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Thread: lone star mando

  1. #1
    Registered User Steve Jeter's Avatar
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    If anyone out there has a lone star mando could you tell me the neck width at the nut? PLease I need to getr a beater soon.
    thanks steve

  2. #2
    Moderator JEStanek's Avatar
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    My Lonestar had such bad tuners.... For the $100 bucks to get one off e-bay and additional $$ for setup and new strings I would recommend a Johnson for a beater. My Johnson's tuners were way better than the Lonestars. I don't remember the nut width (it was my first mandolin) it didn't seem different from the Kentucky 140S or Johnson I had around the same time. Of all of those I still have the Johnson-A oval for a beater. If you go with the Lone Star play it before you buy and be sure it holds tune while you play it hard for a while. I'm sure there are some decent ones out there.

    They are pretty...

    Jamie
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  3. #3
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    I jut bought a LoneStar "venice" from a vendor at Springfest in Fla. Not bad, it has stayed in tune, and appears to have been set up well,the strings are nickel, anyone out there recommend strings for this ?,I'll need to replace them at some point
    surfdawg

  4. #4
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Stevo,

    I have a version of the Lonestar, a no-name mandolin from Paracha, Michoacan, where the Lonestar instruments are made. It appears identical to the Venice model Lonestar markets. Maybe it is a second as there is a small crack in the reverse curve of the side. (My 1917 Gibson A has the same flaw.)

    I bought it to use as a beater/travel axe (and because my girlfriend's family is from Mich.) I like it pretty much. Wide neck, longer scale, stays really well in tune. I hope JEStanek's was an isolated problem. The tuners seem cheap-charlie but have worked well.

    It has a good deep sound but booms a little bit. Super easy action and playability. The neck is very straight and true, the action set perhaps a bit low. I've been meaning to switch out the bridge but will wait until I wear out the original strings, which weren't so great to begin with. The 'rosewood' bridge has kinda warped a bit on me, losing some contact with the top. I put in some MOP fret-dots to help with the fingering.

    I'd recommend it, and if you are patient on Ebay you could probably pick one up a little cheaper than Lonestar offers. I like the Portugese influenced body as an alternative to the ubiquitous As and Fs.

    I don't know, some folks have touted the Johnsons as a good low price alternative. I haven't played one. The Paracha instrument has been a good value for me. I'm thinking of getting a bajo sexto from them as well. Nice to keep the $$ in Nafta besides.

    Let us know what you decide and how it turns out for you.

    Mick
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  5. #5
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    Anyone have any feedback on the Roma? I'm wondering how its tone and volume is, considering that its top, back, and sides, are all solid cedar.

    (I've never heard of cedar being used for back and sides -- is this as uncommon as I think?)

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