Ibanez mandolin questions

[Mandoplumb]

Do they have experience setting up mandolins?

Very important, a mandolin is a different animal from a guitar, must be much more precise due to twined short high tensioned strings.

[Red_Label]

Must not be on the SW 26 point checklist!

I thought it was like twice that many checklist points now! I like Sweetwater and have bought several very nice instruments from them (thanks to my pesky 0% interest Sweetwater card). But I picked-up a $2,000 Cordoba FCWE Reissue flamenco from them a couple of years ago that had obviously not been inspected very carefully. I ended-up calling my sales associate and my options were to send it back, or accept a $300 credit towards the purchase price. I took the credit and it's been a great instrument ever since.

I put that credit card in my safe a while back after paying it off the last time and just try not to use it. Too much temptation!!!

[wildcat]

From what i could gather, yes. He's from Wilcutt Guitar Shop over here in Kentucky.

[DavidKOS]

Very important, a mandolin is a different animal from a guitar, must be much more precise due to twined short high tensioned strings.

From what i could gather, yes. He's from Wilcutt Guitar Shop over here in Kentucky.

Good, since a lot of guitar store techs aren't even that good with acoustic guitars much less mandolins, since the bulk of their work is often on electrics.

[ald]

Well, I bought an Ibanez last year, not the same model as shown here. I purchased it because it was really cheap and I wanted something I could take on holiday without worrying about it getting damaged or stolen.
I enjoyed my holiday with the instrument. However, when I got back from my hols I took it into to be set-up because there were some really serious playing issues (action really too high, impossible to play higher up the fretboard, nut not cut properly, awful strings,...). It came back from the shop in quite good shape. The sound is not really very good at all but it is good enough for holidays.

[darrylicshon]

Just thought i would give an update, I've had the mandolin for a few days my friend is coming over to pick it up.

A few things i noticed since my last post. The neck meets the body at the 12 fret which doesn't matter to me but it may to some. I changed the strings put EJ74s on it. With new strings it sounded better, and It does play nice.


It has a nice looking back not quite booked matched but close it actually looks more booked matched in the photo than in person

[wildcat]

Just a little update on my end for everyone that has commented on this thread. So the Ibanez was given to me as a gift in more of the sense of "Here I don't want this so you can have it" and less of a "Here is something I picked out to give you". So truth be told I sold it and bought an Eastman MD315. Sprung a little cash of my own to upgrade. I was excited about the Ibanez but I'm ecstatic about the Eastman. The sound is just something else. I can tell the craftsmanship is on another level with this instrument. I reckon this is my declaration that I've joined the ranks of all you other Eastman owners out there!

[Caleb]

The Eastman is on another level entirely and could very well be all the instrument you'll ever need. Play it in good health!

[wildcat]

Definitely Caleb, thanks man!

[darrylicshon]

My friend has given up on the mandolin so now i have owned the m700 for a month

[Kip Carter]

Wildcat,
I'll tell ya something.. my first mandolin was an ibenez 510E which is an A style acoustic/electric version. I was looking to get in cheap because I wasn't sure if I was going to like mandolin at all. If I had known then what I know now might have picked differently but I didn't so low balled it but gave it a bit of grease to get off the ground floor.

It was miserable to play until I got it setup properly with the help of robs free ebook and some direction from a local luthier that gave me some guidance and encouragement to do the work to get it right. After the 510e was setup correctly it was loud and proud. I played it against others that were hundreds and well over a $1000 more money and I liked the tone and power in that lil Ibenenz better so I never traded up.

I might still have it except my background is in guitar and only did I come to mandolin when medical conditions took me out of playing guitar. Well Miracles do happen and I able to go back to play guitar and ended up selling the 510e to get another guitar that 'I thought' was going to be 'super terrific' and as it turned out only collected dust. The 510e has a happy home these days outside of St. Louis MO and I found that I sorely missed playing the mandolin and so I sold that dust collector and bought my Eastman 515 which I love as well.

My point to this is Ibenez mandolins 'can be' great playing and sounding instruments setup properly as demonstrated by my 510e. Be sure to get your 700 zero'd in and you'll have a great player till you figure out if you are at home with it or you need something else. Not every wooden box with strings fits every player but each one can take us somewhere if we give them a chance.

[ButchA]

Speaking of Ibanez mandolins,

I own an early 80's Ibanez 511 mandolin (one the older original ones with the "Gibson Les Paul style lawsuit headstock"). If I remember right, I paid $100 bucks for it (used) in a music store back in the 90's. It still plays great and is a heck of a mandolin!

[darrylicshon]

I have a Ibanez just like yours. It is in the 1976 ibanez catalog , so yours should be alittle older than you think

[ButchA]

Really? I always assumed it was from the early or mid 80's. Thanks!

[darrylicshon]

I meant to put a link for you. I also bought mine in the 90's maybe 96' for $100 but from a pawn shop. I love mine don't plan on every selling it.

http://ibanezwiki.com/display/CATALO...tist+Mandolins

[ButchA]

Wow... Thank you again! That '76 Ibanez from the catalog is EXACTLY like mine that I posted the picture of!

[jimmy powells]

The Ibanez spec says Flamed maple and topped with Solid Spruce. I think if it was all solid woods they would have said 'Solid flamed maple back and sides'.
I just find it hard to see this being the real deal with all solid woods at that price. Maybe heat pressed so it's a question of 'play it and find out really'.