Im looking into purchasing a mandolin and am not really sure what to look for. I'm obviously going to be playing primarily Celtic music. i just got back from the swannanoa gathering in north carolina, where i took lessons with Martin Quinn, he gave me a few names and some websites but im still not sure where to go with my search. if anyone has any ideas or tit bits that may help they would be greatly appreciated
go check out this forum: www.mandolincafe.com It's a good place to ask questions/get tips on what to look for when buying etc. They've also got a quite good classifieds section and there does be decent entry level/intermediate instruments posted for sale on a fairly regular basis.
As for what mandolin to get, it depends on your budget. (Ask that question over at the mandolincafe and you'll get about a million opinions!) .. Mid-Missouri a.k.a "Mid-Mo" mandolins are american made and great value for starting out on. You can usually pick one up used in the $250-300 range.
Resist the urge to buy any of that new ebay rubbish - you get what you pay for, so if you buy some super cheap piece of tat it'll most likely only be fit for hanging on the wall as decoration.
Depends on what kind of sound you want really. Mandolins with rround holes tend to have a softer tone and quite suited to ITM, mandolins with F holes are also suited, but have a sharper tone, which while suitable for ITM, is also suited for old-time, bluegrass etc...so its more of a all rounder.
I would defintely go for A-style models but thats just personal preference. If you aspire to go out and play in sessions etc, you will need a mandolin that can hold its own against the other instruments and not got drowned out (ive played in sessions with past mandolins and i couldn't even hear myself playing, which is bad), so volume is also key...
Just take your time, and always make sure you get to play the instrument first, and get a feel for it. best of luck!
I don't know if you live in the area, but ust down the road from Swannanoa is Black Mountain. They have a really nice music shop there called the Acoustic Corner.
www.acoustic-corner.com
I bought a Mid Missouri A style flat backed mando from them a few years back for about $ 400.00. I don't play it much (bought it for my wife) but everyone who looks at it gives it one of those "oh...how.... nice" looks but when they play it they are pleasantly suprised.
Mid-Missouri has changed its name to Mud River (long, long story) but they are still cranking out quality, affordable mandolins.
Next door to the Acoustic Corner is Fellerman Strings. He primarily makes mountain dulcimers but according to his web-site he makes mandos and bazukis as well. Acoustic Corner carries his instruments.
If you're in that area, it would be well worth a visit.
It's not very expensive, but plays very well. One of my friends, who plays a $5000 vintage mando, was impressed with the quality/tone/playability for such a low priced instrument.
My GC Fender FM-100 came as a "package" with the mando, a couple of picks, an electronic tuner and a nice carrying bag/case for ~$200.
If there's a shop that stocks mandolins near you, you should go in with a friend who plays the mandolin, and let them give you a taste of what their various instruments sound like. A good shop will have no problem with this if you're polite about it, meaning you come in at a less busy time (a weekday afternoon, not a Saturday just before closing time) and let them know what you want to do.
There are, as noted above, plenty of opinions about which mandolins are the good ones. The opinions are all worth hearing, but there's no substitute for hearing the mandolins themselves.
i have a countryman.
a good starter mandolin.
it cost about £130ukp
these are sold under many different brand names.
whatever you buy, get the action(string height) seen to by a GOOD luthier.
if you play a mandolin with a bad set up you will either damage your arms/hands or give up playing cos its no fun.
i learnt this the hard way.......
dont be tempted to spend loads. many people who start on the mandolin move on to something bigger quite quickly;
mandolins are very quiet, and in sessions you are in the same note range as all those fiddles; this will drown you out.
as you get used to stretching the left hand, mandolins soon start to feel a bit small.
these 2 factors lead many people to the octave mandolin, tenor banjo and even the bouzouki. the good news here is that anything you learn on the mandolin is transferable to all these instruments and they are/can be tuned the same way.
finally, many people say buy a mandolin with a solid (not laminate) top. these generally sound better. this is a good idea if it fits in your price range.
I have a higher end Eastman but recently a student of mine got the simplest round hole A style Eastman and I am impressed with both sound and playability.
I have just started playing mandolin myself and managed to find a decent Ozark For £100 uk. It is a nice little one and I am enjoying learning to play it.
A style mandolins are generally better quality for less money than F style, because the carving is less complicated. I also like the sound better, but that is obviously a personal preference.
A good way to go is to find someone in your area (a good player or teacher) that could look at an instrument before you buy it and make sure it is good quality.
Dealers of Big Muddy Mandolins in Pennsylvania. If either of these is within a reasonable distance, it woud be worth the drive. Even if you don't settle on a Big Muddy they'll surely have other models and brands available.
Buck County Folk Music Shop
40 Sand Road
New Britain PA 18901
215-345-0616
Meadowood Music
8521 Allentown Pike
Blandon PA 19510
610-916-1285
Beginner Mandolin
Beginner Mandolin
Hello,
Im looking into purchasing a mandolin and am not really sure what to look for. I'm obviously going to be playing primarily Celtic music. i just got back from the swannanoa gathering in north carolina, where i took lessons with Martin Quinn, he gave me a few names and some websites but im still not sure where to go with my search. if anyone has any ideas or tit bits that may help they would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by n a t e
Re: Beginner Mandolin
go check out this forum: www.mandolincafe.com It's a good place to ask questions/get tips on what to look for when buying etc. They've also got a quite good classifieds section and there does be decent entry level/intermediate instruments posted for sale on a fairly regular basis.
As for what mandolin to get, it depends on your budget. (Ask that question over at the mandolincafe and you'll get about a million opinions!) .. Mid-Missouri a.k.a "Mid-Mo" mandolins are american made and great value for starting out on. You can usually pick one up used in the $250-300 range.
Resist the urge to buy any of that new ebay rubbish - you get what you pay for, so if you buy some super cheap piece of tat it'll most likely only be fit for hanging on the wall as decoration.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by triplet upstairs
Re: Beginner Mandolin
Depends on what kind of sound you want really. Mandolins with rround holes tend to have a softer tone and quite suited to ITM, mandolins with F holes are also suited, but have a sharper tone, which while suitable for ITM, is also suited for old-time, bluegrass etc...so its more of a all rounder.
I would defintely go for A-style models but thats just personal preference. If you aspire to go out and play in sessions etc, you will need a mandolin that can hold its own against the other instruments and not got drowned out (ive played in sessions with past mandolins and i couldn't even hear myself playing, which is bad), so volume is also key...
Just take your time, and always make sure you get to play the instrument first, and get a feel for it. best of luck!
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by Beanstalk
Re: Beginner Mandolin
I don't know if you live in the area, but ust down the road from Swannanoa is Black Mountain. They have a really nice music shop there called the Acoustic Corner.
www.acoustic-corner.com
I bought a Mid Missouri A style flat backed mando from them a few years back for about $ 400.00. I don't play it much (bought it for my wife) but everyone who looks at it gives it one of those "oh...how.... nice" looks but when they play it they are pleasantly suprised.
Mid-Missouri has changed its name to Mud River (long, long story) but they are still cranking out quality, affordable mandolins.
Next door to the Acoustic Corner is Fellerman Strings. He primarily makes mountain dulcimers but according to his web-site he makes mandos and bazukis as well. Acoustic Corner carries his instruments.
If you're in that area, it would be well worth a visit.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by ceolgaelach
Re: Beginner Mandolin
I've got a Fender FM-100 that my wife bought for me from Guitar Center as a Christmas present a couple of years ago; it's fine for ITM.
Here's a link: http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-FM-100-Mandolin-Pack-103373643-i1149503.gc
It's not very expensive, but plays very well. One of my friends, who plays a $5000 vintage mando, was impressed with the quality/tone/playability for such a low priced instrument.
My GC Fender FM-100 came as a "package" with the mando, a couple of picks, an electronic tuner and a nice carrying bag/case for ~$200.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by KeepFiddlin'
Re: Beginner Mandolin
Correction...they didn't change to Mud River...they changed to Big Muddy...
http://www.bigmuddymandolin.com/
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by ceolgaelach
Re: Beginner Mandolin
If there's a shop that stocks mandolins near you, you should go in with a friend who plays the mandolin, and let them give you a taste of what their various instruments sound like. A good shop will have no problem with this if you're polite about it, meaning you come in at a less busy time (a weekday afternoon, not a Saturday just before closing time) and let them know what you want to do.
There are, as noted above, plenty of opinions about which mandolins are the good ones. The opinions are all worth hearing, but there's no substitute for hearing the mandolins themselves.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Beginner Mandolin
One more shameless promo for the Acoustic Corner. The owners and staff are just "good people" as we say in the South.
Acoustic Corner
105 F Montreat Rd.
Black Mountain NC 28711
(828) 669-5162
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by ceolgaelach
Re: Beginner Mandolin
i have a countryman.
a good starter mandolin.
it cost about £130ukp
these are sold under many different brand names.
whatever you buy, get the action(string height) seen to by a GOOD luthier.
if you play a mandolin with a bad set up you will either damage your arms/hands or give up playing cos its no fun.
i learnt this the hard way.......
dont be tempted to spend loads. many people who start on the mandolin move on to something bigger quite quickly;
mandolins are very quiet, and in sessions you are in the same note range as all those fiddles; this will drown you out.
as you get used to stretching the left hand, mandolins soon start to feel a bit small.
these 2 factors lead many people to the octave mandolin, tenor banjo and even the bouzouki. the good news here is that anything you learn on the mandolin is transferable to all these instruments and they are/can be tuned the same way.
finally, many people say buy a mandolin with a solid (not laminate) top. these generally sound better. this is a good idea if it fits in your price range.
i hope this helps some.
have fun learning
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by rumpole
Re: Beginner Mandolin
I had a Samick a while ago that was an excellent starter mandolin.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by Sugarfoot Jack
Re: Beginner Mandolin
I have a higher end Eastman but recently a student of mine got the simplest round hole A style Eastman and I am impressed with both sound and playability.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by Dont
Re: Beginner Mandolin
I have just started playing mandolin myself and managed to find a decent Ozark For £100 uk. It is a nice little one and I am enjoying learning to play it.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by Euan W
Re: Beginner Mandolin
Whenever you ask advice on buying an instrument, you should always state:
Where you are.
All the types of music you want to use it for and under what circumstances.
What aesthetic or other features you "must" have (F style body, pickup, pink paisely finish, etc).
How much you can spend.
Without that information it's hard to help.
# Posted on July 21st 2009 by Steve L
Re: Beginner Mandolin
sorry,
I'm actually not anywhere near Swannanoa. i live an hour outside of philadelphia, PA.
i really don't know much about the aesthetic pro's and con's. i know that they sound different but i don't know which one i would be looking to get.
I'm gonna be playing celtic music, primarily in sessions. so i would want something that would be able to hold its own next to fiddles, ect.
i don't know how much i wanna spend, i want something that ill be happy with for a while. i don't think i would go for anything much over $500.
thank you so much to everyone who's responded.
# Posted on July 22nd 2009 by n a t e
Re: Beginner Mandolin
A style mandolins are generally better quality for less money than F style, because the carving is less complicated. I also like the sound better, but that is obviously a personal preference.
A good way to go is to find someone in your area (a good player or teacher) that could look at an instrument before you buy it and make sure it is good quality.
# Posted on July 22nd 2009 by Nopstavon
Re: Beginner Mandolin
Dealers of Big Muddy Mandolins in Pennsylvania. If either of these is within a reasonable distance, it woud be worth the drive. Even if you don't settle on a Big Muddy they'll surely have other models and brands available.
Buck County Folk Music Shop
40 Sand Road
New Britain PA 18901
215-345-0616
Meadowood Music
8521 Allentown Pike
Blandon PA 19510
610-916-1285
# Posted on July 22nd 2009 by ceolgaelach