I would like to buy a cheap mandolin to try and play a few trad tunes on. I play backup guitar and I would like to have a go on the mandolin to help my guitar playing. I never played mandolin and I just want something to pick out a few tunes on at home. I may never produce it in a session.
I see a cheap brand 'Blue Moon' in Hobgoblin catalogue for less than €100 ..are they ok or has anybody any knowledge of them? Hobgoblin claim they are their bestseller.I really only want something thats playable for a start. I would consider buying mail order. Thanks
well i play on a cheap[less 100£ ]mandolin, i tried every mandolin for sale in Cork. It was the loudest, with a nice clear tone. It has been fine for the last 10yrs or so..The competition included mandolins up to1500£.
But with any instrument actually playing the thing is the only way you will be sure, and this can take a few days, returning more than once.
But for an instrument in that price range 1, you cant expect too much, 2, its not a large sum, you could be lucky.,
Have you tried ebay? they often have a number and can be very cheap.
whatever you buy, getting it set up well by a pro will up the playability drastically.
cheap is ok, but it must be playable. By that I mean, a good action and a straight neck, they go hand in hand. The more expensive woods have better sound qualities. I would say a simple flatback , pancake/ flatiron mandolin is a great option. I play a Flatiron pancake, and the sound is great. I have played old romanian ones too, and they too sound ok. I have bought off ebay and so far so good, but I bought well know brands to hedge my bets. American mandolins, in my opinion are generally well made.
"Blue Moon" will be suitable. Put it this way, instead of paying £700 for an electric guitar, my son paid £190 for a Chinese made Gould. This was highly recommended in Guitar magazines, and is a great instrument. The Blue Moon will serve your needs.
im going to be selling my Ibanez soon. I've only had it for 6 months, and its in nice condition. If you're interested please contact me via the "e-mail" option on my member page.
cheers
rob
Thanks for that folks!. Yeah, I suppose you can't go to far wrong at that money and I felt they couldn't be too bad.
Jig, I have checked out the link on eBay and it looks fine. I will watch these and I have queried p&p to Irl. These seem to go for £30-40 at auction so thats fine.
I will wait till I achieve proficiency if I ever do before I go for a high spec instrument!
Incidentally, my sister has just offered me the loan of a mandola but I understand these are not tuned same as a mandolin for ITM so I will just get the mandolin for simplicity. There are plenty of tabbed tunes out there for the mandolin.
Pay no more than 30! there are plenty from these folk, if your outbid try the next one.
The action will be high when you get it, i recomend getting some one to set it up. I did my own but ive been doing it a long time and still mess up occasionally! The nut and bridge will need taking down till the action is comfortable.thats all really, some decent strings.....
Also theres a few nice old mandolins that are worth watching, take a week or so before committing.
Evan an old round back might be ok. but i find that the necks are often too fine for big hands and the round back means they slip off your lap!
Try you sisters mandola anyhow, why not?
Yeah, they seem to have them fairly constantly so I think £30.01 might be good bid and if the p&p is fair. I'm not in that much of a hurry.
Doing more reading on themandola and of course I can tune the Mandola GDAE an octave lower than a mandolin so that should be fine. My sister plays banjo and has the mandola to spare so I'll have a bash on it first. Thanks!
. . . of course I can tune the Mandola GDAE an octave lower than the mandolin. . .
If it's a true mandola, and not an octave mandolin which is sometimes called a mandola, it is designed to be tuned CGDA. You can either tune all the strings up, which will break them if you are lucky, the neck if you are not, or down, which will be like playing on sloppy rubber bands.
You can use a CGAE mandola for tune playing, but if you want mandolin tuning, get a mandolin!
That should have real , can use a CGDA mandola for tune playing. My apologies. I have the kind of cold which doesn't make you want to die, it makes you think you are already dead.
OK cg, and i haven't tried this but surely , just like the tenor banjo, a set of Lighter strings can be put on and tuned EADG? I mean the 4 string banjo was originally ADGC. Perhaps string technology has allowed this to happen?
If you're prepared to dig a little deeper into your wallet, for £120, Ashbury do a surprisingly good solid-topped F-hole mandolin. There is a certain amount of controversy over the suitability of this style of instrument for Irish music - and it's blue(!) - but ultimately, it's down to personal choice. Above all, it's a *very* good instrument for the money - tight, clear tone, good volume, good intonation. The strings tend to be a bit high at the nut for my liking, but this can be easily remedied - by an instrument repairer, if you're not happy about letting yourself loose with needle files.
Risky - the tension will still be greater than the instrument is designed for. The danger is that the neck of the instrument will distort/break. There are octave mandolins which are an octave below mandolin if you want that range. If you use the mandola for playing tunes, most can be played an octave down from mandolin pitch, or at mandolin pitch by playing higher positions if necessary. It isn't difficult.
Anyway, it's Spoonsnbones *sister's* mandola. She'll probably kill him if he wrecks it.
Get yourself onto the German ebay ( ebay.de ) and they have dozens of their old flat-back, or rather arched-back, mandos, usually with a nice pattern of different woods so the back looks better than the front.
Make sure there's a picture of the neck, so you can see it's not warped. Usually they're only about 30 - 40 euros, seems good to me.
That uk ebay shop want £28.50 to post a £29.00 mandolin to Ireland!. I think I might try and get a cheap Ryanair return flight and go over and collect one to save money!
I hope to get the sister's mandola this weekend (she lives some distance from me and I have never seen the mandola) and will try it out. Apparently, according to Hobgoblin catalogue there are octave mandolas which are designed to be tuned EADG. If its not designed for this tuning I dont want to over stretch a CDGA mandola or learn a different fingering so I would then go for the mandolin and yes that German ebay seems interesting one looked for only €20 to post to Irl.
I have decided to go ahead and order a mandolin from that german ebay shop. I mean for €60 delivered to Ireland including a case and spare strings...adjustable bridge. Even if I never played it, its worth it as an ornament!
Any good sites for a few mandolin tabbed tunes for ITM? I will be mainly trying to learn tunes by ear anyway. Thanks again all!
hi, i bought a cheap mandolin from ebay for £30. i've never played before (i'm a fiddle player) and was thinking i should probably get it set up properly - it currently sounds dreadful, although admittedly i don't know what i'm doing. does anyone know where i could get it set up? at any music shop or are there specialists out there?
Buying a cheap Mandolin
Buying a cheap Mandolin
I would like to buy a cheap mandolin to try and play a few trad tunes on. I play backup guitar and I would like to have a go on the mandolin to help my guitar playing. I never played mandolin and I just want something to pick out a few tunes on at home. I may never produce it in a session.
I see a cheap brand 'Blue Moon' in Hobgoblin catalogue for less than €100 ..are they ok or has anybody any knowledge of them? Hobgoblin claim they are their bestseller.I really only want something thats playable for a start. I would consider buying mail order. Thanks
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by CelticMissed
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
well i play on a cheap[less 100£ ]mandolin, i tried every mandolin for sale in Cork. It was the loudest, with a nice clear tone. It has been fine for the last 10yrs or so..The competition included mandolins up to1500£.
But with any instrument actually playing the thing is the only way you will be sure, and this can take a few days, returning more than once.
But for an instrument in that price range 1, you cant expect too much, 2, its not a large sum, you could be lucky.,
Have you tried ebay? they often have a number and can be very cheap.
whatever you buy, getting it set up well by a pro will up the playability drastically.
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by piobagusfidil
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
"Blue Moon" are Chinese I believe and have a good reputation, like most stuff from China nowadays. They also do nice zouks and mandolas.
I have a cheap mandolin, Romanian, and it is great for sessions. If you are playing at Shea stadium anytime soon, you may need something better.
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
just checked, mine is Romanian too, '' vintage'' MD1 John Hornby.
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by piobagusfidil
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
cheap is ok, but it must be playable. By that I mean, a good action and a straight neck, they go hand in hand. The more expensive woods have better sound qualities. I would say a simple flatback , pancake/ flatiron mandolin is a great option. I play a Flatiron pancake, and the sound is great. I have played old romanian ones too, and they too sound ok. I have bought off ebay and so far so good, but I bought well know brands to hedge my bets. American mandolins, in my opinion are generally well made.
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by reelname
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
"Blue Moon" will be suitable. Put it this way, instead of paying £700 for an electric guitar, my son paid £190 for a Chinese made Gould. This was highly recommended in Guitar magazines, and is a great instrument. The Blue Moon will serve your needs.
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
well i just checked ebay;
http://cgi.ebay.ie/BRAND-NEW-NATURAL-WOOD-8-STRING-FULL-SIZE-MANDOLIN_W0QQitemZ170161507045QQihZ007QQcategoryZ10179QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
These look like the one i have, 30£ check postage.
Get it set up properly. Plenty of them there.
Orhttp://cgi.ebay.ie/Mandolin-A-Beautifully-HandCrafted-string-instrument_W0QQitemZ300164851240QQihZ020QQcategoryZ10179QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Now that looks lovely but..... will cost a bit more. maybe a lot more.
# Posted on October 29th 2007 by piobagusfidil
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
im going to be selling my Ibanez soon. I've only had it for 6 months, and its in nice condition. If you're interested please contact me via the "e-mail" option on my member page.
cheers
rob
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by rob_handel
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
Thanks for that folks!. Yeah, I suppose you can't go to far wrong at that money and I felt they couldn't be too bad.
Jig, I have checked out the link on eBay and it looks fine. I will watch these and I have queried p&p to Irl. These seem to go for £30-40 at auction so thats fine.
I will wait till I achieve proficiency if I ever do before I go for a high spec instrument!
Incidentally, my sister has just offered me the loan of a mandola but I understand these are not tuned same as a mandolin for ITM so I will just get the mandolin for simplicity. There are plenty of tabbed tunes out there for the mandolin.
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by CelticMissed
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
Pay no more than 30! there are plenty from these folk, if your outbid try the next one.
The action will be high when you get it, i recomend getting some one to set it up. I did my own but ive been doing it a long time and still mess up occasionally! The nut and bridge will need taking down till the action is comfortable.thats all really, some decent strings.....
Also theres a few nice old mandolins that are worth watching, take a week or so before committing.
Evan an old round back might be ok. but i find that the necks are often too fine for big hands and the round back means they slip off your lap!
Try you sisters mandola anyhow, why not?
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by piobagusfidil
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
Yeah, they seem to have them fairly constantly so I think £30.01 might be good bid and if the p&p is fair. I'm not in that much of a hurry.
Doing more reading on themandola and of course I can tune the Mandola GDAE an octave lower than a mandolin so that should be fine. My sister plays banjo and has the mandola to spare so I'll have a bash on it first. Thanks!
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by CelticMissed
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
. . . of course I can tune the Mandola GDAE an octave lower than the mandolin. . .
If it's a true mandola, and not an octave mandolin which is sometimes called a mandola, it is designed to be tuned CGDA. You can either tune all the strings up, which will break them if you are lucky, the neck if you are not, or down, which will be like playing on sloppy rubber bands.
You can use a CGAE mandola for tune playing, but if you want mandolin tuning, get a mandolin!
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by c.g.
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
That should have real , can use a CGDA mandola for tune playing. My apologies. I have the kind of cold which doesn't make you want to die, it makes you think you are already dead.
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by c.g.
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
That should have read, should have read not should have real.
This is a really 'orrible cold!
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by c.g.
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
OK cg, and i haven't tried this but surely , just like the tenor banjo, a set of Lighter strings can be put on and tuned EADG? I mean the 4 string banjo was originally ADGC. Perhaps string technology has allowed this to happen?
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by piobagusfidil
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
If you're prepared to dig a little deeper into your wallet, for £120, Ashbury do a surprisingly good solid-topped F-hole mandolin. There is a certain amount of controversy over the suitability of this style of instrument for Irish music - and it's blue(!) - but ultimately, it's down to personal choice. Above all, it's a *very* good instrument for the money - tight, clear tone, good volume, good intonation. The strings tend to be a bit high at the nut for my liking, but this can be easily remedied - by an instrument repairer, if you're not happy about letting yourself loose with needle files.
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
Risky - the tension will still be greater than the instrument is designed for. The danger is that the neck of the instrument will distort/break. There are octave mandolins which are an octave below mandolin if you want that range. If you use the mandola for playing tunes, most can be played an octave down from mandolin pitch, or at mandolin pitch by playing higher positions if necessary. It isn't difficult.
Anyway, it's Spoonsnbones *sister's* mandola. She'll probably kill him if he wrecks it.
# Posted on October 30th 2007 by c.g.
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
Get yourself onto the German ebay ( ebay.de ) and they have dozens of their old flat-back, or rather arched-back, mandos, usually with a nice pattern of different woods so the back looks better than the front.
Make sure there's a picture of the neck, so you can see it's not warped. Usually they're only about 30 - 40 euros, seems good to me.
# Posted on October 31st 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
That uk ebay shop want £28.50 to post a £29.00 mandolin to Ireland!. I think I might try and get a cheap Ryanair return flight and go over and collect one to save money!
I hope to get the sister's mandola this weekend (she lives some distance from me and I have never seen the mandola) and will try it out. Apparently, according to Hobgoblin catalogue there are octave mandolas which are designed to be tuned EADG. If its not designed for this tuning I dont want to over stretch a CDGA mandola or learn a different fingering so I would then go for the mandolin and yes that German ebay seems interesting one looked for only €20 to post to Irl.
# Posted on November 1st 2007 by CelticMissed
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
Ok but if it was a 300£ mandolin the postage wouldn't seem so bad. Keep looking, plenty there, hobgoblin would likely charge similar.....
# Posted on November 1st 2007 by piobagusfidil
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
I have decided to go ahead and order a mandolin from that german ebay shop. I mean for €60 delivered to Ireland including a case and spare strings...adjustable bridge. Even if I never played it, its worth it as an ornament!
Any good sites for a few mandolin tabbed tunes for ITM? I will be mainly trying to learn tunes by ear anyway. Thanks again all!
# Posted on November 3rd 2007 by CelticMissed
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
i bought a roque a style for 100 u.s. and it has a great sound to it
# Posted on November 5th 2007 by stevequincy
Re: Buying a cheap Mandolin
hi, i bought a cheap mandolin from ebay for £30. i've never played before (i'm a fiddle player) and was thinking i should probably get it set up properly - it currently sounds dreadful, although admittedly i don't know what i'm doing. does anyone know where i could get it set up? at any music shop or are there specialists out there?
# Posted on November 6th 2007 by tommyhall