Mandolins and Ukuleles

[dahn8]

Hey all...

I was interested in learning the mandolin and/or ukulele. i dont know which one i want to buy and learn first. I'll need to purchase an instrument though, and i have no idea what a good mandolin or ukulele would sound like. I was hoping some of you may be helpful.

I'd prefer to spend uder $200 but if i need to spend a little more for an instrument that will last a long time, i will do that too. So, i'll be looking forward to your suggestions Thanks in advance.

[astrummer]

Don't know about sound clips for ukeleles but there's a portfolio of video clips of various mandolins in action at the folkofthewood website.....

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page2518.htm

hope this helps

[jim_n_virginia]

Originally Posted by dahn8

Hey all...

I was interested in learning the mandolin and/or ukulele. i dont know which one i want to buy and learn first. I'll need to purchase an instrument though, and i have no idea what a good mandolin or ukulele would sound like. I was hoping some of you may be helpful.

I'd prefer to spend uder $200 but if i need to spend a little more for an instrument that will last a long time, i will do that too. So, i'll be looking forward to your suggestions Thanks in advance.

$200. is not going to get you much of a mandolin I'm afraid. There is a lot of work that goes into a good quality mandolin.

Just like guitars there are different mandolins for different styles of music. Many people who like Old Time and Celtic music prefer flat mandos or pancake mandolins and A style oval holed mandolins to play.

Us bluegrassers like arched F hole mandolins which you can get in A or Fstyle. 3-5K for a F style mandolin is not a whole lot to pay for top builders like Gibson, Collins etc.

Classical players tend to like the Bowlback or "Taterbug" mandolins, LOL!

$200. bucks is going to get you a plywood Pack-Rim (import) mando that will probably have bad intonation and "kill-your-fingers" action and probably dampen your eagerness to play.

There are some decent imports coming in now if you know what you are looking for. First you have to decide what kind of sound you want?

I like the Eastmans and Michael Kelly mandolins myself even though they are imports they are solid wood tops and look pretty good but they are about double what you are looking to spend.

You might try to snag a good deal on eBay. And sometimes a new, small builder will sell a mando for a lot less because they are just getting started.

Just make sure that whatever you buy get a solid wood top and not a pressed plywood or laminate instrument.

The good news about Ukes is you can get a pretty good one for $200 especially if you by used on eBay like I did. I bought a handmade Hawaiian solid Koa Tangi Black uke for a good price on eBay. Easier to play than a mandolin and you don't change strings unless you break one!

I don't play my Uke out anywhere, mostly it's for home singalongs and stuff. It's kind of a novelty instrument for me although there are some masters out there (IZ rest his soul!).

Of the two I find my mandolins more challanging and more fun to play.

[marklyn]

Uke will be easier to learn, as the 4 strings are tuned similarly to the top 4 strings of a guitar. Chords are fingered almost exactly.
Mandolin is tuned in 5ths, which is basically inverted from the guitar. Chords are similar but essentially upside down.

[dahn8]

Originally Posted by jim_n_virginia

$200. is not going to get you much of a mandolin I'm afraid. There is a lot of work that goes into a good quality mandolin.

Around what price range should i be looking for then in a mandolin? I'm not really looking for the Taylors or Martins of mandolins, just a decent one which i can use to learn.

As for sound, i have no idea what kind of sound i want. I think i'd prefer a more folksy sound as to a celtic sound, similar to what you would hear in Jars of Clay or Shane and Shane (if you ever heard them before). But i havent heard or played a mandolin enough to know what a good sound is like. Are they similar to what you would look for in a good guitar?

[Bobalouie3]

Dan,

As everyone says, tone is subjective. I bought a Samick A-styel mandolin for less than $200 to learn on and I'm happy with it. Now, it is a low-cost mandolin, but it gets the job done. One day, I will upgrade to a real mandolin, but for learning, it's perfect.

I also had a coworker (who is a VERY good mandolin player) play it and he told me that it was as good a mandolin as I was going to get for below $1000.

[slewis]

You paid $200 for a mandolin that's supposedly better than a $700 or $900 mando? Hmmm....

Anyway, I've played guitar for decades and, a year or so ago, bought a mandolin (A Tacoma M1-E, about $700) that I've had a blast with. With a little guitar/music knowledge, I imagine you'll be playing 6-10 major chords or variations within a few days, easy, and you're off and running. Then it's just getting used to the scale of fifths. But they're a whole lot of fun, they travel well and sound great with other instruments or solo too. Go for it and good luck!

[Bobalouie3]

Sorry if my post was misleading. I was relaying what an experienced mando player told me and I believe he wasn't saying it was better than a $700 mando, just that the improvments weren't really worth the additional cost until you hit the $1000 mark. Now the $700 mando may look better and may have an integrated pick-up, but I was talking tone.

[Maryc-k]

check the www.mandolincafe.com website. you will get a good idea about pricing and what to look for. i had an cheap $175 mandolin for a few weeks before dumping it to get something better at $1600. the cheap one never stayed in tune and i did not want to dump more $$$ into it by starting to replace tuners and other parts.

[mtnByker]

They cost a little more than you mentioned, but check out Mid-Missourri Mandolins. Sweet tone, solid wood, made in the US, simple and pretty instruments at good prices. They are on ebay fairly often.