Beginner Mandolin-Rogue RM-100 vs Savanna SA-110

[Chloe]

I’m looking to get my first mandolin, so I’m trying to go for a cheaper one to start. My budget is around $100. I’ve found two prospective choices- the Rogue RM-100 and the Savanna SA-110.

With the Rogue, I would be ordering it online and having it shipped to my home. The price point is around $80. I’ve read that the setup could be pricey, and I will most definitely need to have it set up if I expect a decent sound from it. I haven’t totally heard this about other mandolins, especially when purchasing from a store. I’m worried because I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about this particular instrument.

There is a guitar store near me that has the Savanna in stock right now, and I’m going to check it out tomorrow. It’s a bit pricier, at $130. I haven’t been able to find a ton of information about this mandolin. Has anyone tried out both of these mandolins who could give me some insight into the difference in quality?

Other beginner recommendations are always welcome as well.
Thanks!

[Sue Rieter]

Here's some input from a fellow newbie. I got my first mandolin at the beginning of March. I knew absolutely nothing about mandolins at the time, except that I wanted to learn to play for a long time.

$100 is not a lot of money for a mandolin, especially new. My budget was $250, which is still not a lot. I decided right away that I was going to go with used. I got 1998 Kentucky KM-200S for $230 off Reverb. While I like it fine for now, there have been and still remain some issues (mainly setup, but also a worrisome small crack that may need to be addressed in the future). I kind of wish I had saved up for longer, although there is a tradeoff with having something in hand right away. (I am saving again.)

At the time I was looking for a used KM-150. I saw one for $250 down in Massachusetts, but the guy decided not to sell it at the last minute. I also bid on one on Ebay that had some repairs to it, but lost the auction by a dollar or two. Other than that, none seemed to be within budget. At that point I was feeling impatient. As a newbie, I'd also be hesitant at this point about buying sight unseen from something like ebay. My shipping box came a little smashed up, and I have heard horror stories about shipping damage. I'd say keep any eye on Craigslist (because you can look at it and strum on it, even if you don't know what you are doing) as well as the classifieds here (because there is an additional level of integrity). You can put want ads up here as well. I kind of wish I did that, but I didn't know about Mandolin Cafe at the time. I think the advice from the more experienced people about stretching your budget is good advice. Don't be afraid to do some of your own setup. Get the Rob Meldrum E-book. I jumped right into sanding down my bridge, and it was a little nerve wracking, but fine.

Good luck,
Sue

[Chloe]

You have a lot of great points, thanks! I’m definitely going to the music store today to look at a few different instruments.

[Sue Rieter]

Chloe, have you been to mandolessons.com? He compares 3 different price levels of mandolins:

https://www.mandolessons.com/resourc...ng-a-mandolin/.

This video is actually what got me thinking about KM-150's, although the price has gone up since the video was made.

Sue

[J Mangio]

Place a WTB in the classifieds, you may get what your looking for, all set up and ready to go, at a reasonable price.