Mand for $2000?

[DannyB]

Bluestrings, where are you located? Shoot me an e-mail danbry78@yahoo.com, Maybe we can work it out that you can play my Ratliff and decide on those on your own. Just depends on how far you are away. The you tube video I have is actually my Rat but it's very hard to judge a mando recorded.

[greg_tsam]

You can get a pretty nice breedlove ff for that much.. check out sound samples at themandolinstore.com

Cheers,

Rob

I second that.

[oscar berenger]

Hello !
This is my first message on this message board!
I am French... in France. And I want to buy an other mandolin, with $2000, so this topic is the good one!
I am hesitating between two mandolins:
Breedlove FF w/pickup #( or maybe Breedlove FF Honeyburst w/ Schertler...) (Steilberg string instrument) and
Weber Gallatin

Of course, I cannot try any of them (no dealers in France...), so I need your help !
Maybe #I could buy the Weber Gallatin in Buffalo Bros guitars, and have a pick-up on it?
I am not a great player, and I use the mando mainly with chords on my songs (you can go on my web site to listen to my "kind" of music...). I hope these mando are what I need!
Someone in England told me that Breedlove was now a big manufactory, with less good finish... Is that true?
Thank you for all !
Oscar Berenger

[first string]

I hope these mando are what I need!
Someone in England told me that Breedlove was now a big manufactory, with less good finish... Is that true?
Thank you for all !
Oscar Berenger

I wouldn't say that about Breedloves. In fact, I think Breedloves are among the best deals out there. All the one's I have played had excellent fit and finish, even if they aren't the fanciest instruments. Great sound too. I think you would have to go up in price a good deal before you could get anything better. Webber has an excellent reputation as well. I haven't played any of their mandos in a few years, and I believe they have made a number of changes in that time, so I can't speak to them. But I don't really think you can go wrong either way.

If you are mostly using it for chording, I would consider an oval hole mando. Unless you mean bluegrass style chop chords.

[Tom Morse]

The Music Emporium (Lexington, MA) has a Weber Yellowstone listed for $1895. Played it last week. Very nice. themusicemporium.com

[oscar berenger]

Thank you for answering !

Unless you mean bluegrass style chop chords.

That is the case...

[fatt-dad]

I'd call Dobie Toms on the two mandolins he has in the classifieds. See what you think.

f-d

[generankin]

Have a look at a used Phoenix, for they appear on the classifieds now & then. Fab axe, beautifully made.

[pocketbones]

get a used Lebeda

[oscar berenger]

Thank you for your answers... I'm still hesitating !

[Monrovia]

get a used Lebeda

Or a Janish, or a Prucha, or a Holoubek, etc. #The Czech builders make some great mandolins, and they are considerably less expensive than their American counterparts.

[midnightmando]

A used Silver Angel...

[DryBones]

Try a JBovier and still have some cash in your pocket. My instructor plays an O'Brien and he loved the tone coming out of mine.

[Andrew DeMarco]

I'd agree with many and say try as many as you can and whatever floats your boat -- and you can afford -- purchase. You won't play a mandolin you don't like to play.

I would highly recommend a Collings MT for the ~2000 price point.

[bluestrings71]

Hi all. Since asking this question a while back, I have since bought another Sucek.I luckily found a 2007 blonde on ebay and bought it for $1490 shipped.I love these mandolins.To me they have so much better tone than an F9.I so much wanted to like the F9,but it just didn't have it.I would recommend a Sucek to anyone looking for a reasonable,pro level quality instrument.Most of all,they have a very consistent tone.The guy I bought it from said they sound a lot like a Collings,I don't know I've never played one.Thnks all for your input!

[theBlood]

Let me add my agreement to those who've said that the 2g is better spent on a Collings A-model. I haven't heard too many F models in that price range that have "the" sound, but I've heard several Collings that definitely did. It seems like there's still room in a 2g budget for a builder to spend some time with an A model...

[Pete Counter]

I'll give a third to the breedlove ff. I wanted something different than the same ol loar copy without being just weird and when I picked up the breedlove ff at GC I played it for 30 minutes straight and I have never done that at a music store on one instrument. I am now jonesing bad for that breedlove.

[oscar berenger]

Thank you everybody !!!
I have baught a... Breedlove FF Honeyburst w/ Schertler !!! (Steiberg String Instrument)
And with the shipping cost (to France), it is exactly the price I wanted : $2024!
And now, I am waiting for the mando (Clearance delay at the airport...).
I surely will tell you what I think of it!

[RobP]

Way cool Oscar -- did yours come with a Red Spruce Top too?

Also, YMMV, but I had a hard time playing with the setup from the shop - the action was way too high for my taste, so I took it in for a $100 setup job at my local shop. Now it plays great!

Have fun,

Rob

[oscar berenger]

Way cool Oscar -- did yours come with a Red Spruce Top too?

Really, I don't know !
But it is such a beautiful instrument... I feel a little bit intimidated when I take it in my hands...
Well, I think I need some times to play "cool" !

[MandoSquirrel]

Welcome to the world of Breedlove love, Oscar. come see us at the forum, sometime.

[Jim Nollman]

Does orange-pineapple or maple-walnut ice cream tastes better. Is there any doubt that maple walnut is way superior, which definitively proves, by the way, that my Eastman 515 is way superior to any Weber. Ask any of my friends who prefer orange-pineapple.

[man dough nollij]

Does orange-pineapple or maple-walnut ice cream tastes better. Is there any doubt that maple walnut is way superior, which definitively proves, by the way, that my Eastman 515 is way superior to any Weber. Ask any of my friends who prefer orange-pineapple.

Mmmmmm--Ham Sandwich.....

[MandoSquirrel]

Really, I don't know !
But it is such a beautiful instrument... I feel a little bit intimidated when I take it in my hands...
Well, I think I need some times to play "cool" !

Breedlove's specs for the standard FF say "Sitka Spruce Top".
Steiberg String Instruments advertise a lot of customs, though, so it could be different. They or Breedlove could tell Oscar, if he asked.

Well, one time my post changed while I was composing it I caught, but it changed the "Quote" section, too. It was supposed to quote, " Originally Posted by RobP View Post
Way cool Oscar -- did yours come with a Red Spruce Top too?" and, "QUOTE=oscar berenger;579201]Really, I don't know !".
This new forum software sure does some whacky woo!
And now I can't insert a smiley in my edit?!

[swampstomper]

Hello !
This is my first message on this message board!
I am French... in France. And I want to buy an other mandolin, with $2000, so this topic is the good one!
...
Of course, I cannot try any of them (no dealers in France...)
Oscar Berenger

There are some good mando shops in neighbouring countries. In Brighton (UK) right across La Manche you have Trevor's Acoustic Music Company with lots of selection. In Solingen, near Duesseldorf in Germany you have Oliver Waitz's New Acoustic Gallery. In the Netherlands, Harry Boetzkes has a nice selection of used instruments. All of these you can try before you buy and find the "right" instrument. As in the USA, a road trip is both fun and profitable!