If I had the money the only mandolin I would spend that kind of money on would be a Loyd Loar if one were available at that price. I have spent $4,500, for my Weber which I will keep forever.
If I had the money the only mandolin I would spend that kind of money on would be a Loyd Loar if one were available at that price. I have spent $4,500, for my Weber which I will keep forever.
Are there any bowlback mandolins that cost that much?
Seriously, I'm lucky - I don't even like the F model, Gibson or anyone else's make.
The most I paid for a mandolin is 2K for a custom instrument and even that was a splurge.
I certainly wouldn't play any better just because I have an extremely expensive instrument.
It would depend on the mandolin. If it checked all of my boxes, and offered a voice or measure of performance that my existing mandolins did not offer, then probably so. But that’s a pretty high bar. I’ve walked away from some very nice mandolins that were highly desirable, but they didn’t offer a substantial incremental difference from what I already have.
A couple of years ago a $5k would have seemed crazy expensive to me. I have three nice guitars and the most expensive Martin, a D18GE, had cost me about $2300 new. The HD28 was about $1800 new.
Now, after much desensitization by the Mandolin Cafe discussions and ads, $10k or more for a good mandolin doesn’t sound crazy! So, my answer is yes. When I retire in a few years I won’t be shocked if I buy a mando in the $10k price range.
Doug Brock
2018 Kimble 2 point (#259), Eastman MD315, Eastman MDA315, some guitars, banjos, and fiddles
And like some others have said, one in that price range would still have to outperform all my other mandolins.
Plus, and been this way since switching to acoustic guitar 20+ years ago, would rather have a few, moderate priced instruments that sound different and bring me joy to play, rather than one expensive instrument that, while great, doesn't necessarily fill all the needs. My musical tastes are eclectic enough that it would be tough to have one do it all.
Also was thinking about it this way - if I were to buy a Northfield flattop octave mandolin, and not use the Eastman, then my main mandolins (all 4) and that OM would equal the price mentioned. And as David said, none would make me a better player.
Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Flatiron 1N, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
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I'm guessing most of the pros are using stuff they bought 30-40 years ago at 30-40 years ago prices........
The new stuff they own was given to them through endorsing a signature model, etc...
I was working at a vintage guitar shop and Billy Gibbons came in. I was excited to show him a candy apple red pre-CBS Fende stratocaster we just got in -- priced at $25K -- well, he was polite, but basically said he was buying them when they were $400 and he still has 'em.....
Same with Bob Dylan, I'm guessing he doesn't need to go to the music store, he can just go to his "closet" and play something he bought 50 years ago!
I don't believe I would ever have the desire to spend that kind of money on a mandolin again.
A couple of months ago I strummed a bit on a Monteleone for sale at the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park. I felt like a bicyclist who just hopped on a Harley hog. I was happy about this because there was no way I could afford it. I happily returned to my more modest offerings at home. That said, I fell in love via a picture in the Cafe classifieds last year, with a $17K Gilchrist that still floats before my "If only ... ! " eyes.
Joe
About the most I could spend is 5k and that's pushing it. I'm looking seriously at a Northfield Big Mon to replace my Loar.
Randy Mallory
2020 Gibson Custom Shop F5 MSC Wide Nut (2020) David Harvey
2022 Eastman MD515
2022 Northfield NFO-AT1 Octave Mandolin
and a few more....
Well, I get two haircuts a year, so it would take quite a few years to save ten grand.
I have no criticism of anyone having four or five high dollar mandolins no matter how you came to pay for them. Just trying to gauge how many, right here right now, are prepared and able to buy at this level. I’m in the could but won’t category right now. Obviously there are enough to keep the market from collapsing. Now Loars seem to have declined significantly. I have also seen MFs at very tempting prices lately.
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Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
If what you care about is sound, not resale, and if you have time to travel, look, and listen, and if you have $5K in your pocket, I think you’ll be able to find a 10K sounding mandolin. So, no.
Summit Artist V mandolin #384 (2011)
R.L. Givens A5 mandolin #151 (1978)
Jerman electric mandolin 4 string
Pisgah custom banjo #888 (2017)
Martin 000-18 guitar #218946 (1967)
parlor guitar, ice cream cone heel, unlabeled
Sebastien Kloz fiddle (1734, authenticated)
I have four great mandos and don't need another.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I am confused about your question. Right now I own a few $10K+ instruments but I bought them decades ago. I would gladly buy a ~$10K mandolin and considered the higher end A-models like Ellis, Nugget, Gilchrist, Heiden and Monteleone at one point. All those makers make me salivate and the few I have played are exceptional instruments.
In actual reality, I am pretty satisfied with the mid- upper-range A-models I already own. So, in order to confuse you more: if I could I would but right now I don't need to.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
My concern is less the small buyer pool and more the limited number of dealer’s stores stocking them. As I posted above, I would consider buying a higher end mandolin if it rendered every other one I own unnecessary, but in order to know that to be true, I’d want to play it first. With The Mandolin Store in the midst of its move to Nashville, how many other metropolitan areas afford potential buyers that opportunity?
1924 Gibson A Snakehead
2005 National RM-1
2007 Hester A5
2009 Passernig A5
2015 Black A2-z
2010 Black GBOM
2017 Poe Scout
2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
2018 Vessel TM5
2019 Hogan F5
I did not read the entire thread, but I will add to the data. Yes, I would pay $10k for a mandolin. I had a very specific sound in mind. I tried dozens of mandolins before I found one that was close to what I hear in my head. Surprisingly, I played some $20k mandolins that did nothing for me. I think it was dangerous when I went looking for a mandolin. I decided to let my ears chose without knowing the price. I had to do a lot of explaining when I got back from that tour with a new mandolin.
Gibson 2016 "Harvey" Fern
Collings MT Mandola
Weber 2017 Bitterroot A20-F Octave Mandolin
Crump BIII Irish Bouzouki
Petersen Level 2 Irish Bouzouki
Eastman MDC805 Mandocello
Collings 0002H
Five & Six String Banjos
Lots of other Guitars
http://www.shadowfields.com
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I added up the approximate market value of my main playing mandolins and they are way over $10K. I am sure there is at least one $10K mandolin that I would die to own but I also have 5 or 6 that are worth more and also all produce different tone palettes. I am not sure I would want to sell off a bunch of them to get one "perfect" one. But, you never know.
I also acquired my more costly instruments decades ago at what might have been top dollar but they have gone up in value over the years. I emptied out a whole bank account in the mid-1980s for my Monteleone mandola but the numerical value of the price was what it would cost for a decent A-model these days. OTOH I also had the opportunity to buy a Loar F-5 for about $10,000 in the mid-1980s but that was a very big pile of money back then.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I bought used,but my main instrument goes for around $10K new nowadays..
Go ahead and comment all you want. The gist was how many of you have $10k in your pocket right now, or credit for that and are willing to spend it right now. Not I already did that four times already. If we got fifty responses yes, I'm looking right now, then counted the available mandolins at that level for sale, we could gauge the market. That is what I'm trying to get a handle on.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I might for an Ellis.
I doubt very much that I'll ever buy another mandolin, I have two very nice F5's, a Harvey era Gibson and an Apitius.
But if I were to buy another one, I would probably sell both my F5's, my Les Paul and Strat, then spring for a really nice used Gil.
A quarter tone flat and a half a beat behind.
2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
Several nice old Fiddles
2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
Deering Classic Open Back
Too many microphones
BridgerCreekBoys.com
Believe it or not there are a LOT of mandolin buyers that don’t participate here on the Cafe. $10k isn’t that much money for a top quality wooden instrument. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.....good mandolins are expensive because they’re worth it! I’ve got two $10k mandolins and they’re worth every penny.
Shaun Garrity
http://www.youtube.com/user/spgokc78
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