After my experience with the Eastman 515 blowing away my 305 in volume, high end, and playability, but being inferior in tone (lacking that woody, hollow sound), I've been reading around here and am intrigued by the Collings MT and the Pava A models. I have to stay under 3k, no matter what. It seems from what I'm reading here that until you get up around 2k, it's tough to get the combo of woody tone, strong high end, and playability. I have no attachment to the scroll, I even kind of prefer the look of the A mandolin, as long as it has F holes.
I'll be in Austin for a conference in early January, and sadly won't have time to go to the Collings and Ellis shops, but will have time to sneak off to Fiddler's Green and try out some mandos. I'm not in a hurry. I will be in Kalamazoo, MI in March for another conference and will have time to sneak off to Elderly Instruments then too (and maybe even the Northfield shop). At both places I plan to play everything between about 1500 and 2800. But right now I'm in the "endless navel gazing and obsessive reading on the Internet" stage, and would welcome anyone's thoughts about those mandolins or anything else in the range I'm looking at. Thanks!
Ps. I guess there's the Northfield M too, which is just under 2k, but doesn't seem to be available except by order
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