Working in a country-rock band, you might want to consider a solid-body, magnetic pickup instrument like the Eastwood Mandocaster; sounds more like a mini-electric-guitar than an acoustic mandolin, but you can get more volume and less feedback. And the Ovation Applause electric mandolin, while not in the same league as the "regular" Ovation models, seems to provide a more "acoustic" sound while avoiding many feedback problems.

Good luck –– and get your mandolin set up well, whatever you buy.

[dshiner]

Thanks. I'll look into some of those other models. I'm not too fond of the little guitar sound that a solid body gives, but I need the volume. I've played on an ovation. That seems to be a good compromise. I looked through a lot of threads on the cafe, and haven't really found a good answer to the problem without dropping a grand or so. There seems to be a lot of resistance on this site when you mention amplification. It's like a four letter word or something. Some people really take offense to it. Thanks again Allen

[chuck3]

I suggest getting one of the lower end Eastmans at the Mandolin Store that come with the pickup already installed. That's how I started out and I was very happy with it, even though I've since gotter higher end mandos as my playing has improved (and I've gotten steady gigs with mando). The Eastmans are great for the price.

[Pete Summers]

The Gretsch can be bought, discounted, for $239. It has a solid top (a plus at that price), which is heat-pressed into shape, rather than carved (a minus, but you need to spend more to get a carved top). Back and sides are laminated wood (a minus). It's an all-mahogany mandolin, rather than the more prevalent spruce top, maple back and sides.

Not to be picking nits here, but the Gretsch New Yorker Supreme is all solid mahogany, no lamination. The other New Yorker models, such as the Deluxe, do have laminated sides and backs and sell for less than the typical $240 of the Supreme.

I have a New Yorker Supreme and I like the look and playablility of it, as well as the tone. Mine, incidentally came from Austin Guitars in Austin, TX and was perfectly setup out of the box. Tone quality is in the ear of the listener, but to my ear it is better (though different) than the comparably price Kentuckys and Rovers that I've tried. It may or may not be suitable for the purposes of the OP, but that could be said of any mandolin.

[chuck3]

Thanks. I'll look into some of those other models. I'm not too fond of the little guitar sound that a solid body gives, but I need the volume. I've played on an ovation. That seems to be a good compromise. I looked through a lot of threads on the cafe, and haven't really found a good answer to the problem without dropping a grand or so. There seems to be a lot of resistance on this site when you mention amplification. It's like a four letter word or something. Some people really take offense to it. Thanks again Allen

Further to my post above - I think you can do what I suggest (lower end Eastman w/pickup installed) for less than a grand, maybe $600 or so (which I realize is still not cheap). As to amplification - not a four letter word to me. I don't like solid bodies but I do insist on amplification, meaning a good pickup well installed internally. The places I gig, it's essential, and I think it sounds great. I play through a Radial PZ-Pre and a Genz Benz Shenandoah 150LT amp.

[Jim]

A "Cherub WCP-60V Violin Pickup" , available on Amazon, can be attached to your mandolin and reproduce a more natural sound than a piezo or magnetic pickup. They are cheap! I still prefer a mic on a stand so I can use proximity effect to get louder for breaks, but these little violin mics will get the job done.

[allenhopkins]

...There seems to be a lot of resistance on this site when you mention amplification. It's like a four letter word or something. Some people really take offense to it...

Well, not if you go to the Electric Mandolin forum!

But that's primarily not for those who are trying to amplify acoustic instruments -- the "acoustic-electric" crowd. Which is sorta where you're at. Browsing through the Equipment forum, you'll find scads of threads discussing how best to amplify an acoustic mandolin -- piezo pickups, permanently installed mics, clip-on mics, stand-mounted mics. I'd suggest you go there and do a couple searches on "pickup" or some such.

Lot of support for the Ovation models there; not so much for their Applause budget line, but since you're looking at an under-$300 Gretsch, you might not want to plunk down near-$1K for their higher-priced models.

[Nevin]

Radio Shack makes a tie clip mic that gets some love from double bass players. I am not sure how well it would clip to your mandolin but it runs around $35.

[dshiner]

Thanks guys. I'm going to start expanding my options.

[Patrick Market]

Not to be picking nits here, but the Gretsch New Yorker Supreme is all solid mahogany, no lamination. The other New Yorker models, such as the Deluxe, do have laminated sides and backs and sell for less than the typical $240 of the Supreme.

I have a New Yorker Supreme and I like the look and playablility of it, as well as the tone. Mine, incidentally came from Austin Guitars in Austin, TX and was perfectly setup out of the box. Tone quality is in the ear of the listener, but to my ear it is better (though different) than the comparably price Kentuckys and Rovers that I've tried. It may or may not be suitable for the purposes of the OP, but that could be said of any mandolin.

Thanks Pete. Couldn't agree more.

[Mandorich]

I have a Loar 520, which I find to be a pretty high quality compromise between a relatively low budget and having a high quality, solid wood hand carved mandolin.

Since I play gigs in relatively large venues with some loudish bands, I had my luthier install a Fishman M-100 bridge replacement pickup, which I run through a Baggs para-acoustic preamp. It gives a good sound and has yet to give any feedback problems at shows or rehearsals.