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Thread: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

  1. #1

    Default Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    I have a seemingly simple question but a difficult decision. If forced to "liquidate" instruments/mandolins do to the pandemic, how due you choose which one to keep? Sentiment, value, joy of playing etc. Seems so simple but it doesn't appear to be.

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  3. #2
    Registered User CWRoyds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Only you can answer that for yourself.
    I would pick the one I play the most, that is the most versatile for the music styles I play.

    Unfortunately for me, I only have one mandolin that would make a significant difference to my bank balance.
    Cant sell that one. It is too good, and the only really pro mandolin I have.
    The Northfield is staying with me.

    I would probably sell a guitar or two.
    I enough guitars to make that not hurt as much.
    I need to have at least one excellent mandolin.
    Guitars are much cheaper to replace.
    Mandolins: Northfield 5-Bar Artist Model "Old Dog", J Bovier F5 Special, Gibson A-00 (1940)
    Fiddles: 1920s Strad copy, 1930s Strad copy, Liu Xi T20, Liu Xi T19+ Dark.
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    Sitars: Hiren Roy KP (1980s), Naskar (1970s), Naskar (1960s).
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  4. #3

    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    If you need to liquidate for monetary reasons, keep the one that would sell for the least money. It will still play like a mandolin.
    If you're in dire straights, put them all up for sale and keep the one that remains once all others have sold.
    Or sell them all and buy one that's much less than any you had before.

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  6. #4
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Yea but, if everybody is selling, who is buying?
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    working musician Jim Bevan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    I've been anticipating going down this road for some time, and am pleased to say that the one I'd keep (my trusty been-around-the-world-a-few-times Rigel R-100) is not only the easiest to play, sounds good enough (or at least I sound my best on it) and has a pickup (it's versatile), it's also, out of the herd presently in my scattered possession, the one that cost me the least – I'd actually make some decent cash if I liquidated, and doing so wouldn't be as painful as it could be.

    The emandos deserve their own category (polar opposite applications, so I'll make the claim early in this thread that keeping one of each isn't cheating) – my decision of who gets to stay has yet to be made...

    (If/When it does come to this, that poor Rigel certainly deserves a long-overdue refret!)
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    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    I'm a fatalist. I know that whichever I sell will be the wrong one. So just bite the bullet and do it. Not necessarily in that order.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    Yea but, if everybody is selling, who is buying?
    Yeah, I had big plans.

    Oh, well.

  10. #7
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by CWRoyds View Post
    . . . Unfortunately for me, I only have one mandolin that would make a significant difference to my bank balance. . . .
    I have two, and they're both worth something in the $1k-$1.5k range.

    Or they were. Now I don't think I can get much of anything for either. No big deal, I can afford to sit on 'em for a while, until they're worth the wood they're printed on. Then one will probably go.

    Unlike the pros, I only need one. In fact, I don't even need one. I just want one.

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    not a donut Kevin Winn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Think of it like this:

    If your house is on fire, which is the first one you would rush in to save?
    "Keep your hat on, we may end up miles from here..." - Kurt Vonnegut

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    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Growth View Post
    I have a seemingly simple question but a difficult decision. If forced to "liquidate" instruments/mandolins do to the pandemic, how due you choose which one to keep? Sentiment, value, joy of playing etc. Seems so simple but it doesn't appear to be.
    You (and circumstances) ask a great question. My answer would be to let the instrument decide. I have a bunch of them that I have managed to acquire over a period of 30+ years on a spectrum of like to flat out adore — some that I admire intellectually or aesthetically and others that stir my fire — but only one do I feel was made just for me (and it’s not one that I custom ordered). I’d keep that one, the one the feels like home or an old pair of blue jeans.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
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    Registered User Mike Buesseler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    “Yea but, if everybody is selling, who is buying?“

    Maybe retirees who live on Social Security and/or pensions? Problem is, most of us are past our worst/best MAS days.

  15. #11

    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Buesseler View Post
    “Yea but, if everybody is selling, who is buying?“

    Maybe retirees who live on Social Security and/or pensions? Problem is, most of us are past our worst/best MAS days.
    You could say your keeping your Collings and still get to have two mandos.
    Gunga......Gunga.....Gu-Lunga

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    Registered User Eric F.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    The secretary of the treasury says $1,200 will last a family 10 weeks, so sell the one that's worth that and see where you are after 10 weeks.
    Last edited by Eric F.; Apr-15-2020 at 9:20pm.

  17. #13
    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Bevan View Post
    I've been anticipating going down this road for some time, and am pleased to say that the one I'd keep (my trusty been-around-the-world-a-few-times Rigel R-100) is not only the easiest to play, sounds good enough (or at least I sound my best on it) and has a pickup (it's versatile), it's also, out of the herd presently in my scattered possession, the one that cost me the least – I'd actually make some decent cash if I liquidated, and doing so wouldn't be as painful as it could be.

    The emandos deserve their own category (polar opposite applications, so I'll make the claim early in this thread that keeping one of each isn't cheating) – my decision of who gets to stay has yet to be made...

    (If/When it does come to this, that poor Rigel certainly deserves a long-overdue refret!)
    Re: emandos, and "one of each" refers to single course and double course instruments, yes?
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Would be tough to choose. Like others, would probably sell a couple of guitars first. For guitars, would keep the Martin D Jr. Does what I need and has a pickup.

    Mandolins. Hmm. Probably Collings first. Most likely to sell. Last one to keep? Today it would be the Flatiron. Plays well, isn't worth a lot, and my bands like it. Or, in the alternative, the 1929 A Jr. A couple folks I respect have called it the best oval hole they have heard. (It's not, in my own opinion, but appreciate the sentiment.)
    Brentrup Model 23, Boeh A5 #37, Gibson A Jr., Big Muddy M-11, Coombe Classical flattop, Strad-O-Lin
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Unfortunately I think the market is going to be way down. Most economists are saying the economic hit is going to be second to the great depression. If so, high end instruments are not going to be hot items. If you think you will have to sell, I suggest doing so now before the market gets worse.

  20. #16
    working musician Jim Bevan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Greenspoon View Post
    Re: emandos, and "one of each" refers to single course and double course instruments, yes?
    "one of each" means one double-course acoustic, and one single-string electric.
    mando scales
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    mp4 backing tracks & free downloadable pdfs


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    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    to pheff: The Hester or the Passerning?
    to the OP: Here (to me) is the problem with a beater. For it's often the beater that has all the attention - want to treat the good mandolin like that! I don't have a beater, so to me it's all about the stories. I know which mandolin (my A3) and which guitar (my L1) that stays with me. I can always get more money and ask Dave to build me another mandolin!

    f-d
    ¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Thanks all..

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    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by fatt-dad View Post
    to pheff: The Hester or the Passerning?
    Which Passernig?

    No, the short answer is the Passernig A5. I love the Hester. I think it is brilliant in theory as a Mrs. Griffith tribute and masterfully executed by a top tier builder. It is beautiful to admire and powerful to play, probably the better mandolin objectively. But subjectively, the Passernig just fits my left hand intuitively and I play it more cleanly than others with fewer mistakes. I know a bad carpenter blames his tools, but I never claimed to be a good carpenter. I need all the help I can get.

    Ironically, my Passernig F5 isn’t nearly as intuitive as the A5 despite being built on the same bench of the same material by the same man, not to mention all of my wishes to the contrary.

    Double ironically, and I can’t find the thread in my search, but I distinctly remember pouncing on the Passernig A5 because my Cafe buddy Carl had expressed interest in the P- builder and I feared that he’d snatch it out from under me. I had only bought the Hester a month or two before, after finally ponying up for the level of an independent builder, and I really wasn’t in financial position to add another, but I took a risk on a distance purchase and it worked out for me. I wonder whatever happened to that guy . . .
    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

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    Registered User red7flag's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    I noticed that the value of my Martin has gone down substantially recently. So not a good time to sell. I have a great menagerie of mandolin family instruments, each of which fill a special niche or role. Four were made for me by the luthier, Mowry, Ellis, Hester and Nyberg and would be most difficult to replace. As far as versatile, the Ellis sounds great playing anything. All things considered, I think I would keep the Hester. It talks to me in a special way and would be almost impossible to replace.
    Tony Huber
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    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by red7flag View Post
    All things considered, I think I would keep the Hester. It talks to me in a special way and would be almost impossible to replace.
    Is it in bad taste to speak of a will, Tony?
    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

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  28. #22

    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    I hope no one has to let loose of their mandolins in these crazy times.
    2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
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    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    I tried that during the economic hard times in 2009. It didn't work out for me. I still have all the mandolins I had then. They are a pain to sell. When the market is down. you get insultingly low offers for them. If you've gotten attached to them, you start missing them as soon as you put them online. I almost got one sold, but the guy returned it complaining about its condition even though I was very honest about its shortcomings. I think he just got cold feet. I found I was actually glad to get it back. I have sold or traded four instruments in my life, three guitars and an electric bass, and I regret two of them to this day. Not a good average.

    I plan on selling my motorcycle, which should bring in more than my mandolins would and I had decided to stop riding anyway for medical reasons. I will have to wait for the market to come back on that also.

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  32. #24
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    Which Passernig?

    No, the short answer is the Passernig A5. I love the Hester. I think it is brilliant in theory as a Mrs. Griffith tribute and masterfully executed by a top tier builder. It is beautiful to admire and powerful to play, probably the better mandolin objectively. But subjectively, the Passernig just fits my left hand intuitively and I play it more cleanly than others with fewer mistakes. I know a bad carpenter blames his tools, but I never claimed to be a good carpenter. I need all the help I can get.

    Ironically, my Passernig F5 isn’t nearly as intuitive as the A5 despite being built on the same bench of the same material by the same man, not to mention all of my wishes to the contrary.

    Double ironically, and I can’t find the thread in my search, but I distinctly remember pouncing on the Passernig A5 because my Cafe buddy Carl had expressed interest in the P- builder and I feared that he’d snatch it out from under me. I had only bought the Hester a month or two before, after finally ponying up for the level of an independent builder, and I really wasn’t in financial position to add another, but I took a risk on a distance purchase and it worked out for me. I wonder whatever happened to that guy . . .
    hahahahhaahhhhaaa! I used to do a lot of pouncing!

    I'm okay with being an average player. Maybe you recall my mantra (c. 2018), "On the road to excellence, enjoy mediocrity."

    f-d
    ¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

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    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Last Mando standing, How to choose?

    Not trying to be glib, but I saw someone paraphrase this old quote on another thread:

    "Mandolins will get you through times with no money better than money will get you through times with no mandolins."


    Seriously, selling a well loved instrument when the market is down is a double recipe for regret.

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