I've been playing a mandolin I borrowed from a freind for over a year now and have gotten to love the instrument. However it was time for me to return the instrument to its owner. Now I'm left without a mandolin in sight and my fingers are just itching to play one.
Would anyone know of a really good producer of mandolins that sell for under $500 US?
You can get a new Weber Y2k3 for $560 at Elderly instruments. The Y2k is a flat top instrument with an oval soundhole. Weber makes excellent instruments and these sound great, especially for the price. You could probably find a used one cheaper (check ebay or the mandolincafe classifieds).
Here are two other sites that deal in new and used mandolins (and other stringed instruments). I've purchased used instruments from both of these sites. I've always received good service, and have not been dissapointed with any of my purchases (two guitars, a tenor banjo, and a mandola).
Mary's Music in Tennessee ( http://www.marysmusic.com ) has a nice Dean mandolin for $199.99. Also check out Musician's Friend, they have a wide selection at reasonable prices.
You can check with Sound to Earth (makers of Weber) in Montana and see if they have a deal for you. Here is their site: http://www.soundtoearth.com/
You can also find good deals on used instruments at netinstruments.com. You easily use an online escrow to protect your funds in the exchange. I sold an oboe for a friend using netinstruments.com and was very satisfied with their service. http://www.netinstruments.com/
I have a Mid-Missouri mandolin (Model M4), which plays well and is very reasonably priced. It is a flat back and top with round sound hole. It is also solid wood (no plywood). You can usually find them at other sites for less, but this is their web site:
There's a luthier by name of Peter Coxwho lives near Barrie, Ontario (Canada) who makes lovely, very reasonably priced mandolins (as well as mandolas, citterns, guitars etc.) I'v tried out quite a few of his mandolins and was very tempted to buy one (it was under $500. Canadian if you can imagine) even though I already have a very decent Vega mandolin already. I keep thinking of it though....They have good volume, lovely tone and are easy to play as well. If you're interested in contact information, send me an email. Cheers, Aoife
I can verify that Peter Cox's mandolin's are nice--TheSession's own searai owns one, and I've played it.
One of Toronto's best mando players swears by Breedlove mandolins, saying that they're the best value going at the moment. They're C$1300 at a shop in town that doesn't do much discounting; you might be able to get one for as little as US$700. Don't cut corners on the price if you find an instrument you love. Suppose you spend five hours a week playing the thing, in sessions and in practice; if so, you play it 250 hours a year. For an extra buck an hour, you can significantly improve the quality of the instrument you can buy.
That said, my Epiphone was a steal at C$270, and the place where I got it now sells them for $235. You have to shop around; as I pointed out in an earlier discussion, a low price doesn't guarantee a crappy instrument; only that there will be fewer great ones in the production run. Nor does a high price guarantee a great instrument; only that there will be a more great ones in the production run. Each instrument is its own deal. If you can afford it, try a few Breedloves, or a Peter Cox special. If you can't, try a whole bunch of the Epiphones, and select the one you like.
I concur with Michael B.'s post above. If you love playing the mando, then it is definitely not something you want to scrimp on. Save up until you can afford a good one and rationalize it later! A friend of mine bought a Breedlove and he is very happy with his purchase. That being said, he doesn't think that it'll be his last one! He'll probably get sucked into what our two session leaders call "Musical Instrument Aquisition Syndrome", to which there is no cure but more poison. I think they have over two dozen instruments (and counting) between them. We're still waiting for the Macedonian War Pipes to make their appearance!
I have played all the mandos Michael refers to and also a few antique Gibson A's and a Sobell. To my ears and fingers, you can't beat those WW I era Gibsons, but to my pocketbook, you can't beat a Peter Cox mandolin. To my ears, the Webers, Flatiron and new Gibsons I've played don't deserve the price they command when compared to the above. You can get a WW I Gibson in good shape for under 2 Gs (Can$), which is like pocket change in US funds.
I started on a cheap Fender A, because I wasn't sure that I would take to it. I don't regret that decision, but now know that you get what you pay for and that real bargains are hard to find. Michael's Epiphone does seem to be a fluke, as the ones I tried when shopping were all pretty rough. My dissatisfaction with the Fender led me on to the octave mandolin, with which I am quite enamoured. I've got an entry-level one of those too, but an upgrade is imminent. (I got spoiled after playing a Sobell cittern for a week).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, check out the Otis Thomas website I posted a while back and drool over his mandos, guitars and fiddles. World class stuff.
The advice posted above is great; you may want to try www.mandolincafe.com; they've got good advice on instruments from a variety of different price ranges and they have a great classified section with used instruments.
I've played a Rigel A+ Deluxe for several years now that I'm very pleased with. I've heard a number of beginners play Mid-Mo's and once they've been setup by a luthier, they sound great.
There seems to be a significant difference in the sound of instruments at around $500 and $1500; below $500 some Weber's, most Mid-Mo's, and a few Kentucy's sound pretty good; between $500 and $1500, there are some significantly nice instruments like Weber, (be sure to play the Weber instrument; I have found that each one plays different), Rigel, several Gibson models, Flatiron, etc. Above $1500, and you'll get good instruments where the construction and design create a particular sound.
The mando is a bit quiet; it's hard to hear when seated with some good fiddlers, but I won't ever stop playing mine! Good luck!
old ibanez mando's show up in pawn shops and such every once in a while and some are very good. i picked one up in the backwoods of washington for a hundred u.s. that's great.
Wanted: Mandolin
Wanted: Mandolin
I've been playing a mandolin I borrowed from a freind for over a year now and have gotten to love the instrument. However it was time for me to return the instrument to its owner. Now I'm left without a mandolin in sight and my fingers are just itching to play one.
Would anyone know of a really good producer of mandolins that sell for under $500 US?
# Posted on June 11th 2003 by fadah
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
or is anyone selling used Flatiron mandolins? (My dad used to make them)
# Posted on June 11th 2003 by fadah
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
You can get a new Weber Y2k3 for $560 at Elderly instruments. The Y2k is a flat top instrument with an oval soundhole. Weber makes excellent instruments and these sound great, especially for the price. You could probably find a used one cheaper (check ebay or the mandolincafe classifieds).
# Posted on June 11th 2003 by Wadefox
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
Here are two other sites that deal in new and used mandolins (and other stringed instruments). I've purchased used instruments from both of these sites. I've always received good service, and have not been dissapointed with any of my purchases (two guitars, a tenor banjo, and a mandola).
http://www.bernunzio.com
http://www.mandoweb.com
# Posted on June 11th 2003 by dfost
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
Mary's Music in Tennessee ( http://www.marysmusic.com ) has a nice Dean mandolin for $199.99. Also check out Musician's Friend, they have a wide selection at reasonable prices.
# Posted on June 11th 2003 by Juizgax
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
You can check with Sound to Earth (makers of Weber) in Montana and see if they have a deal for you. Here is their site:
http://www.soundtoearth.com/
You can also find good deals on used instruments at netinstruments.com. You easily use an online escrow to protect your funds in the exchange. I sold an oboe for a friend using netinstruments.com and was very satisfied with their service.
http://www.netinstruments.com/
Good luck and happy playing!!
Alice Flynn
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by aliceflynn
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
I have a Mid-Missouri mandolin (Model M4), which plays well and is very reasonably priced. It is a flat back and top with round sound hole. It is also solid wood (no plywood). You can usually find them at other sites for less, but this is their web site:
http://www.midmomandolin.com/
Jim L
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by Jiml
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
There's a luthier by name of Peter Coxwho lives near Barrie, Ontario (Canada) who makes lovely, very reasonably priced mandolins (as well as mandolas, citterns, guitars etc.) I'v tried out quite a few of his mandolins and was very tempted to buy one (it was under $500. Canadian if you can imagine) even though I already have a very decent Vega mandolin already. I keep thinking of it though....They have good volume, lovely tone and are easy to play as well. If you're interested in contact information, send me an email. Cheers, Aoife
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by aoife
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
A question:
Are Fender Mando's good, cause they're pretty much the only thing available in the area where I live.
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by Pádraig
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
I bought a lovely vintage Martin A-model mando from folkofthewood.com They have an extensive collection of new and used instruments.
# Posted on June 12th 2003 by ketida
Shop around
I can verify that Peter Cox's mandolin's are nice--TheSession's own searai owns one, and I've played it.
One of Toronto's best mando players swears by Breedlove mandolins, saying that they're the best value going at the moment. They're C$1300 at a shop in town that doesn't do much discounting; you might be able to get one for as little as US$700. Don't cut corners on the price if you find an instrument you love. Suppose you spend five hours a week playing the thing, in sessions and in practice; if so, you play it 250 hours a year. For an extra buck an hour, you can significantly improve the quality of the instrument you can buy.
That said, my Epiphone was a steal at C$270, and the place where I got it now sells them for $235. You have to shop around; as I pointed out in an earlier discussion, a low price doesn't guarantee a crappy instrument; only that there will be fewer great ones in the production run. Nor does a high price guarantee a great instrument; only that there will be a more great ones in the production run. Each instrument is its own deal. If you can afford it, try a few Breedloves, or a Peter Cox special. If you can't, try a whole bunch of the Epiphones, and select the one you like.
---Michael B.
# Posted on June 13th 2003 by MichaelBolton
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
I concur with Michael B.'s post above. If you love playing the mando, then it is definitely not something you want to scrimp on. Save up until you can afford a good one and rationalize it later! A friend of mine bought a Breedlove and he is very happy with his purchase. That being said, he doesn't think that it'll be his last one! He'll probably get sucked into what our two session leaders call "Musical Instrument Aquisition Syndrome", to which there is no cure but more poison. I think they have over two dozen instruments (and counting) between them. We're still waiting for the Macedonian War Pipes to make their appearance!
I have played all the mandos Michael refers to and also a few antique Gibson A's and a Sobell. To my ears and fingers, you can't beat those WW I era Gibsons, but to my pocketbook, you can't beat a Peter Cox mandolin. To my ears, the Webers, Flatiron and new Gibsons I've played don't deserve the price they command when compared to the above. You can get a WW I Gibson in good shape for under 2 Gs (Can$), which is like pocket change in US funds.
I started on a cheap Fender A, because I wasn't sure that I would take to it. I don't regret that decision, but now know that you get what you pay for and that real bargains are hard to find. Michael's Epiphone does seem to be a fluke, as the ones I tried when shopping were all pretty rough. My dissatisfaction with the Fender led me on to the octave mandolin, with which I am quite enamoured. I've got an entry-level one of those too, but an upgrade is imminent. (I got spoiled after playing a Sobell cittern for a week).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, check out the Otis Thomas website I posted a while back and drool over his mandos, guitars and fiddles. World class stuff.
Let us know what you decide in the end.
Cheers,
Greg
# Posted on June 14th 2003 by octogreg
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
The advice posted above is great; you may want to try www.mandolincafe.com; they've got good advice on instruments from a variety of different price ranges and they have a great classified section with used instruments.
I've played a Rigel A+ Deluxe for several years now that I'm very pleased with. I've heard a number of beginners play Mid-Mo's and once they've been setup by a luthier, they sound great.
There seems to be a significant difference in the sound of instruments at around $500 and $1500; below $500 some Weber's, most Mid-Mo's, and a few Kentucy's sound pretty good; between $500 and $1500, there are some significantly nice instruments like Weber, (be sure to play the Weber instrument; I have found that each one plays different), Rigel, several Gibson models, Flatiron, etc. Above $1500, and you'll get good instruments where the construction and design create a particular sound.
The mando is a bit quiet; it's hard to hear when seated with some good fiddlers, but I won't ever stop playing mine! Good luck!
Marty
# Posted on June 15th 2003 by MTMajor
Re: Wanted: Mandolin
old ibanez mando's show up in pawn shops and such every once in a while and some are very good. i picked one up in the backwoods of washington for a hundred u.s. that's great.
# Posted on June 17th 2003 by Dont