Where did you find your last mando?

[Pen]

So, I’m gonna be making a new purchase sometime in the next year. No rush - just waiting on “the one” to cross my path. Obviously checking the classifieds here as well as my local shops. I’m curious to hear maybe some less obvious ways you’ve come across a great instrument. Looking to expand my circles if possible.

For me, the hunt is half the fun.

[Zach Wilson]

Cafe sponsors, Local shops (getting less and less of those), Reverb, Local CL, Ebay, SGW, Used GC, local pawn shops, etc.

[Sue Rieter]

Three Craigslist, including two favorites, my F2 which is the latest and my Strad-O-Lin. Two cafe classifieds, One Reverb (first mando), and one from my luthier, Jake Wildwood.

[Steve Mead]

Gbase.Com for last one, Carters for the one before that, few from Craigslist

[Zach Wilson]

Cafe sponsors, Local shops (getting less and less of those), Reverb, Local CL, Ebay, SGW, Used GC, local pawn shops, etc.

These are places I look. My last one came from GC's used site.

[Ed McGarrigle]

Bought my Calhoun directly from Northfield. ‘Couldn’t be happier.

[pheffernan]

So, I’m gonna be making a new purchase sometime in the next year. No rush - just waiting on “the one” to cross my path. Obviously checking the classifieds here as well as my local shops. I’m curious to hear maybe some less obvious ways you’ve come across a great instrument. Looking to expand my circles if possible.

For me, the hunt is half the fun.

After pursuing a Hogan F5 for years, I found pictures posted to Facebook on a google search, inquired about the instrument, and ultimately made an offer that the owner couldn’t refuse.

[Eric Platt]

Cafe classifieds, mail order from a brick and mortar store, and eBay for the latest.

[Kenny]

I got both of mine through the mandolin cafe classified section. I had no deadline so I would simply browse the classifieds each time I came to lurk. When I saw what I wanted I pounced on it. If I was slow and somebody beat me to it … oh, well. I’d keep looking. Conversing with folks here I have the impression that you’d do well to buy from any of the sponsoring shops, too. Good experiences in every case I encountered.

[allenhopkins]

Local dealers, Bernunzio's and Stutzman's, have provided the overwhelming majority of my mandolins. I did have one built for me by local luthier Bernie Lehmann. Others have been fortunate happenstance finds.

Also, I should mention that two unusual instruments, a Waldo bowl-back mandocello and a Gibson tenor lute, were offered to me by private owners who clearly found me through the Cafe. And, I purchased a Howe-Orme mandolinetto and a Merrill aluminum-bodied bowl-back on eBay.

Let me once again suggest supporting local dealers, if you have some, and keeping brick-and-mortar instrument shops in business. "Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone," as someone once wrote.

[Bill McCall]

Last one was a custom build, the one before I bought from a buddy.

[Louise NM]

One in an antique store, one from a Cafe sponsor, one off Craigslist, one through Reverb, and two through Cafe classifieds—one of those from an individual and the other from a brick-and-mortar store. I'd buy locally if I could.

[MontanaMatt]

Both my good mandolins were custom orders from the builders directly.
I highly recommend custom builds, you have lots of options and choices, and ultimately get a personalized expression of the builders art, that you get to cherish and to make music.

[CarlM]

I built it. The back, sides and neck from a windfall maple tree I salvaged. The top of cedar from a lumber store.

[Jill McAuley]

Commissioned my Girouard in Feb '18 and took delivery of it in Dec '18. Before that my previous mandolin was a second hand Collings MT-O purchased from the folks at the Music Emporium, great experience with them. I've also had great experiences purchasing from Elderly Instruments (Weber Aspen II), The Mandolin Store (a Weber Custom Gallatin F), and Greg Boyd's House of Fine Instruments (Weber Vintage A).

[Mainer73]

My last one came from The Mandolin Store.

[GMorgan]

My most recent mandolin was custom built for me by Tom Ellis and his exceptional team of extraordinary and warm-hearted people. I am very happy with it. The Eastman that I played for nearly five years was a really good instrument I bought from Fiddler's Green. Ben, the owner of Fiddler's Green knows his mandolins well and is a great resource and good fellow. Lately, I've been getting strings and other items from Elderly. Note that my three sources are all big supporters of the Mandolin Cafe.

Cheers!

[OldSausage]

I'm done looking for mandos. The next one can get off its backside and find me.

[John Soper]

My first and third mandolins were Pawn shop specials - an old Monterey and a Kentucky A; my second from a friend- an A3 that got away. My forth was when I bought a Kelly through a local music store & quickly realized that I needed something to inspire me; traded for a Collings MT-2 from Acoustic Music Works after having a chance to play it in-store. I have since mainly relied on finding instruments on MC classified ads, both through brick and mortar stores and individuals. It is hard to find quality mandolins in the stores around here, and buying with a 48 hour+ return policy means I can have an education - even if I decide not to keep a mandolin. I have commissioned two custom builds and purchased a second-hand instrument from her maker, when he got her in for refurbishing and a commission sale. Sometimes a dream machine falls into your lap!

[John Bertotti]

I have only ever bought two mandolins. Gasp! My first was from Jim Garber here, still have it and the last a builder mentioned here so I commissioned it form him. Oldwave Maker. Still have it as well. If I don't think tis a keeper I don't generally buy it but sight unseen can be a gamble. I trusted these guys after talking to them.

[Marcus CA]

Local dealers, Bernunzio's and Stutzman's, have provided the overwhelming majority of my mandolins. I did have one built for me by local luthier Bernie Lehmann...

Let me once again suggest supporting local dealers, if you have some, and keeping brick-and-mortar instrument shops in business.

Local dealers, Gryphon and Sylvan, have provided the overwhelming majority of my mandolins and guitars. I did have one built for me by Canadian luthier Lawrence Nyberg --- a mini-cittern (I call it my mandolinola) that I saw him demo on Instagram.

As much as I enjoy checking out the Cafe Classifieds, I generally have bought instruments that I fall in love with at a store. They're the ones that I just can't put down, or the ones that I keep going back to. With most of them, I left the store with regret but no instrument, and then kept checking the store's website almost daily for a few weeks before finally going back for a confirming test run that led to the purchase.

[Willem]

Played a couple Ruhlands and decided I needed one so I gave him a call and had him build me one. It worked out as the mandolin has met and then exceeded my expectations. It was important to me to support a small operation and preferably a local one. That I was able to connect with Matt when I did was a blessing.

[Kevin Winn]

My last one came straight from Will Kimble. Took a chance and sent him an email asking if he had any A's on the bench and got lucky.

[mbruno]

I got my last mandolin (2018 Newson) from Gruhn's guitars in Nashville. Fun story.

I went there one day with a buddy after hitting other local shops looking for a mandolin. I ended up finding 2 or 3 I liked and got a practice room to play on them. I started chatting with one of the employees and eventually he took me to the second floor to try another mandolin (the Newson I ended up with). George Gruhn was up there along with Shawn Camp, his girlfriend, and another guy I forgot (oops). Mr. Gruhn had 3 1920's Loar's on hand and we all jammed up there, taking turns on the Loar's, the Newson, and a few other great mandolins, for about 2 or 3 hours. We essentially closed down the shop. I decided I couldn't buy it then (both because they closed and because I was star struck) - so I had to come back the next day.

The next day, I walked in, found the Newson I had been playing along with another mandolin I liked and went upstairs again. There was a banjo player facing away from me playing some really great stuff. I walked past him to get to my room and trying to be cool from my amazing time the day before, just glanced at the player quickly while I was walking to my room. It was Bela Fleck. I walked away (trying to be cool and understanding that he was in a "safe" place where I shouldn't fanboy out - even though I wanted to) and played my mandolins for a while. When I came back to the main room where he was, he walked up to me and started asking about the mandolins I was playing. Why was I trying them out, what did I like about them, etc. We talked for maybe 20 minutes at most on mandolins. Mostly him asking questions and me trying to answer without drooling or rambling like an idiot. After we were done talking he says "oh yeah, by the way, I'm Bela Fleck - what's your name" which I thought was hilarious since I've been seeing Bela since I was like 13 years old.

Anyway, I bought the Newson that day, then later saw Shawn Camp again at The Station Inn hanging out. We had beers and goofed off.

The whole experience was the best experience I've ever had buying a mandolin haha.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Right here.

At least I think it's my last mando. . . .