Has anyone had any experience with the Tacoma M1E mandolin?
Thanks
Has anyone had any experience with the Tacoma M1E mandolin?
Thanks
It was my first and it worked well. The tone was flat top sound hole all the way so if that's the sound you want they're great. The construction is good too. With that said I have a friend who owns a Mid Mo and I like that better. So for that style I'd find a Mid Mo or Big Muddy but if you like the built in pickup or body style the Tacoma is a solid choice.
PJ
Stanley V5
It has a really bright sound that is different from other mandolins. You may or may not like that sound, so spend some quality time playing one before making a decision.
By "...flat top sound hole..." do you mean a sound like an acoustic guitar ie more sustain, less chop... more moo, less cluck?
I checked out the MidMo pics... I like the shape of the Takoma better.
Does it have the volume of Fs and As?
Unfortunately, I will have to buy this sight-unheard. No one around here has one to try.
I have played a few Tacomas and they are don't do anything for me.
They are decently built, fairly comfortable neck, nice enough finish etc.. but they don't seem to have the kind of tone that I am looking for.
Uninspiring. Pleasant enough but no real substance to the tone in my opinion.
I guess the worst case scenario is I don't like the acoustic sound but I have an electric for the stage if that ever happens.
One website suggested these have been discontinued. I wonder if that is true.
I did mean it sounds like an acoustic guitar. It does work for an electric too. I has good volume just not the sound of an f-hole mando. If it's a really good deal you can always sell it if you're not happy.
PJ
Stanley V5
I used to have a Tacoma M-2 that I really liked. It was spruce over rosewood, had a very nice tone, excellent fit and finish, and was a dream to play. I ended up selling because I wanted sopmething with a wider neck (the Tacoma has a standard 1-1/8" neck), and with bigger volume for sessions. The person I sold it to however, replaced the stock tailpiece with an Allen, which he said improved both its tone and volume -- and he is now happily using it for playing Jazz.
"The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
~ Mark Twain
Mandolin shirts, hats, case stickers, & more at my Zazzle storefront
I've owned a Tacoma M-3 since 2000. It's a beautifully made instrument, with great playability and a wonderful sound. Like all acoustic instruments, its sound is greatly affected by string choice, picks and the player. It does not sound like any guitar I've ever heard (and I've played guitar for 40 yrs). In short, they are fine instruments.
(If you want to hang out with "the Bluegrass Police", however, you will take a lot of guff, based on my personal experience.
Go for it and enjoy!
Richard
I have Fs that chop pretty good. Being a guitar player for forty some years myself, I actually would like one mandolin that sounded more like a guitar. I tried an oval hole Eastman one day and my eyes popped out of my face. I wonder if the Tacoma would sound more like an oval hole.
Well, I went ahead and ordered one (Tacoma M1E).
A couple hours later I stopped into a music store and they had an Applause (Ovation) for $170 less than I paid for the Tacoma. Now THAT mandolin is the furthest mandolin from a mandolin I ever played! It was like a whole different instrument! It felt and sounded like it had some sort of resonator device inside or a flywheel or something. It weighed a ton. Geez, I might have to buy it, too! Bad, bad MAS.
I used to own an Ovation MM68 (the top-of-the-line American-made model) which was also a fine instrument. I'm sorry that I sold it, mainly because Ovation's piezo pickup system is very highly rated. However, my Tacoma M-3 mandolin is still my favorite. I think you will be very happy with your M1E. (Incidentally, I think I once heard that George Gruhn was the design consultant on the Tacoma mandolins, i.e., all of the Tacoma instruments with the "paisley" sound hole.)
Enjoy your new mando!
Richard
Thank you for the vote of confidence.
Would you say the Ovation had a similar sound to the Tacoma, acoustically? I couldn't believe the bass response in that Applause. And the sustain... my word, the sustain!
It played like my Les Paul, but with stereoids and without the broken but permanently fused arm!
It sounds like you are open to suggestions for other brands/models, so you might want to check out the offerings from board sponsor Gypsy's Music (linked above and here). I and several others on the board have purchased a mandolin from this up-and-coming builder, and the reviews all seem to be positive. (Here is a link to a recent review thread; and here is a link to a related discussion.)
"The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
~ Mark Twain
Mandolin shirts, hats, case stickers, & more at my Zazzle storefront
Hey I just checked Gyspsy's Music,
Got real bad MAS for the Magic(Mandolin)
any one know how it sounds.:p
I have a maple M3e. #The neck almost plays itself. #Tone is not at all like my Eastman 615, but the design is totally different so it shouldn't be expected to sound like like a carved top F style. #
I like the sound both plugged and unplugged, although I prefer to use it with a preamp.
Fit and finish is first rate. I have considered selling it a couple of times, but only because I ocassionally look around and see too many instrument. I typically take a few deep breaths and the feeling goes away.
Yes, the tailpiece sucks. I might just go over and order an Allen, now that I think about it.
Actually I don't mind the look of the tailpiece. But, yes, an Allen would rule.
Well, I am still waiting for my M1-E which is due any day now. I am very interested in how it will sound compared to the Applause (Ovation) I tried out. I'm hoping it has a similar warmth, feel, and sustain.
I have a Tocoma M-28. #It has good sustain, and a brighter tone than some bluegrass folks apprciate. It has more "ping" than "plunk". #I typically play melody and/or descant parts over the guitars in a church group. #I find that the brighter tone & sustain allow me to cut through the muddiness that multiple strumming guitars sometimes present.
First posting!
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
So I got the M1E. Very nice wood, the mahogany on the back has a beautiful grain. This instrument was well-made with much attention to detail.
The sound is nice and balanced but thin compared to the commanding, almost deafening sound of my J.Bovier F (yes, I said deafening). Maybe it will open up but it will have to really, really open wide to get close to the J.Bovier. I don't know if it has more sustain than my F because the F is so loud.
Another comparison; I took the M1E to a music store that had the Applause (Ovation) mandolin to compare. The Applause had a warmer tone; more bass definition on the D and G Strings. It also had noticably more sustain than the M1E. The action was also better on the Applause. Volume was about the same.
I went home and took the action down on the M1E (no adjustment, you have to sand the bridge). It isn't ultra low and yet one A string that is a tiny bit lower at the nut now vibrates on the first fret slightly. I will have to build up the nut groove with something (epoxy?) and refile it.
I do like the way this mandolin vibrates against me when I play... lets me know it is alive. It also smells quite nice.
Plugged in it sounds decent. That's not really why I bought it but I guess it just might default to being my "electric".
Next mandolin: Either an oval hole Eastman 614 or that crazy Applause/ovation. Or both.
The look of the Tascoma tailpiece isn't what makes it suck, in my opinion, it's that you only have 4 hooks. Makes single string changes a bear if the one you want to change is on the bottom.Originally Posted by (relakst @ June 12 2007, 15:38)
Yes, you are so right about the tailpiece. I also found changing ALL the strings to be frustrating.
The standard solution to this is baking soda and super glue. It will harden to look and feel like bone. Be extremely careful about applying it; you don't want to get any glue on the fretboard or headstock. Masking tape is your friend.
"First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
Charlie "Bird" Parker
Great advice about the nut filler!
Strangely, I was playing the M1E yesterday for quite a while and didn't notice that A string vibration. I must have been listening to the music and not getting all anal and such.
Anyways, it IS fun to play.
Tacoma's are the best smelling Mandolins out there. The aroma from that soundhole....ahhhhh
Easy to play too FWIW.
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