How do you justify a high end mandolin? Or do you?

[LadysSolo]

And let me add that if you know yourself well enough to know you will never be happy with an A-model, then go for the "F"! Why buy something you know you will never like?

[FPhil]

Always thought high end mandolins were a bit nonsense, until I sat side by side with Joe K. Walsh of the Peregrines last wednesday during a masterclass/workshop when he played his new A-style Nugget... I was pretty blown away by it, what a great sounding instrument! If I had the money I would instantly buy it (although I will probably never be able to play it like Joe ).

So, if you have to money, spend it!

Here's a nice interview with Joe about his Nugget: https://pegheadnation.com/instrument...dard-mandolin/

[Emmett Marshall]

click to enlarge

[Don Grieser]

There are luthiers without the hype/buzz that are producing mandolins that rival the big names. Girouard and Passernig are ones I have experience with. I'm sure there are many others. I like to buy from luthiers on the way up instead of paying top $ for those already on top.

[Al Trujillo]

I quit reading after a couple pages but I have to offer this-if you have to ask how to justify this expense there is something nagging in the back of your mind that would make you ask. In my case, if all other things we deal with (outstanding debt, shoes for the kids,etc.) are not an issue and you're comfortable with doing this then by all means move forward. This is a case where our emotions struggle with our reality and you need to separate each from the other before deciding. I bought a high-end firearm once against all common-sense and in the end it brought no joy to my life. I still have it but seeing it reminds me of the anguish.

[roysboy]

When I was young. A friend of mine had a cheap guitar that he was learning on. One day another friend dropped by, this guy was a pro musician. The pro picked up that cheap guitar and made it sound like the best guitar ever made! I personally believe that high end, expensive instruments are just the frosting part off the over all cake. Just my 2 cents.

Journeyman makes a TON of sense, I believe , and in short order . Do you want to own a high end , well-respected , well built expensive instrument, ...or do you want to own an instrument that SOUNDS like all of those things ? Is it prestige or is it a passion for playing . In my experience , the right player with the right touch , technique , skills and experience can make an instrument sound far better ( more expensive ) than it may be considered to be . If YOU are that guy , you've earned the luxury of NOT having to spend a fortune unless you can easily afford to do so . If you aren't that guy , it won't matter what you spend , it will be mostly about prestige and aesthetics until you've discovered whether or not you can become 'that guy" based on your talent and commitment .

[GaryTimmons]

I found this to be inspirational does this apply?
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/en...-a-40-lb-Huffy

[lukmanohnz]

I found this to be inspirational does this apply?
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/en...-a-40-lb-Huffy

That really does say it all, Gary. Interesting all the comments about getting an F and not 'settling' for an A. When I went shopping for my new mandolin, I specifically wanted an A. Partly because I knew my budget was well under $5K and I wanted every cent of my purchase going toward tone and playability, but even more so because I love the vibe of an unadorned, no-frills A. Just shows there's no accountin' for taste....

[Davey]

I wouldn't be able to choose a 10k Mandolin, I'd always suspect there was a slightly better one around the corner.

The other thing is, when you've got the 10k Mandolin and one day it just doesn't sound quite as good......what then ?

I'd say, don't do it. Spend half and treat the family to something.

[Josh Levine]

My mandolin spends more time in my hands then my steering wheel, so why shouldn't it be appropriately priced?

[Jeff Mando]

No mandolin content, but in another thread a link tells the story of the Tony Rice/Clarence White 1935 Martin D-28, which many would consider one of the most high end guitars ever -- was originally purchased by the White brothers in a repair shop for $25 and has had countless repairs, some bogus and some well-executed and the guitar was even under water flooded for an hour or so! A good read, for sure. Now, if I could just find a Gilchrist in similar condition, for a similar price...............

[Jeff Mando]

I found this to be inspirational does this apply?
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/en...-a-40-lb-Huffy

Good article that makes a good point. Title, on the other hand, somewhat dated considering the Lance Armstrong controversy. I'm also in agreement that a 30's Kalamazoo or Recording King is one of the coolest mandolins ever made! (and cheap!)

[FLATROCK HILL]

I found this to be inspirational does this apply?
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/en...-a-40-lb-Huffy

Good article that makes a good point. Title, on the other hand, somewhat dated considering the Lance Armstrong controversy.

That is a good article (And yes, sadly...the first thing that comes to mind now, is the controversy) that Scott wrote. Besides all the good points made in that piece, another one comes to mind. Even though Lance could beat nearly anyone on a 40 lb Huffy, he chooses to ride something a bit more pricey.

To the O.P. I say...go for it.

And I'd hate to risk my 'pro' mandolin career and all the accompanying endorsements by being caught using banned mandolin-performance-enhancing-substances...but I might be tempted.

[lflngpicker]

Chris, I can relate to your dilemma as a guitarist. I have been a serious semi-professional performer/entertainer my whole life as an avocation and have recorded my own albums, and so forth. The guitar is my heart instrument, though the mandolin has become equal to and even more of a passion for me the last few years. Having been this serious about guitar, and making a good living in my actual profession, I always had enough coming down the road with kids activities, needing to upgrade the size of our house as we were able and to plan our 3 kids state college expense coverage were about all I could handle (they are all grown now and college is paid for, though "state" mind you). I could never justify buying more than a Martin D28 and a Guild D55 (Westerly vintage 70's), which by today's boutique standards are affordable guitars. I marvel at the young guitarists who are not as refined in their skill as I, playing much more expensive instruments.

If one can afford it as a cash purchase, I say you should go for it. You do only live once, as someone above has said. However, a $4-5,000 mandolin would be comparable to a $2500 guitar, so I personally do not see why one would need more than that if it is a strain on the family. I am very, very conservative though. I know you can spend more, but examples such as Collings, Gibson or Weber are pretty hard to beat for gigging and their beauty if family responsibilities are an issue. If money isn't a hangup-- the $10,000 mandolin is not only a more ultimate experience (that I have never had) but is worth every penny if you find the one that speaks to you. Forgive my diatribe.

[barry]

A great many replies on this thread are of the "should or shouldn't you?" variety.

If the question is, "How do I justify it?"

The answer is, "Because it's my hobby. It's my passion."

10k is a chunk of money. But if you like an instrument, buy it right, and treat it well, it has future value. It also requires very little maintainance expense. Not the case if your hobby is cars, boats, motorcycles, even mechanical wristwatches.
If your passion is travel, wine, fine dining, or golf, your hobbies cost money and have little or no residual value. If those are your passions, great. So be it. They are not mine. Which is how I, personally, justify instrument purchases.

[LadysSolo]

There was a thread awhile back about playing mandolins without looking at the price tag/name and just picking the one that sounded best. That may be the answer - sound only.....be it $100, $1000. or $10,000.

[lflngpicker]

There was a thread awhile back about playing mandolins without looking at the price tag/name and just picking the one that sounded best. That may be the answer - sound only.....be it $100, $1000. or $10,000.

What an interesting concept. Blindfolded yet!?

[red7flag]

I heard Robert Bowen, famed Nashville guitarist play a $100.00 brand new Epiphone. He made it sound like some of the pre-war Martins he had been playing. However, when I played the Epiphone, it sounded tinny and just like you would expect a $100.00 guitar to sound. While my playing has greatly improved since that time, I bet it would still sound like an Epiphone.

[lflngpicker]

The talent is in the hands of the player, while the instrument is the tool. Or is it a bit more give and take? I agree, Red7Flag the emphasis is on the hands and intelligence of the musician, making the mandolin or guitar come alive.

[chris.burcher]

One of my good buddies is a contemporary of Grant Gordy. He has never owned a good guitar. He sounds great, stunning really, but his instruments sound fair at best. That's his deal. I like really nice sounding instruments. Just like That can taste subtle differences in beer I can hear acoustic instruments. It's a curse.

[bigskygirl]

Then get it, you only have to answer to yourself really and you will be happy having a nice instrument, it's not a curse I think it's more of an advantage. I too like beer and while I would get by drinking xxx I prefer the more expensive yyy...and I don't care what others think or like...I know what I like.

They say there is no accounting for taste and there are 96 posts here for something that is completly subjective. In the end it only matters to you and I think you decided in your first post...

[sblock]

+1, Amen to that

[Upis Land]

Justification is really not necessary, but here goes:

You like nice sounding instruments,
You have been playing for 20 years so you have had plenty of time to learn what appeals to you in an instrument,
You can afford it,
A fine mandolin is not a consumable, its an heirloom- your net worth is not diminished by the purchase.

Make sure to post pictures when you get it home.

[Nick Gellie]

I wouldn't be able to choose a 10k Mandolin, I'd always suspect there was a slightly better one around the corner.

The other thing is, when you've got the 10k Mandolin and one day it just doesn't sound quite as good......what then ?

I'd say, don't do it. Spend half and treat the family to something.

Having been through a case of MAS over the last three years, I concur with this advice. There are plenty of great mandolins out there for $2,000-$3,000. Anything priced higher than that, conforms to the law diminishing returns. I have several Mandolin Cafe friends who have mandolins that sit in this price range. They are very experienced buyers and sellers of mandolins.

I can also offer the experience of another mandolin cafe friend who has recently bought and sold three high end guitars, a Prouix, a Rick Hayes, and one other high end guitar which off the top of my head I can't remember. He has gone back to a Martin HD-28 after trying out the high end guitars. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the high end guitars. He just could not justify to himself the extra cost of holding onto them.

Basically you can find a wonderful A-model for $2000-3000 and a very good F-model for $3000-$4000 although I have heard some fantastic Kentucky KM-1000 mandolins that could beat a lot of high end mandolins in terms of tone, particularly in the hands of the right player.

High end mandolins can start at $2000-$2500 second-hand- one just needs to search around for the best deal.

[Richard Mott]

Hi Chris--2 Cents from a guitar player: not talented, played for decades, had a very good instrument, but after my name finally came up on Steve Gilchrist's list for an archtop, I waited a bit longer and took the plunge. I wasn't sure then that the difference in quality would justify the considerable expense, or maybe more accurately that the difference in my enjoyment would warrant it. I've never been wronger about any material decision. I get up every morning wanting to play that instrument, and every evening--it is hands down the best decision of a material nature I've ever made or expect to make. It may not work out that way for everyone, but it did for me. It's the most deeply rewarding thing. --Richard