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Thread: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday....

  1. #1
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    Default £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday....

    Which make is the best?
    My husband plays guitar (and has about 8)
    What can I buy him for a starter mandolin?
    His birthday is 13 April......eeekkk I'm running out of time
    Kind regards
    Jane

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    Registered User Flad's Avatar
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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Where are you from exactly? Do you have e.g. https://www.hobgoblin.com/ at your town? They are quite good in help.
    And do you insist on fact that it need to be surprise?

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    I was surprised how good and inexpensive a Seagull mandolin was in a shop a couple of months ago. They make good guitars but I had never seen a mandolin before.
    David A. Gordon

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    You are a terrific spouse!
    However, a mandolin can be a very personal selection depending on playability and tone -- more so considering your husband has several guitars. Each one may serve a distinct function. So, I would suggest taking £50 to £100 for a nice dinner with a surprise diversion to his favorite instrument shop (if they carry mandolins) before hand where the two of you could pick out an appropriate mandolin together with the balance of the funds. Could be fun and romantic as well.

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    It may depend on whether he really wants a mandolin. If he does then give him the money and let him go find the right one. Or not.

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    You are a thoughtful wife, he is a lucky guy.

    Not sure where you are, but here in the US, the Kentucky KM-150 is considered to be a good starter model. But if he likes to play Irish music, he may prefer an oval hole mandolin.

    A mandolin is a tightly strung instrument, and tolerances are small. Which means it is important that the mandolin is "setup" correctly , lower priced mandolins often need a bit of adjustment to reach their full potential. This means its better to buy from a good music store that knows how to do it, rather than from an online seller (like the link above) if at all possible.

    If you have any good music stores in your area that your husband likes to go guitar shopping at, call them and ask. Get a couple of opinions and make your best choice with the information you have.

    And don't worry, almost all of us here fell in love with the mandolin even though our first instrument wasn't the most perfect one out there.
    A quarter tone flat and a half a beat behind.

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Contact Trevor at The Acoustic Music Company and ask about Eastman 305 or Kentucky 150 or 250 or variants therein.
    http://www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk/...andolins-.html

  12. #8

    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    In your price bracket you are probably best looking at Hobgoblin stores in England. I agree with others who think that your husband will enjoy/appreciate having some input into what he gets, so I suggest that your 'surprise' be a visit to a store, and only when inside, tell him it's time to buy his present, and he has this much to spend on a mandolin.

    Hobgoblin stock a fair number of models online, but a call to the nearest store will tell you how many options they have.

    I know it is infuriating when people see your budget and suggest you spend 'just a bit more', but if you could get to about £700 you'd make a giant leap in quality to a hand made Jimmy Moon standard model. Available at Forsyths in Manchester and at some branches of Guitar Guitar.

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Hobgoblin Leeds is close to where you are, I think ?.....as someone 'new' to the Mandolin, or anything more musical than whistling out of tune, and having a guitar playing son who shakes his head when he tries to play the Mandolin as hard as I do when I pick up his guitar .......I do 'wonder' whether he has signed up to 'wanting' a Mandolin, per se, given how different it is ( or can be ). No doubt many on here with years of experience of both will say it's not an issue, but I find it one.

    If you do go to Hobgoblin, don't be surprised if he falls for a Tenor Guitar.......

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Given your use of the £ symbol in the thread's title, you might want to check out Kieran Moloney's shop:

    http://www.moloneymusic.com/Products...ndolinsbyprice

    The Eastman MD305 is often recommended as a starter mandolin, if you can stretch your budget a bit. If not, The Loar LM220 would be a more affordable alternative, perhaps with enough room to opt for the more advanced setup which I can no longer seem to find on their website.
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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    It would cost a few £ to go to spend it in Galway ....where they prefer €'s, but €'s are easily confused with £'s from where you have $'s.

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Quote Originally Posted by NEH57 View Post
    It would cost a few £ to go to spend it in Galway ....where they prefer €'s, but €'s are easily confused with £'s from where you have $'s.
    I wasn't suggesting that she pick it up in person, only that import taxes and such might be more manageable if the instrument is purchased within Europe. Plus, if my currency conversion calculator is accurate, the Eastman MD305 could be within budget!
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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    ...ahh....I see.....I still think, if I am right that Jane may be pretty close to Leeds ( & their local Hobgoblin store......)

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Jane, you're awesome! Good luck!

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    I'd like it to be a surprise.....and yes, I am 10 miles from a Hobgoblin......Thank you!!
    I feel a visit to Leeds coming on next week
    Kind regards
    jane

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Thanks!!! Will bear that in mind!! Yikes....It's a bit of a minefield I have got myself into!
    Kind regards
    Jane

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianWilliam View Post
    Jane, you're awesome! Good luck!
    ha ha ha

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Quote Originally Posted by NursingDaBlues View Post
    You are a terrific spouse!
    However, a mandolin can be a very personal selection depending on playability and tone -- more so considering your husband has several guitars. Each one may serve a distinct function. So, I would suggest taking £50 to £100 for a nice dinner with a surprise diversion to his favorite instrument shop (if they carry mandolins) before hand where the two of you could pick out an appropriate mandolin together with the balance of the funds. Could be fun and romantic as well.
    He has many guitars but hasn't played in a proper band since the 60's.....Want to do the mandolin thing as a bit of fun as that's all he uses his guitars for now a days.....Romantic!! ha ha ha.......Too late for that!! ;-)

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by NEH57 View Post
    ...ahh....I see.....I still think, if I am right that Jane may be pretty close to Leeds ( & their local Hobgoblin store......)
    Off to Leeds next week with a shopping list!! ha ha ha

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Quote Originally Posted by Ron McMillan View Post
    In your price bracket you are probably best looking at Hobgoblin stores in England. I agree with others who think that your husband will enjoy/appreciate having some input into what he gets, so I suggest that your 'surprise' be a visit to a store, and only when inside, tell him it's time to buy his present, and he has this much to spend on a mandolin.

    Hobgoblin stock a fair number of models online, but a call to the nearest store will tell you how many options they have.

    I know it is infuriating when people see your budget and suggest you spend 'just a bit more', but if you could get to about £700 you'd make a giant leap in quality to a hand made Jimmy Moon standard model. Available at Forsyths in Manchester and at some branches of Guitar Guitar.
    Might have to stretch the budget.........Will cut husband's beer allowance down for 6 months! ;-)

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Quote Originally Posted by chrisandmarksmum View Post
    I feel a visit to Leeds coming on next week
    Kind regards
    jane
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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    [QUOTE=chrisandmarksmum;1566058]He has many guitars but hasn't played in a proper band since the 60's.....Want to do the mandolin thing as a bit of fun as that's all he uses his guitars for now a days.....Romantic!! ha ha ha.......Too late for that!! ;-)

    - - - Updated - - -

    no, no, buying an instrument as a gift is a whole level up from romance, not to mention all the bad jokes you can offer about 'making beautiful music together.' A nice quiet dinner and a trip to a local music store is certainly one of my ideas of a romantic evening! but then, my husband bought me my favorite mandolin as an early birthday present and I bought him one of his guitars as a Christmas present, so what can I say?

    And if it works out, you can play it too!
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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    [QUOTE=Randi Gormley;1566200]
    Quote Originally Posted by chrisandmarksmum View Post
    He has many guitars but hasn't played in a proper band since the 60's.....Want to do the mandolin thing as a bit of fun as that's all he uses his guitars for now a days.....Romantic!! ha ha ha.......Too late for that!! ;-)

    - - - Updated - - -

    no, no, buying an instrument as a gift is a whole level up from romance, not to mention all the bad jokes you can offer about 'making beautiful music together.' A nice quiet dinner and a trip to a local music store is certainly one of my ideas of a romantic evening! but then, my husband bought me my favorite mandolin as an early birthday present and I bought him one of his guitars as a Christmas present, so what can I say?

    And if it works out, you can play it too!
    Eeek..... Can't play guitars! I have done quite well with buying him them though (Have bought one electric and one acoustic that are picked up regularly by him...some he bought himself are not classed as favorites) I have been given gifts of an alto and a tenor sax by him (brilliant!) It's a bit of fun!

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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Click image for larger version. 

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    How much should I have paid for this?

  31. #23

    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Don't worry the details. If you've bought it, hand it over with confidence and pride. Jimmy Moon mandolins are superb value for money, genuinely hand-crafted instruments made by a guy whose roll-call of celebrity buyers is seriously impressive. In the British market, everything is over-priced, meaning that far lower quality instruments made in Chinese factories can be as expensive as, or more expensive than a Moon.

  32. #24
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    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Quote Originally Posted by chrisandmarksmum View Post
    How much should I have paid for this?
    The going rate from a quick search looks like ~£750 new (or ~70% of that figure / £525 used):

    http://www.eaglemusicshop.com/prod/m...n-mandolin.htm

    http://www.promenademusic.co.uk/jimm...ndard-mandolin
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  33. #25

    Default Re: £400-£500 to spend on a mandolin for my husband's birthday...

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    The going rate from a quick search looks like ~£750 new (or ~70% of that figure / £525 used):

    http://www.eaglemusicshop.com/prod/m...n-mandolin.htm

    http://www.promenademusic.co.uk/jimm...ndard-mandolin
    The model in the photo is actually the much more desirable A2 model, which costs new over 1200 pounds.

    http://www.moonguitars.co.uk/index.p...ily/a2-series/

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