Re: Looking to buy nice mandolin. Why so expensive?
"Good" is a frame of mind and a matter of taste, and will vary widely from person to person. I have a 1917 plain A oval hole that I got from eBay about five years ago for about $900, and it sounds great. And this is something that was bottom-of-the-line back then, with no frills - not even a logo inlay in the headstock - for entry level buyers or those with small budgets. Even so, it was made well and has aged well. I don't know what will be suitable for you, but you might want to try looking for something like this instead of brand new high-ticket items.
These days, no frills and low budget items could mean something like a $49 Rogue. I'm not recommending this, nor do I imagine these will age as well as old Gibsons, but I believe that is more or less the equivalent of what an A model was back then (though surely back then these were handcrafted and thus better made than Rogues and such). Of course, the more you spend the more you get - that's usually the case - and the price-value relationship is always on a sliding scale.
Of your three questions at the end of your post, I would say supply and demand is the biggest factor. Guitars represent a much bigger share of the market for acoustic instruments than mandolins. Instrument makers are more interested in meeting the demand for guitars because of its high volume. Also, as Chip mentioned, flat tops are easier to produce. Overall, mandolins are more labor-intensive than guitars, especially F-models, so production costs per instrument are higher.
If there are music stores near you where you can try out a range of mandolins, do so. You may be surprised at how good mid-range mandolins sound. Once you get an idea of what you're looking for, shop around the intenet for bargains - or support your lcal store. Whatever will put your mind at ease.
Good luck, and welcome to the Café!
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
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