Rover RM

[tin ben dur]

I am new on the discussion board and I hope not to post to much but I have alot of questions. Give your opions on the Rover RM75. I have one on order and I have played one but most of you have been playing for alot longer than I have. Give me your thoughts.

[george kraushaar]

I think they are a very good value for an all solid F model, with a few mods. First of all, I got rid of the stock bridge and fitted an ebony one which I got from Saga. Maybe not the best, but better than what it came with. The fret dressing wasn't the best, so I leveled the frets and dressed them. It was set to go. I played it some months until someone came along and bought it out from under me.

I thought it was great for the money.

[James Sanford]

Hello Fendoman,
I recently bought a RM75 to give it a try. I will say for the money you would be hard put to beat it. The mando I had was still set up as from the factory and it was pretty sad, not so much from the playing standpoint but the bridge was on at an angle and it was stuck to the finish.

I made a few adjustments and added a set of J74's and it was really quite good. I sold it after a few weeks as I just wanted to try one. You could do a lot worse for a low end mandolin. If I had kept it I would have had a good luthier set it up and I expect after it was played a while it would open up quite abit.

Good luck and enjoy. I hope this may help you a little.

Pickin&Grinnin 35 years

[jim_n_virginia]

very first mandolin I ever owned was a Rover. At the time it was good enough and I basically learned how to play on it, mostly the basics.

After about a year I was ready to move up the mandolin food chain and I sold it. I sold it for half of what i paid for it and bought a Mid-Mo.

I had to do a lot of adjusting and setting up to get any tone out of that Rover. You'll probably have to tweak yours too.

[Adam Tracksler]

best F for the price.

get a new bridge and strings and get it set up. SOmetimes I wish I still had mine, but I can have as many instruments as I want, as long as there is only one of each kind, so the rover had to go.....

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[Kevin Briggs]

A friend of mine plays a Rover RM75 and had it sounded pretty good for a while. I have a Kentucly 340s as a backup/campfire mandolin, and the Rover is leaps and bounds better.

I agree that putting on a new bridge and getting a good setup is the way to go. If you like it enough, you could even get a new, cast tailpiece, change the tuners, etc. However, that's a lot of dough to pour into that mandolin. You can buy a new one, at that point.

As far as entry-level imports go, your Rover is top of the line. Your next purchase should be American or independent built.

[tin ben dur]

Thanks for the replies first. The RM75 seems to be hard to get. Iis been on backorder for some time. The good thing I see in the RM is that it is all solid woods and carved. I will most likely change the bridge, strings, and tailpiece. I think I can do that for about 100 or 150. I ordered the RM for 334 with the case. So i guess that will put me at about 434 or 484. I hope it sounds good when it gets here. you guys have been really helpful. The only thing I dont know is what kind of ebony bridge to buy. Brand?

[Kevin Briggs]

I swear by Weber's traditional brekke bridge. My mandolins kicks with it. DO NOT get the all wood one. Get the one with thumbwheels: http://www.soundtoearth.com/prod_tradbridge.htm