I have read other threads and i am still confused- newbie mando

[cheesekate]

Hello!

I would like some advice on which mandolin to purchase. I have never played an instrument before (unless you want to count the clarinet and recorder in 4th & 5th grade...). I think i want an A style, but i am super overwhelmed looking at all of the options. I would like to ideally spend around $150 but i would go higher if it is a lot higher quality or something.

Thank you!!
Kate

[cheesekate]

Hello

I would like some advice on which mandolin to purchase. I have never played an instrument before (unless you want to count the clarinet and recorder in 4th & 5th grade...). I think i want an A style, but i am super overwhelmed looking at all of the options. I would like to ideally spend around $150 but i would go higher if it is a lot higher quality or something.

Thank you!!
Kate

[Brandon Flynn]

The main issue that you will run into with instruments at that price point, especially new instruments, is that they will tend to be nearly unplayable.

For example, my first mandolin was this one. Purchased as is, it will be very difficult to play and get a clean sound out of, especially for a beginner. However, if you take it to a luthier who works with mandolins you can get it "set up" to be playable (which is what I did), it can serve you well as a starting point. If you tell the folks at the Cafe here about where you are located they can likely point you to someone who can get a cheap instrument in playable condition.

You might check with Morgan Music to see if this one comes set up to play; I'm guessing it will.

Increasing your budget to the $300s to $400s will give you many more options, especially on quality used instruments. But I personally think the mandolin you will buy is better than the mandolin you won't!

[stevojack665]

Hi Kate! Welcome to the Cafe.
$150 is a pretty low price point for a mandolin, but there are some out there that are ok at that price.
The key, especially in a low price instrument, is to get one that is properly setup. Buying from a reputable dealer that does the setup before shipping it to you is best. Please don't buy one from Amazon or Walmart or eBay because they will not be setup and almost impossible to play.
Any mandolin that you buy at that price will be made of laminate wood, which is less desirable, but again, it is really about getting a good setup.
I'd check this one out
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/153817#153817
And ask if they will do a low action setup and sell you an affordable case as well.

If you can double your budget you can buy a mandolin with at least a carved top that will sound better
Like this one
https://www.elderly.com/collections/...style-mandolin

[allenhopkins]

Duplicate thread with this one.

Moderators please note.

[Timbofood]

When I started my limit was about $85.00 that was in 1974!
I would see what the secondary market might bear.
It’s not an unattainable purchase but, it might take some time, talk to as many people in your area as you can, see what you can find.
Steve is also wise in the caveat about where to purchase, unless you have access to the (few but, specialized) tools, paying for a setup can be $150.00!
These are special instruments which have some special quirks that can only be understood by people that speak mandolin, NOT JUST guitar. They are different and need special care and understanding.

[David Lewis]

Hi Kate - welcome to the Cafe. I don't know I'll add much, but if you can buy a second hand one, you might get a better mandolin for your price. There's a formula I saw here somewhere - (and I hope I can be corrected if I'm wrong) - the mandolin is about twice the price of a guitar. So a 150.00 guitar is a 300.00 mandolin. A 500.00 guitar is a 1000.00 mandolin etc. So I'd guess that while you'll get an instrument for 150 - it's about a 300.00 guitar. So, not bad, but for not much more you can do better.

There are cheap mandolins called Rogue which apparently are pretty good with a setup. A guy called Rob Meldrum will give you a book to help you set it up - or you can take it to a good guitar tech and for 80.00 (? - prices vary), get it set up and you'll have a decent mandolin for your budget.

The thing is now: back when I was a young man (the goodle days) cheap instruments were ususally terrible - not always - but if you spent (in today's money) less than 1,000, you'd get a terrible instrument. NOw, you can buy spectaluarly good instruments for around 500, and even less.


I'd pick one or two cheap brands - Rogue, Epiphone, Fender, (others can put in brands), and stick there.

You've done a good thing deciding on an A-style - they are great, and it narrows your search somewhat.

And when you settle on one, post pictures of it!

[mandroid]

Problem: its not 1973 [ I got an A40 Gibson, from a player, back then]

..Yes @ $150 new , Now, will possibly be a mandolin shaped object..

Big discount warehouse importers ship you a box unopened since it left the Chinese factory..

So where you buy it, say from some shop that opens
and checks over every mandolin sold,(aka set up)
will be valuable in having it playable when it arrives..

[Kevin Winn]

Hi Kate - welcome to the Cafe. I don't know I'll add much, but if you can buy a second hand one, you might get a better mandolin for your price. There's a formula I saw here somewhere - (and I hope I can be corrected if I'm wrong) - the mandolin is about twice the price of a guitar. So a 150.00 guitar is a 300.00 mandolin. A 500.00 guitar is a 1000.00 mandolin etc. So I'd guess that while you'll get an instrument for 150 - it's about a 300.00 guitar. So, not bad, but for not much more you can do better.

I think your math is backwards. Using the formula above (and it's a good rule of thumb), a $150 mandolin would be equal to a $75 guitar (not $300).

You may be able to find something for $150, but it likely wouldn't be of very good quality. And has been noted, would likely not include a setup (which grows in importance with an inexpensive instrument).

I echo the advice above and try to find a Eastman 305 or Loar or Kentucky for under $500. There are several in the Classifieds right now

[LadysSolo]

I started with a used The Loar LM 220, paid $200, it was (and is, I still have it) a useful instrument that I quickly outgrew. I keep it to loan to people who think they want to play mandolin. I think you could find a used useful instrument for about $200 still (I have been playing for about 5 years.) Good luck in your search! Keep an eye on the classifieds.

[David Lewis]

I think your math is backwards. Using the formula above (and it's a good rule of thumb), a $150 mandolin would be equal to a $75 guitar (not $300).

You may be able to find something for $150, but it likely wouldn't be of very good quality. And has been noted, would likely not include a setup (which grows in importance with an inexpensive instrument).

I echo the advice above and try to find a Eastman 305 or Loar or Kentucky for under $500. There are several in the Classifieds right now

My applogies, you’re tight. My brain is dying

[Marty Jacobson]

Get a $50 Rogue, and a $100 setup! Or buy from a reputable dealer who supplies them already set-up.

[Randi Gormley]

I'll also point you to a Rogue (it's the house brand for Musician's Friend, if you're aren't aware of them) and Rob Meldrum. The rogue runs about $49, give or take, and rob's book is free. but you have to be brave enough to use some basic tools (like a caliper) on the mandolin. It sounds worse than it is, by the way. Where do you live? there might be other cafe members in your neighborhood who might be able to help, at least virtually, with a setup.

[jaycat]

This is what I would go for. A good step up from a Rogue and others of that ilk.

(Interestingly, when I bought one of these in 2012 as my first mandolin, it went for $150.)

[Marty Jacobson]

I guess the Rover and Rogue have both been tariff-ied. $260 and $80 now, respectively.

[bbcee]

Hi Kate, welcome to the madness!

I'd also point out that there's a great, active Newbies social group that can answer a bunch of your questions as well (go to Listen/Learn at the top of the page - Social Groups, and look for "Newbies").

[JeffD]

I would suggest that you borrow or rent an instrument first, and see if you love it. If you love it you will be able to justify spending a bit more. If you don't love it you will have saved even the $150.00

Just an idea.

[CES]

Check out Robert Fear’s Folkmusician.com site. He has some inexpensive options and is reputed to do a nice set up. He used to post here frequently, but haven’t heard from him in a while. NFI, and I’m not a customer. I have bought from The Mandolin Store and Elderly and been pleased with their set ups and service. DO NOT buy a bargain off eBay, because, unless you get extremely lucky, you’ll dump any of that savings into a setup and or repairs. Don’t ask me how I know 😭

[JEStanek]

Hey Kate! Welcome to the Cafe. I agree with Steveojack665 in Post #2 above. If you can get that mandolin set up for $109 DO IT. If you take it somewhere to have them set it up, that could cost an extra $50-100 depending on who does it.

Yes, that's a cheap mandolin. Yes it won't sound quite as nuanced as mandolins costing 2-100X more but, it will sound like a mandolin and you can learn to play tunes and songs on it. If you enjoy the mandolin, you can buy a more expensive one later and still have this one to take out places you may not want to take the expensive one or you have a mandolin to give to another person interested in trying it out.

I had a Savanah mandolin way back in like 2004 or so. When set up, it worked just fine. When you order it, order some nice picks to try, maybe ask the store to select $5 worth of different medium to hard ones to try and a chord book or beginner tune book with notation and tablature. This investment will help pass the time in self isolation!

I hope you can get started!

Jamie

[Mike Romkey]

I'd buy something from one of the shops that advertise here (either the display ads or in the classifieds). These mandolin-centric dealers -- like Morgan Music -- often carry entry-level instruments, know what they're doing, and will be smart enough to sell you something playable that you'll want to upgrade from down the road, thus attracting you back for additional business. Everybody's self-interest guarantees that everybody wins.

My real advice would be to cowgirl up, get out your credit card, and spend enough money to buy a mandolin that will make you want to play it. The difference between a $100 and a $1,000 mandolin won't be apparent for the first month, but you will be far happier with a better instrument. A pre-loved Collings, Gibson, Pava, Weber, fill in the blank name instrument will make you a lot happier over the long haul. Plus you'll have an easier time selling it here when it's time to upgrade or move back to clarinet.

As I've told my sons, when you're going to buy something you plan to get a lot of use out of, be it a mandolin or a vehicle or whatever, get the best one you can afford, not the cheapest. You'll be happier in the end.

[EdHanrahan]

Get a $50 Rogue, and a $100 setup! Or buy from a reputable dealer who supplies them already set-up.

+1!

Viewpoint #1: Because mandolin's smaller size & shorter scale requires much tighter tolerances compared to guitar, mandolins tend to cost about twice what an equivalent-quality guitar would cost, which holds true across the full spectrum of prices. Thus, a $150 mandolin would have the inherent quality of a $75 guitar.

Viewpoint #2: After the machine-intensive part of manufacture is completed, super-cheap fretted instruments are super-cheap largely because the manufacturer didn't bother with the last hour or two of fine detail hand-work (or just didn't know better or care). Thus, most modern factory-built instruments, bottom-of-the-line or not, are built with at least some core of structural integrity, and that $50 Rogue is, structurally at least, not very different from an instrument costing several times that amount.

Viewpoint #3: Given that cost is a primary consideration (*), it makes more sense to have those final hours of fine detail work done by someone who both knows and cares about the instrument, than by someone whose objectve is to finish today's quota before closing time.

* - My real-world preference would be to go w/ Mike Romkey's advice, just above!

[Chris Calley]

Here is a nice presentation on a very basic vs. step-up vs. high end. If you can swing the step-up you will have an instrument that will take you much further down the road.

[BillACK]

A few years ago I bought a Rogue from Guitar Center for $50, shipped to my door as a spare to hang on the wall in my office at work. I figured it would need a bunch of work, but I figured it was worth a shot. It came setup pretty decently with only a couple of tweaks needed to be passable. The nut was setup well, the frets were reasonable flat and level and I only adjusted the height and position of the bridge. That was pretty much it. Maybe I just got (really) lucky, but I wouldn't discount the low end of the market. That said, unless you're able to do the tweaking yourself, I'd recommend you order a "starter" mando from a trusted vendor that includes a good setup. Enjoy!

[JEStanek]

I've merged the duplicate threads.

Jamie