#1
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Thoughts on beginner octave mandolins?
I am considering a Gold Tone 800+, Trinity College, or Eastman all are around $750-900, give it take. This would be mostly for Celtic music and maybe some folk. The Eastman is all solid but with the F holes sounds more bluegrassy to me. The TC and Gold Tone seem more like what I need. The TC is all solid, but the sound clips I have heard seem better on the GT. I also realize the GT is longer and will be a stretch.
Thoughts on any of these or similarly priced mandos?
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https://www.mcmakinmusic.com |
#2
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Nobody has a thought on these?
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https://www.mcmakinmusic.com |
#3
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Not sure there's such a thing as a "beginner" OM. Pretty much something people get into after they've been playing mando for a while in my experience.
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stai scherzando? |
#4
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They're all entry-level, and if set-up properly will be fine for starting out. If you get into playing mndlns more you'll very likely want a step-up instrument.
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#5
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I'm very happy with my Eastman MDO305. I tried the Gold Tone OM-800+ but much preferred the "chop" of the Eastman (and you're right it's from the F holes). That said, some might find the Gold Tone more suitable for Celtic. I wanted to like the Gold Tone enough to keep it for an alternate sound, but a few things kept me from bonding with it:
I felt like the the thick gloss finish deadened the sound, the tuners were uncomfortably close together, and it's fitted with a custom gauge string set (albeit available from several retailers). The Eastman wants D'Addario EJ80s, which are more widely available. Also note that the Gold Tone comes with an undersaddle pickup. If you want amplification (as I did) most anyone who sells the Eastman will fit it with the K&K Mandolin Twin for you. This is the route I took and it sounds great, although like any K&K it needs a good preamp and EQ. Make sure your dealer does a setup as well. Good Luck, it's a wonderful instrument. Listen to what Sierra Hull can do with her Weber OM -- I hope I can afford one of those some day (not that I'll ever begin to approach her abilities). Last edited by jparis51; 08-17-2020 at 09:16 AM. |
#6
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An old Flatiron 3MC should be right up your alley - unfortunately they don't come up for sale very often, and with good reason IME...
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#7
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Quote:
*A rare offering on a used FI https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/159038#159038 Last edited by catt; 08-22-2020 at 11:31 AM. |
#8
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For a true beginners OM I have a Hora. You can find them on ebay. The tuners are terrible but overall the instrument plays well. You can go here for more info
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...40-Hora-Octave BTW price is under $300. |
#9
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Just an aside. I bought a mid 50s Gibson tg-50.
Which is an archtop f hole tenor guitar. My initial idea was to change the tailpiece and Bridge out...drill 4 new holes in the headstock And turn it into an om . But after playing with it I decided to leave it alone and am playing it At gigs now. Its tuned gdae. And I put a pickup In it. JJB. It sounds great and is a real fine playing instrument. These can be had for around A grand and are a real well made instrument. |
#10
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Quote:
https://www.archtop.com/ac_48_TG50.html
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#11
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Quote:
Several years ago, I bought a used Big Leaf octave mando from a musician who needed it for a studio project, then decided to sell it. It was well made but the finish was a little sloppy. Still, it had a good sound, much better than the entry-level octave mandos I had tried. I'm hoping to move soon to a smaller home and need to thin my herd. If you are interested, please send me a PM. I can send pics and/or sound clips. |