Best f-5 mandolin currently on the classifieds for $3000 - $4000?

[alistair2511]

Hi I'm pretty new to this forum so if I posted this in the wrong spot, I sincerely apologize.

Anyway I'm currently looking to buy a second hand f-5 style mandolin in the 3-4k dollar range (Absolutely NO MORE THAN $4000!!!!) Anyway, the story is: I live in the harsh boring cultural wasteland that is known as "North East England" and about two years ago I bought a fairly reasonable Ashbury style S mandolin for about £500 (about $750) It only recently began to truly open up a bit and has the nicest tone I've heard on any brand new mandolin, bought in UK, for that price. (Mind you it is very difficult to find any decent ones around here. So recently I acquired a reasonable sum of money which I would like to spend on "The mandolin" for me.

I'm after a versatile F-5 mandolin that looks decent. (none of that distressed look (IMO it's very silly)) I need a powerful chop that can get past 5 fiddles and a couple guitars if need be. (Folk/ bg/folk fusion bands) I need the complex tones for playing baroque music like bach and vivaldi. I don't mind new but I'd like something that has been played in a little (And also because it's so much cheaper!)

I currently have my eye on (what by all accounts is) a very nice Bruce Weber flatiron, which is currently on the classifieds for $4000. Does anyone know if this is a good deal? I've contacted the seller for more info (pics, serial number, e.t.c.....) http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/89575

Since the only way I'd get a good mandolin from buying in Britain is going to TAMCO in brighton or finding a rare ebay deal I'm absolutely prepared to import from America.

Anyway, If anyone could help me, I would appreciate it so much! Something has to be done about my worryingly severe case of MAS!!!!!! Many Thanks!

[DataNick]

Welcome!

Some tried but true cliches around here:
better to play before pay: as only you will know whether or not the mandolin "speaks" to you. The Weber signed Flatiron might do it and then again it might not. I've played a few, one was not good to me at all, a couple were pretty good, and a friend has one that is a very, very good mandolin! So as we say "they're all different". Honestly I've played some mandolins that if I had purchased them for their selling price, I would have been extremely disappointed: so play before pay!

A "good" instrument should give you what you need in whatever style you play; remember that the improvements implemented to the Gibson F5 by Loar, McHugh, Hart, etc. were done with classical music as the biggest musical influence at the time. If you can, from what I hear, a trip to see Trevor at TAMCO in Brighton is a "must"...A used Collings MF might be had in your range; with your descriptions of what you're looking for, I'd be on the lookout for something like that...good hunting!

[DataNick]

Here's a Collings MF
Collings MF Honey/Tortoise

And another
Collings MF $3800

Custom Girouard

Your negotiating skills would be required to stay within range...

[alistair2511]

Thanks for the help. The thing is, because good mandolins are so rare in the UK I have no doubt that if I didn't like one I could easily get my money back through ebay or even going to see Trevor. The issue with going to see Trevor would be that I would have to take 2 trains there and 2 trains back (via London) and this would cost me about £150-£200 anyway and It would be 10 hours of traveling in one day. Anyway, I fully appreciate the "try before you buy" policy. (I have a very strict one with my fiddle.) But I have very good confidence that I could easily find it a new owner in the UK with very little loss. I'm very close to Edinburgh, and there is a huge folk scene there so it wouldn't be too hard to sell up there.

[DataNick]

Per your response, I would seriously investigate the 2 Collings & Girouard I posted links to above...

[Dave Hanson]

North East England a ' harsh boring cultural wasteland ? ' ever heard of Kathryn Tickell or The High Level Ranters and many more wonderfull Geordie folk musicians ? What an appaling insult, hang your head in shame Alistair, or move.

Dave H in brilliantlly colourful friendly cultural West Yorkshire.

[noah finn]

Trevor at Tamco - the acoustic music company is brighton has possibly the best selection of mandos for sale in Europe. You could try there.

[trevor]

Beware that you will pay VAT, duty and handling charges on importation, totalling around 25%. Don't be tempted to under-declare to reduce taxes, the customs folks use the internet! You invalidate your insurance and risk confiscation, a fine and a criminal record.

Give me a call and I am sure I can find something that suits you.

BTW I don't buy used instruments, only sell on commission or take as a trade in.

[alistair2511]

I'm sure that I will meet you one day, I've been looking to visit your shop for months and would have already, were it not for the great distance. I've always got a keen eye on your website and I must say, you have a beautiful collection. Anyway, as I said, I'm very sure I'll see you at some point in the next couple year: maybe even later this year. But I am after a flatiron more than anything. Perhaps you could email me if you ever get any in stock? (alistair2511@googlemail.com) Thanks for the help though. From all accounts your a great person with a great shop!

[houseworker]

I can only endorse what Trevor says about the cost of importing. That 25% is likely to be well exceeded if you buy from a private seller who's not going to have a shipping contract.

There are other difficulties ahead if you choose to import. The real bargains in the classifieds come from private sellers, and you'll find that the vast majority of them won't consider shipping outside the US, particularly if you're wanting to pay with PayPal. There'll be quite a hit for them with not only the standard PayPal fee, but an additional amount for the currency conversion. This leaves no room whatever for haggling in my experience.

An exception is that custom Girouard Nick points you towards, where international shipping comes included in the price. But I doubt that you'd be able to talk the seller down that far (you can but try though).

Despite what you think, selling a £3500 mandolin in Edinburgh (or anywhere else in the UK) is never going to be easy, and you'd probably take a massive hit on any instrument you don't want to keep.

Have you looked at Trevor's stock? How about a Krishot? Or a Summit?

If I were in your position, I'd book a trip to Brighton with an overnight stay somewhere so that you're not rushed. A day working through Trevor's stock, even if you didn't find something you really liked at a price you could afford, would give you a far better picture of what's out there, and what features you'd want in your perfect mandolin. It'd be money well spent.

Two final points. You get better value buying an A-5 rather than an F-5, for no loss of sound whatever. And if you really want to cut through all those fiddles, you should be looking for a resonator mando!

Edit: started writing this before your last post appeared.

[houseworker]

But I am after a flatiron more than anything.

Genuinely intrigued. What is the particular appeal of a Flatiron? That one in the classifieds looks to have gone btw.

[mandotim1955]

I'd be looking for a Gibson F5G, signed by Danny Roberts or Dave Harvey, for that money. That era of Gibsons are real powerhouses. Another option would be to investigate some of the Czech builders; Krishot, Lebeda, Prucha and Holoubek to name a few.

[Spruce]

I can only endorse what Trevor says about the cost of importing. That 25% is likely to be well exceeded if you buy from a private seller who's not going to have a shipping contract.

There are other difficulties ahead if you choose to import. The real bargains in the classifieds come from private sellers, and you'll find that the vast majority of them won't consider shipping outside the US, particularly if you're wanting to pay with PayPal.

Find me an early 60's Vox AC15 (I've found quite a few in the northern UK), and I'll lug a very very nice F5 over for you this coming winter...

[alistair2511]

Genuinely intrigued. What is the particular appeal of a Flatiron? That one in the classifieds looks to have gone btw.

I'm interested in flatirons because I saw a guy play a Weber signed one a little while ago and it was the most sweet mandolin I had ever heard for less than $10,000.

[trevor]

They don't all sound the same.

[Eddie Sheehy]

If any of mine appeal to you - search the classifieds for Sheehy - I'll be going to Ireland in a few weeks and I can bring one with me and ship it to you from there...

[alistair2511]

Thanks everyone for the help. It's opened my eyes to a few things. I think I'm going to just wait a few weeks, see if any gibsons come up and maybe in a few weeks, I might go and see Trevor (I say a few weeks but it probably won't be until late October/November) It says on Your site that your Weber stock is full but I noticed that you currently have no Bitterroot F5s. I was wondering when you might get some more and how much you sell them for?

[trevor]

I am expecting a Bitterroot F5 in about a month. I don't think I am supposed to advertise prices here (classifieds only) if you email me I will gave you the price.

[Ron McMillan]

This one, new to the Classifieds, is in Cheshire - so not a million miles away. Prucha mandolins have a well-deserved reputation for quality, and this one is well within your budget (and not on the other side of the Atlantic).

http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/89852

[Denman John]

There are other difficulties ahead if you choose to import. The real bargains in the classifieds come from private sellers, and you'll find that the vast majority of them won't consider shipping outside the US, particularly if you're wanting to pay with PayPal. There'll be quite a hit for them with not only the standard PayPal fee, but an additional amount for the currency conversion. This leaves no room whatever for haggling in my experience.

Not quite true. I've bought quite a few instruments and other things from the US and haven't had any problems. With Paypal you can choose to pay in any currency you wish and it's done before it arrives at the sellers end. The sender pays the exchange rate and the amount shows up in receivers end. Very simple actually.

[houseworker]

Not quite true. I've bought quite a few instruments and other things from the US and haven't had any problems. With Paypal you can choose to pay in any currency you wish and it's done before it arrives at the sellers end. The sender pays the exchange rate and the amount shows up in receivers end. Very simple actually.

Not quite that simple. Check out the PayPal rules for Cross Border & Currency Conversion.

The OP was specifically planning on buying off the cafe classifieds where many US sellers are, for entirely understandable reasons, reluctant to ship abroad. Even as close to home as Canada.

[bribhoy]

Alistair,

I'm only just catching up on this thread and I know it's a couple of weeks old, but I thought I'd throw in my twopence worth anyway.

You should take another look at the rail prices from your part of the world down to Brighton as, with a little forward planning, you can get tickets for a lot less than the number you quoted. I know this because my son went to Uni in Newcastle and I live in Burgess Hill (just a little north of Brighton) so I've bought a LOT of tickets over the years.

You've already mentioned how much you feel your Ashbury has opened up since you bought it new, so I would think that you really want to hear how a new (to you) mandolin would sound before parting with hard currency (whether dollars or sterling).

It IS a long way down to Brighton but if you can get tickets at a reasonable price, and want to make the pilgrimage to TAMCo but don't want to go there and back again in a single day, PM me and I can put you up overnight if that would help.

Brian

[OldGus]

I'd be asking about this one...http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/90421#90421

[colorado_al]

I don't know if you're still looking, but if so, I'd get down to TAMCO to play the "Kentucky Dawg" that he has listed. Those are super rare and are quite good.

In fact, I'd go down just to play the Kentucky Dawg and the Monteleone side by side. Not that I could ever afford a Monteleone.