#16
|
|||
|
|||
If you are already familiar with the guitar, you could also consider the Emerald Amicus:
https://emeraldguitars.com/product/amicus-artisan/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhsOsEJtVhk |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Your best for the money as a starter is the Breedlove crossover FO. You get a good solid mandolin with the pretty shape but the o sound hole. Can be had new for less than $400. Might need a setup but mine was fine. Then if you want to upgrade it will probably be a while before you feel the need to.
|
#18
|
||||
|
||||
I’ll weigh in... I was in your same shoes.
I ended up ordering an Eastman MD 304 from The Mandolin Store. Round hole. My son bought the MD305... F holes. I also bought a Bug Muddy M11... more mellow sound than the Eastmans, which have more CHOP The Big Muddy is American-made by a real character... and each one has personality. The Eastmans are also fantastic. They came with perfect setups out of the gate. I figured I’d try it out, and if I stuck with the instrument I could upgrade. I did stick with the mandolin, and my 304 has a k&k in it now too, it makes its way into about seven songs each gig. I never felt the urge to move up. The Eastman 300 series are great. Oh... and i can’t tell the difference between unplugged Eastman sound 304 vs 305. The 305 looks nicer I guess? Personal preference. No tonal difference to my ears. |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
If you're just curious, and don't have any plans to play it a lot, go for the lower end. I know that often it's wise not to go cheap and then then have to essentially throw it away to move up, but you can probably get something decent in the $300-400 range (inexpensive new or nicer used) that will be more than adequate for plinking around, or maybe throwing a few runs into a recording to round it out.
My own experience was to buy a lower-end Washburn A-style, around $300 iirc. Plays decently, sounds like a mandolin , and has done the job just fine even for a few songs live and adding a little mandolin spice to some other recordings. If I ever decided to get into mandolin any more than that, I don't feel I've wasted too much money if I move up. |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
An interesting vintage Gibson compromise.....and inexpensive to boot:
https://www.elderly.com/products/kel...style-mandolin |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
My Kentucky KM500
My Kentucky KM500 was delivered last week.
Awesome mandolin. The Kentucky KM150 is recommended for beginners. You’d be happier with The KM500 or KM |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
Hey, folks, I really appreciate all the info and suggestions! I've stayed pretty busy researching my options..
Other than picking or strumming some inexpensive and sometimes almost unplayable mandolins in a couple of shops, I'm a novice here...Without digging too deep, I'd like to find something of some quality that would help me start out and last for awhile if I stick with it... Eastman seems to get some love here and other places I've looked, and I'm leaning towards an "A" style... I've heard good things, so I'm thinking of a 304/305, or possibly spending a little more for a 504/505 model for the better tuners, gloss nitro finish and a hard bag...this seems to put me in the $500/$750 range...I'm thinking the extra $ for the 500 series would be well spent without stretching my budget too far...
__________________
"Music is much too important to be left to professionals." Last edited by Denny B; 02-09-2020 at 08:07 PM. |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Frank, I've found the site MandoLessons, from that clip, and it seems like a great source for a beginner like me...very easy to follow and no ads...thanks for posting it...
__________________
"Music is much too important to be left to professionals." |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Hey, Chickee...I've just joined a large mandolin site recently and was delighted to see all the folks there who, like myself, lean towards music other than BG played on the mandolin...
__________________
"Music is much too important to be left to professionals." |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
Enjoy! The world needs more mandolin players!
__________________
stai scherzando? |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Seriously, the Mando mixed with an acoustic guitar gets a lot of mileage at gigs. I love it and we try to incorporate it as much as possible in our arrangements.
__________________
Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#27
|
||||
|
||||
Former Eastman (505) owner I got from the Mandolin Store. Great shop (though I just got an email they are moving from AZ to TN so not sure how much that, plus China situation impacts them now/yet).
The A series will save you money, but FWIW, there's a much bigger market for F-style models IMO/IME, so if you want to move on/up/out later on, the F will likely sell faster, especially a brand like Eastman. As my fiddling and mando days are behind me, I was able to get my money back, but it surprised me that it took a while to move the A. (It was also natural, so possibly a bit more of an odd-duck in that respect, too, but a very good friend had played a natural A, so that's what I got.) Anyway, dittoing another point, I would stick with the f-hole models and the 14-fret joint, as that's what will be most common in almost any genre, save old-timey, or if you have a specific player to model that uses one, perhaps.
__________________
"I know in the morning that it's gonna be good, when I stick out my elbows and they don't bump wood." - Bill Kirchen |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
When I was first starting on mandolin, I bought an Epiphone model. It's fine for what it is but looking back, I wish I would have just waited for a used Eastman model. My friend has a 615 that she bought used for $900. It sounds incredible. If I were you I would look at either one of the 300 models if you want to save a bit or the 515/615 if you go F style.
From what I have been told, lower model Kentucky mandolins (under the 900 level) are made in a different factory and are not as good as lower priced Eastman models. At the higher end they are about the same. |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
and in the FWIW department The Mandolin Store is relocating to Nashville so within a long drive for those of us in beautiful Ohio!
__________________
"I go for a lotta things that's a little too strong" J.L. Hooker |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I noticed that as I was checking out their website...
__________________
"Music is much too important to be left to professionals." |