# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Epiphone MM-30

## TimB

Hey everybody,
I'm a beginning mandolin player. I'd like to buy a cheap but fine mandolin, so I checked musicstore.com and found the Epiphone MM-30. Any experiences? Or could someone tell me what would be the best buy? It should just be cheap as possible for a playable instrument that sounds good enough  :Smile: 
Greets,
Tim

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## Jim Broyles

You are on the right track looking at A styles, but I would not recommend an Epiphone. Check the Kentucky A models such as KM-174. I have never played a good sounding Epiphone and I owned an MM-30E (electric) for about 15 minutes. I sent it right back where I got it from. Thinnest, quietest sounding mandolin I ever played.

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## EdHanrahan

And I would not recommend the big on-line music stores, or most of the big-box brick & mortar music stores.  Do look up the many threads here on the need / advantage of having a mandolin properly "set-up".  That can only happen if the seller applies the time, effort, and expertise that most big places don't have.

If there are no specialty dealers nearby, you'll do better in the long run by talking to the Cafe sponsors listed above & on the home page, and/or participants like Big Joe.

One advantage of registering your location is that folks often jump in with specific suggestions.  It sure can't hurt.

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## whyner

I have one.  Pay attention, many are advertised without a case.  Bass end a bit thin, playable, fun but I wouldn't consider it a keeper.  Just did some work on it and brought it to my son to fool around with.  Anyway you look at it it'll need some set up to play.  

I've seen mandos advertised on Craig's list for $60-$100 that if not coming apart might be more interesting.  The hard part is being patient.  Also if you're handy you can try some set up yourself, see Frets.com.  (I know I'll get in trouble for that.)

Lastly don't be lulled in by looks.  A decent plain flat top mandolin can be a real keeper.  

Steve bonehead noob
Oregon

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## CES

I've actually played some decent (for the price) Epiphones over the last few years, but wouldn't recommend buying one unless you can play it/check it out first...None of the import "starter" mandolins will sound spectacular, but you can find some decent ones out there, even among the Epiphone line.  And they all need a set-up.

In the sub-350 price range the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your purchase should be a good set-up.  A well set-up mandolin can be learned on and enjoyed even if it doesn't have the best tone.  One that's not set up well and sounds thin or buzzy will not inspire you to play, and may even inspire you to quit...

My first mando was a well recommended Kentucky model (made just after their move to China) that I bought as new B stock from an ebay seller with 100% feedback and a money back guarantee.  The thing was a disaster (not Kentucky's fault, btw, and I've been really impressed with their more recent offerings and think they're probably putting out the best sub-500 dollar imports available) and the seller disappeared when I contacted him about return shipping (which I was offering to pay) and and how he would go about sending the refund.  I actually still have the thing and have gotten it playable enough to be a "beater" but have spent as much as I paid on it getting it playable.

Which brings me to this point.  I've bought several mandolins from the classifieds here and all have been fairly represented and good transactions, but I know more about what to ask and which pictures to request, and have had some good luck as well.  If I were buying my first again, I'd call one of the cafe sponsors, tell them my budget, and ask them to send me the best sounding one they had in that range.  Had I just bought a new Kentucky 675S for the street price at the time I'd have come out better than I did by buying as cheaply as possible and having to dump extra cash into it.  And I basically refuse to sell it at this point given the issues.

Also, don't discount flat topped mandos unless you're set on playing BG with groups of people...my Flatiron pancake is one of my favorites!

Good luck!!    :Mandosmiley:

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## TimB

The biggest problem is the fact that my budget isn't bigger than a 150 euros. I live in Antwerp, Belgium and there are more than enough music stores around here but none of them sell mandolins (that I know of). I really couldn't care less if the thing looks nice or not, it's the sound that matters  :Smile:  Now, I can't find anything on ebay, kapaza or any other second-hand website, the only site I can find that delivers in Belgium is musicstore, and they only have the epiphone within my budget. I've read some reviews on it and they are good overall (http://folk-instruments.musiciansfri...c=date&so=desc) but I don't know, maybe it's fake. And last but not least: what the hell does set-up mean?? :p everyone's talking about it but I really don't understand  :Smile: 

How about Fender, do they have good stuff? like this: http://fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0979507021
or this: http://fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0955205032 (that one isn't that expensive on musicstore  :Smile:  )
It doesn't need to have a pickup by the way  :Smile:

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## whyner

Try this thread.

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## TimB

Okay I think I found something: Kentucky KM-150. There's a guy on youtube who's got a few videos of him playing that one and I think it sounds rather nice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yV60snkddQ what do you guys think? Let's just hope The Mandolin Store can deliver in Belgium  :Smile:

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## Jim Broyles

Yep. Get the Kentucky. I don't think you'd like the Fender.

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## TimB

What's wrong with the Fender?

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## nickster60

Nice guitars not so nice mandolins. Buy the Kentucky.

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## Rick Cadger

> Nice guitars not so nice mandolins. Buy the Kentucky.


IMHO, Nickster nails it. Mandolins are most certainly not Fender's strongest area. 

The Kentucky mandolins are good value. I play them myself and I'm very happy (or I wouldn't have bought the second one), BUT out of the box from the factory it is very common - perhaps usual - for them to be in drastic need of a setup to get them properly playable. If you can, get the shop to check the setup for you as part of the deal. Some suppliers (such as the Cafe sponsors) do this routinely. Some suppliers just send you the box and then leave you to hope for the best.

I'm sure there are good examples of Epiphone and Fender mandolins, but despite having played a few of each I've not seen/heard them. Kentuckys on the other hand - most I've played have been a good, reasonably priced, place to start.

Most Asian import mandolins need a good setup out of the box - and I mean NEED it, not just that it would be nice.

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## Darren Bailey

I moved from an MM30 to a Kentucky over a year ago and it was the best thing I ever did. They do look great, but the Epiphones can inhibit your progress (in my experience) because you're not going to be that satisfied with what's coming out of it. When it sounds good you want to play more, and the more you play the better you'll get. That's my "philosophy"!!

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## TimB

Well, I've found a KM-160 in my local store and I also found out that my budget is twice what I thought it was so yay!

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## Coffeecup

I have an Epiphone which I was quite happy with as a beginner instrument.  It's not so good at the bass end but otherwise sounds OK.  My main problem with it was lack of volume for playing in Irish sessions.  My main mandolin now is an Ovation which sounds nice but still not great for volume.  I find the Epiphone easier to play and I'm not really sure why; similar action, same strings - I'm thinking it might be something to do with the neck shape.  Don't think I've even seen a Kentucky so can't make a comparison there for you.

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## Tim2723

Good for you, TimB!  I think you'll do very well with that as your starter.

Coffeecup, if your Ovation isn't loud enough, just push the sliding switch on the left upward.  :Whistling:

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## Coffeecup

Thanks Tim, tried that but it didn't help.  Maybe I'll try plugging it in someday.   :Smile:

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## almeriastrings

Thread rises from the dead... hey, not quite Halloween, but getting there...

I would just add a real word of caution to anyone considering one of these: please don't.

In addition to some of the obvious drawbacks, non-carved back and top, for example, the tuners they fit are really dire. Very coarse and very loose. Large gold metal buttons... you only need to breath close by and they move out of tune. Overall "tone" is thin, hard and metallic. Surprisingly, once the setup was done, playability was reasonably decent, and the frets were fitted quite nicely out of the box, but the supplied bridge is atrocious. It was supplied flat in the box, with no attempt at a proper fitting. The screw threads were sticking right through the base.  The finger-guard had a loose screw into the body that would not tighten until the hole was plugged and entirely re-done... otherwise, it rattled like an annoyed Sidewinder. Honestly... get a KM-150. Might be twice the price, but many times the mandolin.

When you are just starting out, you do at least need an instrument that sounds decent and _encourages you to play_. This is really important...I saw a recent KM-150 recently and it was in a different league, but honestly, not that much more money. If you are serious about learning, save a few extra pennies up and go for the Kentucky (or a 'The Loar' LM-220 which are in the same general class).

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## bob_mc

The title should be "new Epiphone MM30". Mine is an old MIJ and while it lacks in volume ever so slightly, I prefer it over any Eastman I have played for sound. Mine rings and sustains. 

She is not long for this world with a neck hump issue, but either I got very lucky or the MIJ ones were much much better.

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