[Br1ck]

There is one standout in the under 1K market, a used 900 series Kentucky. It is a cut above anything else for the price. It is an A style. If you need an F, and I truly understand, buy an Eastman MD315 or 515.

The single best bit of advise I can give you is get your mandolin from a well versed mandolin store if you buy new. The Mandolin Store is one, Elderly and Gryphon also make sure your mandolin is well set up. A guitar tech is not always knowledgeable regarding mandolins. $1000 is a tough price range. $1500 in an A style used mandolin gets a pretty satisfying instrument. That well known forum's classifieds is a pretty good bet.

I'm going to assume, maybe erroneously, you want an arched top mandolin. You can find satisfying flat tops if you are playing Celtic and folk. They are a lot cheaper. The other warning is, mandolins are addictive and double the price of guitars, so don't play that Collings or Northridge, or Webber, or Gibson hanging in the shop. You will start thinking $5500 is not so much money. It is primarily the low G string that separates the men from the boys.

Give that forum a try, but just like here, you will have people telling you to up your budget, even more than I just did. I spent three years trying to find a mandolin under $4000. I finally did due to a lot of luck. I'm seven years in, never regretted it a minute, but my Eastman lasted four months. See, I didn't follow my better judgement. I'd subscribe to a service like Peghead nation and take a beginner course.