Suggestions for Lefty Mando, around ~1000.

[motomatto]

I recently helped my sister-in-law buy an entry-level mandolin (I play guitar and banjo) and she's had a hard time pulling it out of my hands.

So...

I looking for recommendations on a mandolin, roughly in the $1000 price range.

Here's my situation:
1) I'm a lefty.
2) Looking for neutral tone. (I play lots of different styles).
3) Looking for Mid-level or higher mandolin.
4) There aren't any good shops around me, so I can't try stuff out.

Would it be easy to convert a righty to a lefty? Is the top braced symmetrically?

Thanks for the help! -Matt

[jazzjune18]

As a fello lefty the best advice I can give you is to play right handed. It makes a lot of sense in the long run. Difficult to find left handed Mandos. Typical they are not symmetrical.

[noah finn]

+1 on playing right hand

[mandroid]

you are starting at zero , and so the hand function assignment, and brain training have not started yet


A types like Big Muddy Made in US. are easy to restring 'backwards'

If Lefties like McCartney are your Heros .. Jimi just went his own way..

[motomatto]

As a fello lefty the best advice I can give you is to play right handed. It makes a lot of sense in the long run. Difficult to find left handed Mandos. Typical they are not symmetrical.

I've been playing guitar and banjo lefty for 27 years. It's too late to switch now.

Are most A types symmetrical? Can I just change the nut, and then be off to the (camptown) races?

If I go with an A type, any recommendations for a neutral-tone mid-level instrument?

Thanks!

[kenny boy]

try the right hand will far better off, later.

[choctaw61]

Motomatto.There are mandolins for Lefty's out there. Several luthiers build them.Eastman makes Lefty's Audey Ratliff is a left hand luthier builds the A style for about 1500. If U want to play righty that's fine. But that's not ur OP. Rightys will always tell u play right handed. I don't nor do i care to.My money i buy what i want. I understand why they jump on this wagon every time someone mentions playing as a lefty.Good intentions with solid reasoning! But Ur OP HINTS that u wish to play left handed. So I hope I've helped U. Good luck in ur desicion

[MikeEdgerton]

I've been playing guitar and banjo lefty for 27 years. It's too late to switch now.

Are most A types symmetrical? Can I just change the nut, and then be off to the (camptown) races?

If I go with an A type, any recommendations for a neutral-tone mid-level instrument?

Thanks!

You can take an A style and put a new nut on it and a left handed bridge saddle (top) on it. I defy anyone to actually hear the difference. The tone bars will be slightly off where they would be but I really don't think you or anyone else will notice. You also might want to add the side dots on the side of the neck as they will be on the bottom instead of the top. It's the cheapest way too get a fairly decent beginner mandolin that is left handed. It's easy for people too say you should play right handed, do whatever you're comfortable with. People have been converting right handed mandolins to left handed instruments here for years.

[allenhopkins]

Mandolin Store has one Eastman MD-515 lefty for $999, listed.

If you need to have a scroll...

[bigskygirl]

Try the mando allen mentioned above. Eastmans are a good mando, there are a couple of 505's in the classifieds. You can get a 315 or 305 and restring lefty, you can always resell it here if it doesn't work out/you find something better. The A style will be less noticeable, the 315 has a scroll that will end up on the bottom so you'll be like Jimmy Hendrix and his upside down strat...and it will have the added bonus of giving the bluegrass police something to fret... about...

Since you already play guitar lefty you know that tone and dynamics come from the picking hand so you'd be using your dominant hand for that.

I am a lefty that plays righty and I really think I should be playing lefty, like you said though after all these years of playing righty I'm not going to switch now but I definitely encourage beginning players to try lefty, you can always try righty too.

[colorado_al]

This:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Eas...dl-Mandolin.gc
Eastman MD905D Lefty 2 point $800
I just bought an Eastman MD805D and love it! Paid $820 + shipping
This is a great buy in my opinion.

Or, if you want to save $100 and have a very good A model,
this Eastman MD505 for $700:
https://themandolinstore.com/product...n-left-handed/

I have an MD505 and love it too!

But I think the MD905DL is a big step up!

[motomatto]

Thanks to everyone for their great input! When I bite the bullet I'll let you know what I got.

Thanks again!

[vince f]

no on changing the nut. The tonebars (or x bracing) are set at a different point and tuned differently on the bass and treble sides. It would be like a violin player just switching, and wondering why the sound was off (bass bar now under treble, post under bass). Even the A style instruments are not really symmetrical inside.

At the price you are looking, an A style Eastman would be my recommendation.