Upgrade regret?

[cherryghost]

I have a cheap sunburst Rogue I bought about two years back but only started playing about six months ago when I properly set up my mando and got some decent strings.

I'm obsessed, practice every day, and have a few gigs coming up with friends, you know the deal.

I had my heart set on an Eastman MD505 when I wanted to upgrade. I had played it in store, loved the look/tone/feel and was waiting for the right time to get it. That time came about a week ago when my local folk shop had a big sale and I came into some extra money.

I was so excited at first but after a few days with her, I've been feeling kind of...meh about it. I still like the way it sounds and looks but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't sound worlds better than my 50$ Rogue. I still find myself making excused to reach for my Rouge, and it's still the one I strap to my back when I leave the house (I tell myself if it gets lost or stolen or broken it would be easier to replace but tbh I'd be heartbroken.) I think the Eastman sounds pretty and all, but...alas...

Is it because after this long the Rogue and I are buddies? Is it just buyers regret? Will my Eastman eventually grow on me and be my BFF? Just wondering if anyone else has felt something similar.

[pops1]

Not all string, picks and playing styles sound the same on all mandolins. Change the style and or gauge of strings on the Eastman, use a different weight pick, rounded or pointed. Hopefully you will figure out what makes it come alive to you. Also have someone else play both so you can listen, some mandolins sound is carried to the player, others to the listener. Sit back and listen to each one or play them into a corner of your bathroom or a room with lots of sound, but play to the wall or corner and you will more of what each sounds like. If it is new it may need time to open up. Some mandolins when sitting don't sound as good as after they are played for a while.

[cherryghost]

I believe that last part, my Rouge really sounds better the more I play it. Thanks for your input!

[9lbShellhamer]

You made a great choice with your Eastman. Hang in there...it'll grow on you! It's normal to still like your rogue, it's comfortable, you're used to it! After a few months of playing the Eastman you'll be amazed how strong a mandolin it is compared to the rogue. Keep the rogue, enjoy it, but don't give up on Eastman... It'll prove itself in time.

[JeffD]

Are you comparing oranges to oranges - a properly set up Rogue with decent strings and a properly set up Eastman 505 with decent strings?

Just checking, because, as you know, it makes a huge difference.

[indie rock]

I am also planning to buy a Rogue sunburst, as my first Mandolin. Now I am happy after reading your thread.

[Shelagh Moore]

I have three main mandolins all of which have different qualities and require a slightly different touch as well as different string setups and pick choices. If you persist... I am sure you will come to equally appreciate your new mandolin.

[Barry Wilson]

my regret purchase was my godin 5th ave guitar. mainly because it was a pain to keep in tune. I traded it in on my taylor eventually. other regrets grew on me after I figured them out. the 5th ave was an impulse buy, though many of my purchases are haha

[Rob Beck]

I think one's playing style adapts after a little while to bring the most out of the instrument. I had the same issue with my most recent upgrade, so I put the older instrument away for a while, and when I came back to it I couldn't believe how "thin" it sounded compared to my new one. Having said that, now I am playing the older one a bit more again, I am noticing that I like the sound of it more each time I play it. So my advice is also "stick with it for a while", and see if your playing adapts too.

[Shelagh Moore]

my regret purchase was my godin 5th ave guitar. mainly because it was a pain to keep in tune. I traded it in on my taylor eventually. other regrets grew on me after I figured them out. the 5th ave was an impulse buy, though many of my purchases are haha

I have both a Godin 5th Avenue and a Taylor guitar... both of which I like and use regularly (for different purposes). My 5th Avenue is very stable but perhaps it's largely to do with the range of humidities the instrument is working in. Here in the UK it's fairly stable.

[Barry Wilson]

I like Godin stuff too but the tuners were not as fine as I'd like. I had to tune it every 2-3 songs at most, without bending. I will be getting the XTSA this winter though.

sorry to hijack your thread. I played a 505 in the music store. It was a nice mandolin. Try listening to them both playing facing a wall or something hard so you really hear them. You will get a better comparison

[Ron McMillan]

I regret the only custom order I'll ever be able to afford because I made a choice based on a builder's highly inflated Cafe reputation, one that turned out to be shockingly divorced from the reality of dealing with someone who ran years behind deadlines, had a serious difficulty telling the truth (in balance, most of the time he didn't) and twice sent me mandolins that didn't fit my expensive order (the second of which was simply unfit for purpose and that, because he announced he was 'done' with it, meant I was forced to spend my own time and money getting my brand new custom mandolin rendered playable).

So in answer to your question, yes.

[Paul Busman]

I hearya OP. If you prefer your Rogue and maybe even get rid of the new one after giving it a good long trial period.
See if you can get an experienced player to play both of them for you and see if you prefer the sound of one over the other from out in front. Maybe even close your eyes for a blind test. That may or may not change your opinion.
A while back I got to visit Elderly Music and had a chance to play all kinds of mandolins from starters to custom builds to vintage. Some I liked a whole lot, but not enough to spend the money over my humble Fullerton Gloucester. If you like your Rogue the best, then it's the best for you.

[fscotte]

I have a cheap sunburst Rogue I bought about two years back but only started playing about six months ago when I properly set up my mando and got some decent strings.

I'm obsessed, practice every day, and have a few gigs coming up with friends, you know the deal.

I had my heart set on an Eastman MD505 when I wanted to upgrade. I had played it in store, loved the look/tone/feel and was waiting for the right time to get it. That time came about a week ago when my local folk shop had a big sale and I came into some extra money.

I was so excited at first but after a few days with her, I've been feeling kind of...meh about it. I still like the way it sounds and looks but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't sound worlds better than my 50$ Rogue. I still find myself making excused to reach for my Rouge, and it's still the one I strap to my back when I leave the house (I tell myself if it gets lost or stolen or broken it would be easier to replace but tbh I'd be heartbroken.) I think the Eastman sounds pretty and all, but...alas...

Is it because after this long the Rogue and I are buddies? Is it just buyers regret? Will my Eastman eventually grow on me and be my BFF? Just wondering if anyone else has felt something similar.

Mandolins always seem to sound better at the store.

[CES]

Agree, and they're usually accompanied by a sales person complimenting you on how great you sound, asking what band you're in, etc (insert eye rolling emoji). Whenever possible I try to walk away from whatever I'm so smitten with on first pass and come back a few days later to reassess. If I'm still blown away I'll bite, but more often than not they don't seem quite as good on the second pass. Of course, that's not always possible, unless you live in Nashville or near a cafe sponsor.

I recently picked up an Eastman 315 on clearance to use as a "beater." I've been really impressed with it, and think it's liking ghs strings and Wegen picks (I'm usually a Bluechip guy). It does lose some tone up the neck, but for the lake, beach, campfires, etc, it's really a lot of mando (especially for the money), and he hand work involved is evident. Nothing wrong with liking your Rogue, and all makers will put out a dud on occasion, but I'd spend a little quality time with the Eastman...

[Tobin]

It's hard to say why you tend to prefer your Rogue, since we're not in your shoes. But I do think that a lot of it is probably due to the fact that you've bonded with that mandolin. Even if your Eastman is a better mandolin, you just haven't spent the time with it yet.

Try this: put your Rogue away in a closet for, say, a month. No cheating. Only play your Eastman. Force yourself to pretend it's the only mandolin you have, and dedicate the time to getting to know it inside and out. Play it all the time, take it to your gigs. Then, after the month is over, take your Rogue back out and see if you still prefer it.

Honestly, though, I think your example is fairly common for folks who play the MAS game and work in small incremental upgrade steps. Making a huge upgrade leap usually results in such a dramatic difference in volume, tone, and playability, that it's difficult to ever want to play the old mandolin again.

[Bertram Henze]

Body-to-instrument adaptation goes a long way, and the neccessity to unlearn/relearn with a new instrument can be inconvenient. But it pays off in the end.

[Roger Moss]

You clearly have a great feeling of loyalty towards your Rogue. This is to be admired. And it may be that you got one of the excellent instruments that must surely exist. If so as Briscoe Darling said "More power to you". That said you shouldn't dismiss your new instrument without giving it every chance to wow you. Play it alone for at least a month and see if it grows on you. In any event you will still have your venerable Rogue. You might end up with two excellent mandolins.

[nick hyserman]

Try D'Addario J-74's. Play it every day - keep it out of the case and it will
improve.

[pheffernan]

Just wondering if anyone else has felt something similar.

Well, I will note that every A5 that I have purchased since my Passernig has not resulted in an "upgrade." I don't "regret" the purchases, as I learned from each instrument, but none remains. Of course, in the Passernig I have a mandolin made of high quality materials by a respected independent builder, so I might not really be seeking an "upgrade" so much as what Ivan would call a "more favorable difference." In your case, however, an Eastman of solid woods should be a material improvement over a laminate Rogue. I don't know if it still wears its stock strings, or how many hands were on it at your local folk store, but dead strings can be a great equalizer. I'd start with a fresh set of strings to try to recapture what drew you to that Eastman in the first place.

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

If you don't like the Eastman better than the rogue then sell it and keep looking. Those 2 mandolins should be different enough in quality that there shouldn't be much comparison. It may be a play-ability, neck size/shape, nut width issue as well. Regardless, if a new mandolin doesn't immediately make me want to play on it for hours I chalk it up to a mistake and move it on down the line.

[notepicker]

I upgraded to an MD505 a couple years ago. At first I was not comfortable with it. I am not sure if it got used to me or I got used to it but today I have not found any other instrument that I would trade it in on.

[CES]

Great advice to play the Eastman exclusively for a few weeks, then revisit the Rogue. Also great advice to move it along if it doesn't make you happy to play it. It's amazing how my ear for tone has changed over time. I can't necessarily pick out brands in blind taste tests (except for Silverangel, which have a little more bass response, and one of which I own), but I can identify good tone much better now than I could 8 or 10 years ago. I can tell a huge difference between my Silverangel and my Eastman now, but probably couldn't have so readily done so when I was just starting out. Agree also that smaller increments of upgrade make for a less "wowing" change. The first time I really noticed a huge jump in tone was when I went from my Kentucky 675-S to the Silverangel, and I had two other budget purchases along the way. There's a big jump from the 500 +/- range to the 1000-1500 range, IMO.

[colorado_al]

I always bring my mandolin with me to test against what I might buy. If I don't like it in the store compared to my current mandolin, I don't buy it. While there is a degree of getting used to your new mandolin, don't expect big changes. I would make sure that the new one is setup properly and has good new strings. After that, If you're not feeling it with your new mandolin, return it for your money back, if you're still able. Otherwise, sell it and keep looking, or just keep playing your old one.

[red7flag]

There was a time that I sold an Ellis F5 to buy what I thought would be the mandolin of all mandolins for me a Ricky Skaggs Distressed Master Model. The RSDMM had it all, tone, taste, woody sound, workmanship and playability (I will say that the neck was a bit smaller than is comfortable for me, but not enough to be a deal breaker). But for some reason, mostly personal, I came to miss the Ellis. It just fit me. I called Walter Carter to cancel the sale, and he informed me that the Ellis just sold. I was heartbroken. After a week, I called Tom Ellis and he agreed to make me another. I sold the RSDMM and have never looked back. Many of my music friends had trouble understanding why I did not keep the RSDMM as to them it represents the a holy grail of mandolins. But, for me, the relationship I have with an instrument is very personal, emotional and based on feeling. The Ellis just speaks to me and I speak through it. The Rogue seems to have that relationship with you. So be it.