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Thread: what is the best selling mandolin

  1. #1

    Default what is the best selling mandolin

    what is the best selling mandolin that most people on the mandolin café have now a days.

  2. #2
    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    You're kidding. Right?
    Phil

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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by pops1 View Post
    x2.

  5. #5

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    well life is kind of a joke, why not mandolins. there has got to be a few hot selling mandolins. lets say enter level, mid level & high end that every one here would not mind having in their herd of mandolins.

  6. #6

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    The mandolin " that most people on the mandolin café have now" is a null set. There is no mandolin model owned by over half the forum members.

    The "best selling mandolin" is probably the Rogue.
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    I have them both ! Ellis and Girouard !

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    Registered User Gunnar's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Low end, Eastman 315. mid range, Gibson Loar signed F5. High end, Schmergel Devastator
    Mandolin: Kentucky KM150
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    Registered User Drew Streip's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Not that ridiculous of a question. Yeah there are too many individual models for a true consensus. But what about “most recommended”? My money is on a Collings A style. Every time somebody asks what mandolin to buy for $XYZ, more than one person says “for a few hundred more, you can get a used Collings MT!” And I’d bet that if we counted all the mandolins used in Mandolin Mondays videos, Collings of all styles would be the winner. They also have sizeable inventory based on the classifieds here.

  11. #10

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    thanks Drew, so when you want to move up from your Kentucky/Eastman you should think of getting a Collings. was that so hard ?. what I was thinking low end Kentucky 200 series, 300 series Eastman's & then the higher end Kentucky's 900 & above.

  12. #11
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by mandolin tony View Post
    what I was thinking low end Kentucky 200 series, 300 series Eastman's & then the higher end Kentucky's 900 & above.
    I can’t imagine that the “best selling” mandolin is in the $400 and above price range. I’d expect the answer to be something far less expensive, like a Rogue or something hanging on the wall of every Guitar Center.
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    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    I'd have to say the very nice cheaper imports like Eastman, Kentucky, Rogue, etc...Some models are a great bang for the buck with a good set-up and better hardware!

  15. #13

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    If you look at this link, you will see the best selling "mandolins" on Amazon. It is not going to be a good representation of the entire market, but gives a fair idea of what kinds of instruments people buy, at least sight unseen. It would be very interesting to know approx. how many instruments are bought from good retailers like the Cafe sponsors, vs. GC/MF/Sam Ash or Amazon.

    Amazon Best Sellers in "Mandolin"

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  16. #14

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    good morning Marty, I am asking what is the BEST selling mandolins on the café. not Amazon were people will buy any thing that looks nice & is cheap.

  17. #15
    Mando Training Wheels kegcrowe's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    I am no expert and can only speak of the topics Ive read (and certainly not everything that's been discussed) since picking up Mando (march of this year). First mando for me: Rogue. I think a lot of newbies to mando (speaking of folks like me that didn't play another stringed instrument, that had no experience jamming with others, etc) pick these as an experiment in mandolin.

    The next (seemingly) popular choices: kentucky/eastman, Collings, Northfield.

    That being said, my second mando was a Morris flattop and third a Silverangel.

  18. #16

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Well, I guess people can guess. Nobody knows the answer to your question.

    To find that out, you'd need one of two things. Either work out a deal with the owner of this site for access to the classifieds data, which may not even be possible since he's so conscientious about keeping this place above-board in all respects. And there are probably more considerations than just getting access to the data (beyond simple privacy considerations... in terms of privacy, this site is a gem in the increasingly user-exploiting Internet world).

    Or, set up a script which scrapes classifieds data (or tabulate it yourself manually) and then do your market research based on that. It's publicly available information. It would take a few months to get real data.

    One thing that is uncertain in either case is the actual number of instruments which have sold. A listing does not equal a sale. And not all sales go through, since there's a trial period available from many sellers.

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  20. #17

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin

    I second the $50 Rogue? Just guessing.......due to price, a lot are sold. Same with Squier stratocasters --- they are everywhere, again due to price. But, in both cases, best selling is not always the most exciting to a player.....

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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by Philphool View Post
    You're kidding. Right?
    Well, it's a change from which pick ?

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  23. #19
    Registered User JAK's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin

    The F5 model.
    John A. Karsemeyer

  24. #20

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin

    yankees1 the pick thing has been played to death.

  25. #21

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin

    Well, let's just leave out the mandolin shaped objects, shall we?

    I frequent two serious music shops. What they have in common is Eastman. Kentucky has a much smaller presence, probably due to their dealing with mass marketers like Amazon. So figuring dealers stock what sells, my bet is an Eastman 305 or a 315, with a nod to the KM 150 because of the starter packages sold by the big known online dealers.

    My guess for mid range is the Northfield F 5S. I rarely see the same one twice at the Northfield dealer, but I would not bet against the MT. In the pricier range, Collings F5 style has a big presence. Look at how many new ones are on Reverb.
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    Registered User Gunnar's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Streip View Post
    Not that ridiculous of a question. Yeah there are too many individual models for a true consensus. But what about “most recommended”? My money is on a Collings A style. Every time somebody asks what mandolin to buy for $XYZ, more than one person says “for a few hundred more, you can get a used Collings MT!” And I’d bet that if we counted all the mandolins used in Mandolin Mondays videos, Collings of all styles would be the winner. They also have sizeable inventory based on the classifieds here.
    Actually, as far as most recommended, I'd put my money on silver angel. It seems more common (in the few months I've been here) to hear "add 100$ and you can get a silver angel econo A" than it is to hear about the MT. (Which I think is the nicest mandolin I've ever been exposed to)
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  28. #23
    Barn Cat Mandolins Bob Clark's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin

    A factual answer to this question is attainable, as Marty points out above. But it requires a lot of work, and I don't see a whole lot of use for the answer. I always try to know what I will do with data when I set out seeking it. It helps you to collect it in a meaningful way and avoid wasting time.

    We each have our own sound, genre, aesthetic appeal, price ceiling and so on in mind. Buying an instrument because it is the 'best-selling one here' might mean you are buying exactly the wrong instrument for you. This is true even if it is a basic beginner instrument. It is to be your instrument. It is ultimately your own opinion that matters. Application of just a little common sense can keep you from purchasing true crap, which also matters a bit because you want something you can actually play.

    I think it is better to do your own exploration using information provided by the helpful experts here, the Cafe Sponsors who are very knowledgeable and generous with their time, and if possible, stores you can travel to. Try instruments wherever you can. And make the decision that is best for you.

    Ultimately, if you make the wrong decision, nobody dies. It's just a mandolin (gasp- - -did I actually write that?). You can, and most likely will, choose again anyway.

    Just my two cents worth. Ignore it completely if you don't find it helpful.

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    Registered User Drew Streip's Avatar
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    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gunnar View Post
    Actually, as far as most recommended, I'd put my money on silver angel. It seems more common (in the few months I've been here) to hear "add 100$ and you can get a silver angel econo A" than it is to hear about the MT. (Which I think is the nicest mandolin I've ever been exposed to)
    You’re right, there has been a noticeable uptick in SA recs lately! I still don’t see many in the wild though. I think the cafe might be more clued into them. But Collings probably makes 20x more per year than Ken, so you have to think they’re selling them all too.

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  31. #25

    Default Re: what is the best selling mandolin

    I have made that very same recommendation when someone is looking to move up in quality because there is a greater than $500 price difference usually. But if it was not a matter of cost, I'd always point to an MT as a mandolin to try.

    Certainly more people have played an MT than a SA. Probably by a factor of 1000 to 1. I own the only one I've ever seen.
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