Best for Blues?

[pete12string]

Been playing guitar for about 40 years, but I'm new to the mandolin. I'd like to get a mandolin for the blues. I've been looking at some Kentucky A style mandolins in the $300 price range. Are "F" hole or Oval hole mandolins generally "better" for old time blues? Are there any other mandolins worth looking at in the $300 price range?

Thanks!
Pete

[Jim Garber]

You can play blues on anything, really. Figure out your budget and play some mandolins within that. I would imagine there are few rules for blues mandolin, unless you want to be Yank Rachell.

[mandroid]

maybe a Hamdolin.. its a Ham Can for the body.. or, a cigar-box Mandolin..

Bo Diddly blues master loved his custom Gretch with a rectangular box body,
to remind/ commemorate the back woods cotton fields roots of the blues
when people had to make their own instruments to make music with from what was available.

[fatt-dad]

I think you'd have a lot of fun with a flat-top mandolin. Look at Big Muddy, Mid-Missouri or the Flatiron "pancake," which has designations like 1N, 2N, 3N depending on trim level (there are other letter designations too). Any of these mandolins in the secondary market would be under $500 (well other than the higher trim lines of the Flatiron).

Find an old Gibson A model - likely to be just over 1K though.

Any mandolin will do to build your repetoir (sp). Then you can upgrade. So, if you find a nice solid-wood Kentucky in your budget, why not?

f-d

[Jim Yates]

Xx

[Jim Yates]

Take a look at some of these blues mandolin players.

You'll see a couple of Harmony Bat wings (Is that what they call 'em?), a couple of resos, some oval holes, some f holes, mostly As, but I see an F5 style and an F4 style. Whatever suits you will be fine, even a banjolin.

[JeffD]

Are there any other mandolins worth looking at in the $300 price range?

As a general rule, a guitar costs about half what a mandolin of comparable quality will cost. So for talking purposes, a $300 mandolin can be expected to be about like a $150 guitar. So if you know what you can get for $150...

There are exceptions of course, but just to set your expectations realistically.

[fatt-dad]

are you familiar with Rich Delgrosso?

He plays a resophonic, but used to play a paddlehead Gibson, which you can still get in pretty good condition for under $1,500.00. Maybe even less than 1K?

f-d

[journeybear]

Find an old Gibson A model - likely to be just over 1K though.

Keeping in mind that blues is a style and thus depends more on how you are playing than what you're using, some mandolins' characteristics are indeed more attuned to what the blues requires. Both oval hole Gibson As I've owned (the first and latest) do this admirably: longer sustain and beefier low end than the f hole models (F or A) I've encountered. I can't say whether this is the case for other makes and models as well, nor how well flat-tops will perform (I've found their sound generally thinner), but f-d is quite right about the price range for these. You may be limiting yourself rather severely with your budget. There is a range within which spending a little bit more you get a lot more for your money, though this will taper off at some point. Try a few, see what you find. BTW & FWIW, I believe Yank Rachell played a non-Gibson A model with f holes, so feel free to completely disregard this post. Well, except for the part where I said it's how you play more than what you play. Of course.

[Tom Mylet]

I've never met a Strad-O-Lin I didn't like. They still turn up for $300 or less.

[Cheryl Watson]

New: Red Line Old: a really good paddlehead Gibson. Main thing is a really set-up so that it is easy to play and the intonation is very good.

[Ron McMillan]

Oval hole A mandolins have been the instrument of choice for blues players for decades. Kentucky make a very decent oval A that retails at the Mandolin Store for $349 including a decent set up. The Mandolin Store is a Cafe sponsor with a very strong reputation for good deals and quality service.

If I were you, I'd scrape together the extra few bucks and get an instrument that will keep you happy for a year or two at the very least. The Kentucky KM 174 is an ideal candidate.

ron

[pete12string]

Anybody have any ideas on the Gretsch New Yorker Mandolin from their "Roots" collection? It's all solid mahogany top, back, and sides with Grover tuners. I also was looking at the Kentucky KM 174 (Thanks blueron!) and the Eastman MD304 (although that's more expensive that what I intended). Any other opinions on these or any other suggestions as to what to check into?

Thanks!
Pete

[lenf12]

I would stay away from the Gretsch New Yorker. Kentucky is a better choice.

My 2 cents,
Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[fatt-dad]

nfi

HERE'S what I'm talking about!

f-d

[shortymack]

"I would stay away from the Gretsch New Yorker. Kentucky is a better choice."


+1. I played one of those gretch's next to a loar lm220vs and it was a toy in comparison. Stick with Kentucky, the Loar or Eastman, all good solid choices.

[keebler]

As a blues mandolin player, I would recommend an oval hole.

If you are playing blues lead, you will want as much sustain as you can get for hanging on notes and bending. Also look for good mid-tone, you shouldn't have to worry as much about cutting through other instruments as in bluegrass..

In agreement with fatt-dad; I have a 1917 Gibson A1 that has great volume, sustain and tone for blues. The only thing that may work better would possibly be an oval octave or mandocello.

Electric mandolins also work well...

[pete12string]

That 1917 Gibson A for $850 sure looks nice. keebler, does your A1 have any cracks or issues like this one? $850 is about $500 more than I wanted to spend. How's the Kentucky KM 171 w/hard case for $329? A lot more affordable for me at this time (I just bought my 15th guitar - used Gibson AJ for $1600). Or is it really much better to hold off until I am willing to spend more?

[keebler]

pete : mine does not have any cracks, and minor sinkage.. but I can't really see how bad the crack is on that listing.

For a decent Gibson A1, $850 is a good price... IMHO if you are able to drop $1600 on your 15th guitar $900 shouldn't be too far out of your range.

Although I have not heard the km171, I'm pretty sure the A1 will be 100x better then the km.. if you are really serious about the mandolin, and can, I would say wait to drop it. If you are getting one to just find out of you want to play blues mandolin I personally (and others may not agree with me on) would say find a super cheapie, garage sale $50-$100 to see if it is something you will enjoy and continue on with. Blues on the mandolin is not like blues on the guitar.

As was already said, mandolins are not manufactured as prolifically as guitars and mid-range mandolins usually run ~$500+

[shortymack]

Although I have not heard the km171, I'm pretty sure the A1 will be 100x better then the km..

How can you say that if youve never heard or played one?

[keebler]

Notice I did say 'pretty sure' not 'absolutely sure'...

I personally did not realize the difference between those period mandolins vs newer ones till I actually had one in my possession for a period of time. So you tell us...

[shortymack]

Me? Im not the one making 100 times better claims without ever playing one.

[journeybear]

Now guys, play nice!

Just so we're clear, that's an A not an A1 in the ad. I would also like to point out that I got my A about three years ago for about the same price as that, and while it did not have a crack in the back, it did have a small crack in the top, from about the sound hole to near the neck join, in line with the grain. (It's been glued, but really, it sounded just fine anyway.) It did not have any top sinkage, and then again, it did not have the pickguard (though I still have the one from my first, in deep storage), and did not come with a case - looks like this one doesn't either. What I'm getting at is that may be a decent price, but I would NOT buy it without seeing good photos of the crack and especially the sinkage - and a report concerning whether the brace has come loose. I don't like that there is just the one photo - which does make it look nice, indeed.

The thing is with these old instruments, they have a resonance that comes from aged wood that I am not sure new instruments can match. That's not to say that can't be the case, just that I haven't experienced this. But I'm no expert, nor have I tried out a lot of instruments in a search for The True One. I am quite happy with what I have and feel no need to seek anything better. It performs admirably in the absurd variety of musical styles I play on it. I craved an F style because of the image, but even if this looks a bit stodgy, it sounds great, and that is the point.

If you live in an area with music stores that have a variety of mandolins available to try out, do so, and see what you like. I needn't tell you, as you have been a musician for a long time, and surely you know this, but spending a bit more for a better quality instrument will serve you better in the long run.

[mandroid]

The Aluminum upper bridge portion on the early 20's A does brighten up the sound a bit,
and I quite like that.

My sample, a non TR '22 A , brown varnish finish..

[over 20 years ago it was 2X your budget , now they sell for 4X.. ]

So OP .. get something you can afford, play the blues musical style on it,

and save your money for something more costly , when you can afford it.

.. "Best" is over $300.. thats just how if is.

[Jim Yates]

What sounds best depends on the player's tastes. Modern day players like Rich Delgrosso, Steve James and Andy Statman often prefer Gibson oval hole A models, though Ry Cooder often plays an F4. Yank, Johnny Young, Carl Martin and others played cheaper mandolins, Stradolins and the like, in their early days on the records that inspired many of us to try blues mandolin and many of the pictures of early jug bands show flat top mandos. Yank changed to a Harmony electric Bat Wing when he could afford a better mandolin and that is the one that most folks associate with him though I've seen photos of him playing an F style in his later years.
Rich Delgrosso does sometimes play a resophonic National, but has not abandoned his Gibson the last I heard.

Unlike Bluegrass, which seems to be restricted mostly to F style mandolins, Gibson if you can afford it and Loar Gibson if you are lucky and rich, blues doesn't have a standard mandolin. If you like it, play it.