Electric mandolin newbie questions

[maltjik]

Hi there everybody!

i'm a guitarist and bassist, and i have recently been thinking about starting playing electric mandolin. it seems fun!
I think i want some sort of four string solid body model, preferably a used one, but i'm unsure what to look for.
the Fender mandocasters seems really cool, but they are obviously out of my price range. I've seen the Epiphone mandobirds and Kentucky solidbody e-mandolins on the internet, but none of them seems to be available locally here in sweden where i live. and it seems hard to find either one of them on the used market.
are there any other models you recommend me looking for?
do you have any tips on sites to look at apart from eBay?

thanks!

[earthsave]

Try looking here http://www.emando.com/

[mando.player]

Have you thought about building one? These kits seem pretty straight forward.

I plan on building one some day. Seems like a lot of fun.

[maltjik]

thanks for the links!

the emando site seems informative!

don't know if i'm handy enough to build a mandolin myself, even thou those kits seem pretty straight forward.

[mrmando]

Ola Soderstrom makes electrics:

http://osinstrument.se/oseng.html

[Rob Norton]

One pretty nice four-string electric that's not too expansive is the Bue Star Mandoblaster that elderly instruments sells (www.elderly.com). The basic model is $637.50. I've owned two (the one i have now is the four-string deluxe with wood finish that costs a little more). They are very basic, Fender-ish (the pickup is the same as the neck pickup on a telecaster. But they're very well made, especially the necks.

The only issue I had is that the pickup is kind of microphonic, and since it's right where I pick, it bothered me. I replaced the stock one with a Joe Barden tele pickup, and it was a big improvement. I also upgraded the tuners, which weren't so hot, with Grovers. Now it totally rocks.

I also have an Ernest Instruments "Swamp Cat" four-string with two pickups that's a really fine instrument. (www.ernestinstruments.com) But it cost twice as much as the Blue Star, and I would say the Blue Star is just as playable.