Hello Mandolin Cafe!
Long time lurker. I know the merits of an Eastman 315 gets discussed a lot here with the general consensus that it's a great instrument, and I’ve tried to look at as many pre-existing threads as possible. But curious if anyone has been in my situation or has additional thoughts. Starting with a TLDR then more details -
TLDR: Will a Eastman 315 be enough of an upgrade over a well-set up Ibanez M522S to make me a happy, no regrets purchaser? Has anyone else made this upgrade? Has anyone made a similar upgrade from a lower end mandolin similar to the Ibanez?
More details to understand my case a bit better for those who have the time:
My hobby is Bluegrass/Irish folk/Americana. I hardly play with anyone - I mostly multi-track myself singing/playing various instruments at an amateur level. I generally start on a cheaper instrument and then buy myself a strong “working” instrument / standard instrument that the web has consensus on (e.g. the 315).
Previously I was given an Ibanez M522S by my father in law, and got it set up by a local shop that does good work. It has a solid pressed top as far as I understand, with laminate back and sides.
Mandolin has moved into my second instrument behind guitar and I am looking to get something I can be happy with as a solid working instrument. More worried about sound than bling. I am also not looking to go too $ big - since I like to spread the $ love across multiple instruments. My thought is the 315 might be a good platform to record from since I understand the Eastman models are pretty solid across the spectrum and can sound similar.
I am looking for an F model - I like to have one of each instrument and the F is just cool to me. I know it's not the best financial decision, but it's just how I feel.
My problem is my area is a bit of a mandolin drought zone, with a handful of stores about an hour away with limited supply so it's hard to frequently try them on a lark and eventually the store owners rightly expect you to buy something if they keep taking them off the wall (don't take well to too many tire kicks).
I did get to try an Eastman 315 and 515 a month ago as I thought I was going to grab a 515 based on my research, but ended up liking the 315 better and ended up walking away to think about it. I’ve also tried a Kentucky KM-855. The problem is I haven’t really been able to do a 1:1 test with any of these with the Ibanez, but when I played them in the store the Kentucky KM-855 and Eastman 515 sounded quiet /tinny/ less resonate than what I expect - or at least not mind blowing. I may have a troglodyte ear, or they may not have been set up well, but that's what I had to work with.
I thought the 315 sounded much better/more resonant next to the 515, but unsure if it's THAT much better than my Ibanez - and I could put the money elsewhere if I kept the Ibanez (looking to grab a new tenor banjo and ubass some point soon).
Has anyone else upgraded from an Ibanez to an Eastman 315 and felt like it was a great jump / not a side-upgrade? Should I hold tight for something else? Not sure if I need the upgrade or I just have new instrument fever.
Thanks for your time!
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