# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics >  New colors for the eastman/alden "mandocaster"

## Jim MacDaniel

Looks like a company called Alden is importing the Tele-inspired mandocaster into the UK, and they offer more colors than Eastwood currently does for the US. Were Eastwood or Alden to import these other colors into the US, which are your favorite colors between these five options?

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## John Flynn

The sunburst is my fave. I like the black and the red OK. I don't care for the yellow or the green.

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## Enigmatic Recluse

I like all of them except the yeller one. If I was going to buy one (and in a year or so I will be considering electric options) I would go for the seafoamy green.

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## JEStanek

Eastman makes an E-mando? The same Eastman that makes acoustic mandolins? I did a quick Google and came up blank. Can some one please offer some more info?

Of those pictured above I like the burst (an odd choice for me), the black and the yellow. Stickers look like a required additive...

Jamie

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## jefflester

> Eastman makes an E-mando? #The same Eastman that makes acoustic mandolins? #I did a quick Google and came up blank. #Can some one please offer some more info?


The electrics are East*wood*. Not the same as the Eastman acoustics.

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## Steven Stone

You guys mean EASTWOOD

Very cool very cheap and are colors really such a big thing?

I have a sunburst one that rocks.

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## Jim MacDaniel

CORRECTION: that was a typo -- I meant to type "Eastwood" (and I actually pulled the pic of the burst from Eastwood's web site  :Wink: 

And yes, color is important to me, and adds even more to its "cool" factor IMO -- and I'm leaning towards red or seafoam. #

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## JEStanek

D'oh!
Eastwood!

Thanks.
Jamie

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## Django Fret

I like mine just like I like my coffee: hot and black...

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## thistle3585

Funny, I built a seafoam mandolin about two years ago and listed it for sale on ebay and in the classifieds. I got tons of positive comments about it, and a few orders for a different color, but couldn't give that one away. Finally, on its third stint on ebay someone bought it. I think the average emand enthusiast likes a traditional look. Not meaning always a burst, but a traditional color to that instrument.

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## mrmando

Yeah, well, when Eva Holbrook becomes as famous as the Dixie Chicks, y'all won't be able to keep up with the demand for seafoam e-mandos.

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## Tebbie bear

in order:
seafoam
yellow
black
red 

in a distant last place


burst

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## Tebbie bear

I Would also love to see a sonic blue or olympic white one as well

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## Jim MacDaniel

Wow -- I had a feeling that a lot of us would dig the Seafoam, but I didn't think the yellow would yield so many hits.

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## Bramble

Seafoam, definitely! Then the black one. The yellow one doesn't appearl to me at all.

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## Daniel Nestlerode

I like the yellow and the sunburst. #
I think the yellow is popular because it reminds us of the vintage teles. The black reminds me of the old Silvertone guitars.  
Does Eastwood or Alden make a 5 string version? #I'm jonesing for an extended range, and 8 strings is overkill IMHO on an electric.

Daniel

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## kyblue

The burst just doesn't look right on an electric, to me.

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## Lee

Seaform first
Yellow last

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## mandolee

I'd be happy to get one in each color, but because that's not going to happen, I'd get either sunburst or red.

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## Bradley

The Red one is smokin !

Who in the states is selling them?

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## thistle3585

I just took a burst Eastwood in on trade. It should be here by the weekend. I'm curious to how it sounds. I thought I'd stick some new pickups on it plus put a different bridge on. Even thought about converting it to a 4 or 5 string. If you are in and around southern Indiana and want to take it for a spin let me know.

Andrew

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## Jim MacDaniel

> I Would also love to see a sonic blue or olympic white one as well


I also wouldn't one in a natural finish with a red tortoise Tele-style pickguard (and perhaps with a natural finish headstock instead of the black overlay).

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## Bradley

Hey Thistle

Did you get that thing in yet?

If so what does she sound like ?

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## thistle3585

Yes, I did get it and I'm probably not the best person to do a review seeing how I'm kind of biased.

Anyhow, I would say that the fit and finish is very impressive. It really looks like its well constructed, and much better than any other imports in that price range. I would say that it is evident that a guitar builder designed it because it really is a small guitar. The neck is really thick and clubby, which is just personal preference but the previous owner concurred. The electronics are lacking just like I've seen on every other import. Chronic weak E and just not balanced across the strings. The three way switch doesn't really give much tone variance. I think the scale, and distance between the pickups, really limit the amount of available tone difference to even work with. Both pickups are single coil, so you basically get the same tone from both. The humbucker mode gives a little warmer tone but not much better. The bridge intonates pretty well. It just doesn't have the ability to be fine tuned, so if you use a set of strings too much different from the stock size then you may have some trouble. Personally, I just couldn't get beyond the thick neck and small frets. My hands aren't big enough to make the reaches for the 3 and 4 fingered chords. 

Overall, if they had just spent a little more money on the electronics package then they would have nailed it except for the neck. Again, personal preference. With the right amp, you could pull out a better tone but for an entry level instrument I'm not sure how many people would be willing to make that investment. I think a wiser investment would be an electronics upgrade and a cheaper amp. 

 Here is what I would do to this one; shave the neck down to a slight "v" shape, put a humbucker in the bridge position and leave the single in the neck with the 3 way switch, upgrade the pots to 500K, install a new bridge and refret with larger fret wire. I haven't decided how quickly I will need to turn this around, so I may do some or all of what I mentioned.  

Since you asked Brad, why don't you take it for a test drive and give us your impressions. You're not too far away. 

Andrew

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## tracy

Hello all,
I bought a Mandocaster and it just arrived. I got the black one. The finish on the body is very impressive with a very deep shine. I was not expecting the finish on it to look as nice as it does. The rest of it looks great as well. 

I'm not very happy with the setup though. The strings are set very high but should be fixable. I checked the intonation at the bridge and was spot on but when I play anywhere on the neck, it is way out of tune. It sounds really bad when I try to play any cords because of this. I'm not really sure if the problem will go away after I change the string height. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it or send it back. Eastwood has a no questions asked return policy so I should be able to return it minus the shipping cost. Ouch!

Has anyone had this same problem with their Mandocaster? If so, were you able to fix it? Thanks

Tracy

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## Jim MacDaniel

I haven't purchased on yet, but I intend to if I don't get one for Xmas this year. 

To correct your problem, you might want to start by lowering the string height to a more comfortable level, _then_ compare notes fretted at the 12th fret to the 12th fret harmonics. If they are still off, then you will need to adjust your string length at the bridge: more info on adjusting the string length can be found at the top of page 3 in this Frets.com tutorial (the tutorial is actually for restringing mandolins with floating bridges, but the bridge adjustment part still applies to electrics on a string-by-string basis.)

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## Steven Stone

The action on my Mnadocaster had to be lowered to the point where the bridge is touching the bridge plate. Intonation, after some adjustment is very good, but not quite perfect - good enough for an electric 

I do not advise trying any heavier guage strings than the ones that came with the instrument as that wil raise the action, make it harder to play, and not buy you any more sustain.

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## tracy

Thanks for the feedback.  I lowered the strings down via the bridge and that helped a great deal. It is not perfect yet but I think after a little adjusting on the the truss rod and putting a new nut on, it is going to be fine. When I dropped the bridge down, I had to take it all the way down on the E-string side. I would like to take even a little more down than this. I guess I will have to shim the neck or grind the bridge down a little to do this. I might just go ahead and change out the bridge instead. 

Over all, I am very pleased with this little Mandocaster. I've decided that its a keeper.  

Thanks again for the feedback!

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## thistle3585

I think I remember the fretboard being a little elevated above the body. Try removing some material from the heel portion that fits in the neck pocket. This will allow for the fretboard to sit closer to the body. This is easily done on a table saw with a square fence.

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## SnapCut

This is the order of the ones that I like
1-sunburst
2-red
3-black

I just checked out the web site for this and I think it's probably the next mando that I want.

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## Django Fret

> Here is what I would do to this one; shave the neck down to a slight "v" shape, put a humbucker in the bridge position and leave the single in the neck with the 3 way switch, upgrade the pots to 500K, install a new bridge and refret with larger fret wire. #I haven't decided how quickly I will need to turn this around, so I may do some or all of what I mentioned. #


thistle3585, did you ever make those modifications? I'd be interested in how the electronics upgrade worked out.

Here are some modifications I made to my black one before and after the locking nut was added.

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## Travis Wilson

Brightly colored mandolins,... #The "populace" thinks the electric mando to be a small guitar, or perhaps even worse, they think them to be small toys.

My concern (and the reason why I had my mando made with a natural gloss finish over the flame maple laminate) regarding these bright colors was to avoid questions like: #"Where are the wheels for it?" or "Is your child happy with it?"

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## Jim MacDaniel

> Brightly colored mandolins,... #The "populace" thinks the electric mando to be a small guitar, or perhaps even worse, they think them to be small toys.
> 
> My concern (and the reason why I had my mando made with a natural gloss finish over the flame maple laminate) regarding these bright colors was to avoid questions like: #"Where are the wheels for it?" or "Is your child happy with it?"


So I guess yours looks like a small guitar or toy with a natural finish?

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## Antlurz

> _when I play anywhere on the neck, it is way out of tune. It sounds really bad when I try to play any cords because of this. I'm not really sure if the problem will go away after I change the string height._



That's why the bridge saddles are adjustable.  

Adjusting the intonation shouldn't be much of a problem, I'm thinking, after you get the string height adjusted.

Ron

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## billkilpatrick

> Thanks for the feedback. # I lowered the strings down via the bridge and that helped a great deal. #It is not perfect yet but I think after a little adjusting on the the truss rod and putting a new nut on, it is going to be fine. #When I dropped the bridge down, I had to take it all the way down on the E-string side. I would like to take even a little more down than this. #I guess I will have to shim the neck or grind the bridge down a little to do this. #I might just go ahead and change out the bridge instead. #
> 
> Over all, I am very pleased with this little Mandocaster. #I've decided that its a keeper.  
> 
> Thanks again for the feedback!


someone selling a mandocaster in the u.k. says it "plays like butter-sounds amazing" - is that true? 

his asking price is £159.00 ($332.50) - may i ask what they're selling for in the states?

(saw one on ebay u.k. last night before going to bed and dreamed of nothing else ... ) 

- bill

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## tracy

bill, I paid $299.00 (US) Plus $49.00 for shipping. If you do not have to pay shipping, you will be getting it a little cheaper than I did.

I think the sound is great once you get the intonation set correctly. 

I bought my directly from the Eastwood Company. Eastwood Company

They do ship worldwide...

From their web page:
---------------------------------------------------------------

Do you ship guitars outside the North America?
We ship Eastwood Guitars worldwide. Shipping in North America is UPS 3-day select, outside North America is UPS Expedited Airmail. Shipping generally takes 3-5 days outside North America. There are a few countries where UPS Expedited Service is not available. Email us for a price quote on shipping.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hope that helps...

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Thanks Ron & thistle3585


Thanks again everyone for the feedback! All the great feedback has help me to feel reassured about the Mandocaster.

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## thistle3585

> thistle3585, did you ever make those modifications? I'd be interested in how the electronics upgrade worked out.
> 
> Here are some modifications I made to my black one before and after the locking nut was added.


No, I haven't made the modifications. I took it in on trade and wont do anything with it until the finished instrument is accepted by my customer, which should be by the end of the month. Right now, I am backlogged on work so I don't know that I will do anything to it. I'd much rather spend time building my own instrument than rebuild someone elses.

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