Your MAS Progression

[Eric Platt]

When I first played years ago, had
Flatiron 1N
Mid Missouri M-0
Rigel A natural

Then stopped playing until last year. In the past year -
The Loar LM-220 (given away)
1929 Gibson A Jr.
Breedlove Cascade
Californian (Strad-o-Lin style)
Big Muddy M-0
Eastman MDO-305

Have always had the problem of buying/selling/trading instruments. Was hoping to not fall into that trap with mandolins. So far hasn't worked.

Well, a year and a half plus, and things have changed. Still have the A Jr., Californian and Eastman Octave.

Since then have added
1910 Gibson A. Heavily modified. Ended up selling it off when I realized I had too many instruments.
1941 Strad-O-Lin. Natural finish. Will probably be the next to go. Like it but see above.
2018 Collings MT natural with gloss top and factory celluloid pickguard.
1935 Gibson A-50 (from William Smith) elevated fingerboard so it sounds better than most A models from that time.
1935 Kalamazoo KM-21. Got it because the neck feels nearly identical to the A-50. It's the one that hangs out at the house. Modified with a CA bridge with tall saddle. Sounds better than it has a right to.

The Collings and A-50 are the main performance instruments. Jr has a pickup so it goes when I have to plug in.

But GAS still isn't completely gone. Just resting. Although I'm not sure what I need at this point unless I started getting "scroll fever."

[Demetrius]

Oh boy. I should probably stay away from this one lol....

[Steve-o]

Oh boy. I should probably stay away from this one lol....

Well that’s no fun Dem. Watching your journey has become a spectator sport for some of us.

[CES]

To update post 53: I’m now down to a Skip Kelley A5, a Rigel CT 110, the RM-1, and the Mandobird. Also, decided the scale length on the mandocello was whuppin’’ my behind, so I traded it for a Weber 20 inch scale OM. If my Taylor 714 sells I’ll likely turn the proceeds along with the RM 1 into a nice smaller bodied guitar. I’ve also been playing more electric guitar with our praise band of late and am considering an upgrade there. I’m also jonesing for an amp upgrade...

I will say that, unless I just want something different, I’ll never have a need to upgrade from the Kelley and the Rigel. They’re both awesome mandolins...

[Br1ck]

My last post ended with the desire for a teens Gibson. Mission accomplished.

[DougC]

This seems like some consumer confessional group. And it seems that we could have a great 'swap fest'. (I'll make the egg nog. ha, ha).

In my situation the guitar was most problematic. I sold my beloved Gibson J41 adjustable bridge. The guitar I had since I was 17 years old, so something like 50 years with one instrument. The sale was actually an exchange for a Larrivee D04. The shop probably made a killing on reselling my Gibson. I loved the Larrivee, but I had begun Irish fiddle lessons and just forgot the financial inequities. A few years later I sold the Larrivee. Fiddling had taken over.

Fast forward about 20 years and I had taken up mandolin in a serious way, but kind of missed the Larrivee sound. So a Larrivee P01 dropped into my collection from outer space, ha, ha.

I don't play much guitar, but when I do. That guitar somehow feels like a teddy bear to a 3 year old...

[Bill McCall]

I can only remember the mandolins, the guitars are too distant. Status not noted below.

Kentucky 3xx
Eastman 315
Kentucky 650
Weber Absaroka
Ratliff Countryboy A
Gibson F5L
Fender mandocaster
Ratilff Countryboy F
Kentucky 5 string
Clark 2 point
Arrow G5

I think I'm done with buying, although i would have loved that Bigsby copy that just went through the classifieds. Trade or just sell, maybe not.

[Mike Buesseler]

Blindfold.

[Jill McAuley]

To update my last post I took delivery of my Girouard Concert oval A one year ago and it's the only mandolin I'll ever need. It's all I expected and more, so now I'm sitting back and enjoying putting honest wear on it. It checks all the boxes for me regarding fit, finish, playability and sound - every time I take it out of the case I still can't believe it's mine! Definitely a MAS killer!

[Mike Scott]

Not sure I can remember them all. I have had some nice ones, but have quit a few times and sold them off. Here goes (chronologically):
Kentucky KM1000-traded for Martin guitar
Kentucky KM380s-sold
Bulldog 2 Point-Sold
Kentucky KM160-sold
Eastman 504-sold
Eastman 604-sold
Silverangel A-5-Traded for a Dobro
Big Muddy MW-0-sold
Michael Kelley Firefly-sold
Kentucky KM1500-trade in on the Kelley
Skip Kelley A5-sold
Silverangel A5-Traded in on F5
Morris Flat Top-Traded in on A4
Morris A4-Sold
Silverangel F5-still have
Ibanez 150(?)-still have
Kentucky KM500-sold
Big Muddy MW-0 Primitive-still have

I may have forgot some..... I've not sold any for a long time. I really like what I have now especially the Silverangel. I bought the Big Muddy for travel and the Ibanez to fiddle around learning set ups (now plays and sounds OK for what it is). I've not had any MAS for a long time but.......

[Kevin Winn]

Coming up on four years of playing mandolin (after 40+ years of bass and guitar).

1. POS Ibanez (I think) electric/acoustic that a friend lent me because he couldn't figure out how to tune it. It was around this time that I heard Andrew Marlin play and the mando bug bit. Hard. Tuned and given back.
2. Eastman MD 315. This was a proof of concept mando that I used to make sure I wanted to stick with it. It worked. Sold for...
3. Weber Bitterroot F (2000). Great step-up mandolin. Sold for...
4. Northfield F5S (2016). Played one at Fiddlers Green in Austin and it was the one I kept coming back to after playing everything they had, including Ellis, Collings, Pava, Gibson, etc. This is a lifer instrument.
5. Kimble A #266 (2019). The sound of a Kimble in Andrew's hands ('Such Jubilee' album) was my primary motivation to start playing mandolin. Also a lifer.

That'll do, unless a Sullivan (or maybe a Givens or a Stiver) happens my way.

I guess you could say I'm in MAS remission....

[Demetrius]

You bought a Campanella...

I had to laugh reading this thread. I bought someone’s “keeper” today at TME.

[Joey Anchors]

Here’s my list:

Gretsch New Yorker (sold)
Kentucky KM900 (sold)
Eastman MD404
Crystal Forest five string
Draleon Royale - #1 mando
Crystal Forest A/N

[Brad Grafton]

The list to the best of my memory...
Weber Yellowstone sold
Something Moon...Sold
Unicorn A...Sold
Batwing..Sold
KM1500 ...Sold
Gil Model 1... Sold
Pomeroy f5 Sold
Another Old KM1500 Going to sell
KM Dawg Keeper
Last Mandolin I will ever need is my recently delivered Gil Model 5....

This will stop MAS quickly.... Both financially and of course being monogamous to just one.

[pheffernan]

1998 Mid-Missouri M0 (sold to Dan)
1984 Flatiron 1N (sold to Rex)
2009 Redline Traveler (traded to Josh)
2007 Gypsy Vagabond (sold)
1924 Gibson A
2005 Collings MT (sold to Richard)
2013 Pava (sold to Jim)
2005 National RM-1
2007 Hester A5
2009 Passernig A5
2013 Silverangel A (sold to Catherine)
2009 Stanley A5 (sold to Don)
2013 Redline Traveler (sold to Dan)
2015 Black A2-z
2017 Poe Scout
2011 Passernig F5

I’m still holding steady another nineteen months later, although I did have a deal on a mandolin fall through on me. I did add a mandola, though. And I keep looking at another one . . .

[Andy Willowbee]

I don't think I've done this before:

Weber Bitterroot
Flatiron Performer A
Collings MT2 (PMTOB)
Duff F5
Mix A5
Kimble A5
Weber Gallatin Oval Hole
Rigel A+ Deluxe
Eastman DG5
Poe F5
1964 Fender Mandocaster
2010 GIlchrist Model 5Jr (still have - will likely always have)
late 70s Nugget A5
Pava Pro A5
Clover electric mandolin (still have)

I've never had more than three acoustics and most often have had two. I've had a hard time finding a second to the Gil, though - I've bought (and sold) two others since then and tried a third.

[Andy Willowbee]

More than I care to count and remember. But I’v had my Heiden for about 10 years now and addd a killer Kimble F5 2 years ago.

Shaun - Those are two that would be hard to part with. The only mando I really miss was a Kimble A5.

[Deblues]

Well hopefully I won't have MAS like I've had GAS over the last 20 years. Anyhow, I'm getting my first mandolin delivered to me on Christmas Eve. It's an Eastman MD615 that I've purchased used from Elderly Instruments. I also signed up for Mike Marshalls mandolin course off of Artistworks. I'm hoping my Eastman keeps me happy for a while because I really don't want to go the route of buying and selling like I've done with guitars.

[Trader Todd]

My name is Johnny and I’m a MAS-aholic. (Hi Johnny)

I started messing with the mandolin while I was living in Mexico around ‘05. Played a few borrowed Mexican A-styles, a nice sounding Stradolin and a vintage bowl back. Came back to the US and purchased my first mandolin.

Rover RM-75 (gateway drug) - had the typical a good value for the money romance, but I’d owned enough high end guitars, so I knew I needed to upgrade for the tone and playability I was seeking. Sold.

Gibson A50 (the one that got away) - Loved it and went deep down the Mando rabbit hole. Somehow lost interest in mando and it wasn’t getting played so it was sold to finance other gear. (I miss you honey, and hope you are getting played regularly by somebody more talented then me and humidified properly) Sold.

Pause for a 7-8 year guitar and ukulele (UAS) phase until March 2019.

The Loar LM-310 (The enabler) - saw it on FB cheap and bought it. Mediocre. Gave it my best set up and it was surprising good. Gnarly bark, but I knew, as is the case with MAS, I needed to spend more money than I could afford on an upgrade and that my wife would never notice the difference between The Loar and a... Sold.

Eastman MD515 (The Muse) - I haven’t played any other 515’s than this one, but I’ve played enough stringed instruments to think this one is special regarding volume/projection/tone. I was supposed to sell it to help pay for the Northfield, but as is the case with MAS, I might as well have more mando‘s than I need, and as long as I keep one in the case, the Mrs. will never suspect I have two. (Potential keeper - still have)

Eastman MD815V (The Money Pit). So impressed with the 515 I figured spending more money that I didn’t have on a 815 would be the end all. It was pretty, but not that much different than the 515. I’d rather keep my wife, so I sold it. Thought I’d be content with the 515 until I was an accomplished picker and had more cash on hand - then MAS showed its ugly head again. Sold.

Northfield F5S (The Other Woman) - Had it about 3 weeks. I had a hard time justifying spending more money on a Mando than my Martin guitar (ok, not really, MAS was on my shoulder whispering in my ear). I imagine this will be a family heirloom, unless something more amazing comes along that I can actually afford. Now I’m just a recovering MASer taking it one day at a time working through a 12 step chromatic scale program with heavy doses of tremolo.

I’m Johnny and that’s my journey.

Great thread btw!

[ABmando]

Martin 1970s mando - bought used and sold
Weber Bridger - bought new and sold
Collings MT - bought new - never should have sold - but did - it had a special sound.
Collings MT wide nut - bought new and recently sold
Weber bridger F - bought used - return - it was good - not what I was looking for.
Collings MT2-O - nice mando - but ADI top too much for my purposes - sold.
Flatiron bazouki - bought in 1980s - sold in late 1980s.
Flatiron Bazouli - bought again in 1990s - sold.
Weber Beartooth octave - bought in 1999 - never selling!
Collings MT2-V - Italian Spruce - Wide nut - keeping! - still needs more breaking in.
Eastman 515V - keeping - but wish the nut was wider - great sound.
Gibson F5 wide nut - bought new and returned - not happy with frets on this one - and frankly, did not have a better tone than the Eastman 515V - which may be a lucky 515V.
Girouard octave GOBM - bought new - checked it out - returned - regretted every minute of the return - never should have done so.
Mowry Octave GOBM - bought new - probably a keeper - but not sure I want a mando that looks like a guitar?
Weber Octave bitteroot F - 22 inch scale - a keeper. (maple back and sides).
Weber Yellowstone Mandola - oval - a keeper - Mandolin Store - played it there and bought it - it has the best tone ever!
Bowlback mando - purchased in 1970s - but accidentally stepped on it in late 70s when it was behind me - and broke in two. Do not leave mandos on the floor.

[wormpicker]

Not sure whether I should be proud or ashamed to admit that, a couple of years into my playing, I am still on my first mandolin (though technically, my second—a manufacturer’s warranty replacement)—an Eastman 505. But that could change in year three...

[MontanaMatt]

I’ve been first owner for my mandos.
Early 2000’s GoldTone GM-70, sold
2007 Weber Custom Elite, PO Cedar Top. Throat should have stopped the disease, still have it, and it my ridiculously nice back up mando.
2017 Ratliff R5 custom, great Bluegrass sound, I hope it will quell the urges for a decade!

[Charlie Bernstein]

Fender electric A - sold
Mid-Missouri rosewood - sold
Red Line A5 - have
Gibson A Junior - have

The Gibson is getting rehabbed. When it's done, I'll play it for a while, then sell either it or the Red Line.

[yankees1]

a picture to go with list (not complete)

Mandolins, mandolins, mandolins Oh My !

[CES]

I will admit that every mandolin I've bought with the exception of the Kentucky eBay mess and the Fender blueburst I've thought I would keep. If we hadn't made the decision to downsize last summer (in which I lost my music room), I'd still have all of them except those 2. I know I'll miss the 1N, and if the Silverangel were my only mandolin today I'd be a happy picker. But, my ears and hands keep evolving, hence the progression to the Kelley. And, the CT-110 is one I've wanted since I first heard Nickel Creek back in the day. The one I found just happens to be more traditionally voiced and sounds awesome. If I could only keep one, it would probably be the Kelley, but I love both of these instruments for different reasons, and there would be some serious debate before deciding. The plug and play ease of the Rigel is certainly handy in our praise band...

Who knows what I'll be playing in 5 years...by then the kids will all be out of college/grad school, so...keep the thread alive!!