# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > CBOM >  Pango Mandocello

## NotMelloCello

Anyone spot that pair of Pango Mandocello pages on Squeebay? The guy wants paid up front with a 3 month wait to build and deliver from China. I would be nervous about hitting that Buy It Now button....

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## AndyV

yet they have 5 available....  Materials to build five? 

Restocking charge is only 25%! Plus shipping. 

 I noticed some time ago the price their other products suddenly increased abou 80%. Something to do with tariffs?

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## Jim Garber

Always helpful to provide a link:
Pango Mandocello

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## nblauss

Has anyone seen one of these in person?  It's intriguing to get an f-style mandocello for the price of an Eastman.  They say they're shipping in real time, these days.  I'm sure I'm getting ahead of myself.

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## colorado_al

I recently took a chance and purchased a mandolin made by this same builder. Build quality far exceeded my expectations. It did take a while to receive, since it shipped from China. But it was well worth the wait and the price was well below what the instrument would cost from a retailer. It looks like they have most models already built and ready to ship, but I expect mandocellos are not really in demand, so they build to order instead of stocking them ready to ship.
The mandolin was shipped direct from the factory, without setup. The packaging was very good and it arrived unscathed. The ebony fretboard was dry as a bone, bridge was not mated to the top and the nut needed work. Aside from the dry fretboard, not a surprise. A little fingerboard oil and an hour on the bench, and it plays great! If I didn't already have a great mandocello, I'd consider the Pango.

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## Jim Garber

Which model mandolin did you buy? The A models seem to be around $565-585USD and Fs around $750-995USD with free shipping. For those prices, how do they compare to, say, Eastman, Kentucky and The Loar mandolins? Prices do not seem to be a superbargain unless they have gone up a lot or the quality is higher than those known and already imported brands. 

They certainly _look_ nice: A pictured below is $585 and dark brown F is $995 and reddish brown F is $755.

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## colorado_al

> Which model mandolin did you buy? The A models seem to be around $565-585USD and Fs around $750-995USD with free shipping. For those prices, how do they compare to, say, Eastman, Kentucky and The Loar mandolins? Prices do not seem to be a superbargain unless they have gone up a lot or the quality is higher than those known and already imported brands. 
> 
> They certainly _look_ nice: A pictured below is $585 and dark brown F is $995 and reddish brown F is $755.


The A5 blonde with tortoise binding is the model I bought. Yesterday I went to a local store and I played it side by side with Eastman MD-805, MD-505, MD-305, MD-515, MD-315, Kentucky KM-250, KM-272, KM-505. I liked it better than every Eastman and Kentucky in the shop, both of which I think are better than the Loars I've played.
I'd put it further up the chain somewhere near JBovier. 
I also played it side by side with a bunch of Collings and the Collings came out on top in that one. No surprise there. 
It is a bit of an unusual instrument as it has a larger body (10-3/16") than the standard A5 (9-7/8") and it has a much better bass and mid response because of it. I think the hand oiled semi-gloss finish helps contribute to an open sound as well. 
The 2 nits that I would pick with it are the low budget tuning machines and the guitar style screw-in endpin. The tuning machines actually work fine and are smooth and hold tune, they are just cheap looking. They are on par with the tuners on Eastman MD-305 and Kentucky KM-250. The endpin could be easily replaced with an ebony one with the careful use of a drill.
I'll post a full review when I get a chance.

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Jim Garber

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## Jim Garber

That blonde does look nice. That is great that it compares more than favorably with some other imports. looks like the brand name is Afanti though some of the other models have the brand taped over on the photos.

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## colorado_al

Their brand is Pango for electric instruments.
For acoustic it is Afanti.

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## Jonathan K

Well, this thread just cost me $1800. A mandolinist and his money are easily parted. 

I too will post a full review when I receive the mandocello, have it set up and can play a little Bach on it. 

Now the two-month-plus wait begins...

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Bernie Daniel, 

colorado_al, 

thecelloronin

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## colorado_al

Can't wait to hear about it!
Did you buy the oval hole or f hole?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pango-Music...3/173688914054

Here's my review of the A5
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...MD-717)-review
I liked it so much that I ordered an F5 too.

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## Jim Garber

> Well, this thread just cost me $1800. A mandolinist and his money are easily parted. 
> 
> I too will post a full review when I receive the mandocello, have it set up and can play a little Bach on it. 
> 
> Now the two-month-plus wait begins...


If you buy two you can get them for 5% off.  :Smile: 

Personally I like the look of the oval hole one:

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## Jonathan K

colorado_al, your comments on your Pango mandolins are very encouraging!

After YouTubing a bunch of mandocellos with f and oval holes - and recalling my experience playing f and oval hole mandolins at Gryphon last month - I ordered the oval hole F mandocello. I generally prefer the punch of f holes on my mandolins but I like the sonorousness of the oval hole on the mandocello.

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Bernie Daniel, 

colorado_al

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## colorado_al

> colorado_al, your comments on your Pango mandolins are very encouraging!
> 
> After YouTubing a bunch of mandocellos with f and oval holes - and recalling my experience playing f and oval hole mandolins at Gryphon last month - I ordered the oval hole F mandocello. I generally prefer the punch of f holes on my mandolins but I like the sonorousness of the oval hole on the mandocello.


Pango/Afanti F5 mandolin review started here:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...MD-719)-review

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## Jonathan K

Today I received an eBay notification that Pango will try to finish my mandocello in 25 days. Maybe I'll get it by end of February!

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thecelloronin

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## thecelloronin

Oh man, I'm excited about this thread. Please keep us abreast of the situation!

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## Jonathan K

Today I received an update from Pango:

_Dear Jonathan

Great day! hope you are doing good

for your Mandocello, the body is almost ready now, pls check the photos, 

for our Mandocello and Mandolins, all the details are made by hand to make sure every detail is perfect! 

Your Mandocello will be ready before China spring festival

any questions or needs, pls tell me anytime

Sincerely, Ann_

Plus several photos!



So, I'm getting a good vibe about this whole thing! Now I just have to see when the China Spring Festival is...

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colorado_al

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## Martin Jonas

> So, I'm getting a good vibe about this whole thing! Now I just have to see when the China Spring Festival is...


Looking good!  At least you now can have some confidence that an actual instrument is being built.  "Spring Festival" is the same as Chinese New Year, which is on 5 February.

Martin

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## Jim Garber

> Today I received an update from Pango:
> 
> _Your Mandocello will be ready before China spring festival_


I think you should work on some Chinese tunes to play on your Pangocello when it arrives. How about this one played with lots of tremolo:

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## colorado_al

> Today I received an update from Pango:


Sweet!
That is a great looking back! Pretty cool that it is being made specifically for you. Can't wait to hear more about it!
Looks like they are building a second at the same time. Wonder if that is already spoken for or will be available to purchase?

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## Jonathan K

I have to believe they build everything in batches. It couldn't possibly make sense to build a single instrument for a single order if you really are the biggest mandolin factory in China.  :Laughing: 

But, I have to say, I never would have expected them to send me photos. Maybe they send this set of photos to everyone who orders a mandocello.

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## colorado_al

> I have to believe they build everything in batches. It couldn't possibly make sense to build a single instrument for a single order if you really are the biggest mandolin factory in China. 
> 
> But, I have to say, I never would have expected them to send me photos. Maybe they send this set of photos to everyone who orders a mandocello.


I contacted them before purchasing the honey Amber A5 and they said they had certain models always built and in stock and that others are made to order. Certainly makes sense to build more than 1 at a time.
They do build a lot of their lower end models for several brands that you would recognize. Washburn, Morgan Monroe, etc.
You can buy those from Afanti, unbranded, with min order of 6 or 12 depending on the model. On the more expensive and better made instruments, they sell them by 1.

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Jonathan K

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## Jonathan K

That's quite interesting! They also invited me to visit their factory. I'll certainly take them up on that offer the next time I'm in Weifang!

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## thecelloronin

Aside from inviting you to the factory, what has customer service been like? Were you able to ask questions about the build or offer preferences? Did you experience any language barriers?

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## Jonathan K

> Aside from inviting you to the factory, what has customer service been like? Were you able to ask questions about the build or offer preferences? Did you experience any language barriers?


The company has been great to deal with. They've been very responsive to questions (the nut width is 41mm = 1.6 in). Today I came back from a mini-tour with my band to this lovely missive:

_Dear Jonathan

Great day! our best luthier had finished this great Mandocello for you! attached are the photos, pls check them

all top solid flamed maple wood! all the details handmade! the best Ebony fingerboad! it is the best Mandocello in the world, we believe you will love it! 

we have packed it very well! you will get it very soon! 

Ann_

And here are some of the photos:



Looks awright to me!

I also got shipping info today, so now the long wait begins!

I plan to prepare an unboxing video and then a review/performance video once it's set up. 

So exciting!

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Chuck Leyda, 

colorado_al, 

Em Tee, 

fox, 

Mandobart, 

meow-n-dolin, 

Rick Schneider, 

thecelloronin, 

William Smith

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## colorado_al

Looks good! What type of finish did you get? Very shiny. The mandolins that I bought have a hand rubbed oil varnish that is kind of semi-gloss.
Looking forward to hearing your report!

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## Jonathan K

I don't know what the finish is - I just like playing these things and looking at them. I need to learn more about finishes, woods, etc. I prefer not so shiny on a purely aesthetic level but this is the first instrument anyone has ever built for me and I had no idea what I would mean by saying "Um, could you build me a not so shiny mandocello?"  :Smile:  The super high gloss mandos you see everwhere are scratch magnets. They seem finished specifically for the marketing photo op. The one I have sounds great and I look forward to the day when I stop worrying about it getting scratched. But assuming tone did not change, I would have preffered semi-gloss or matte. 

I'm sure my shiny new mandocello will get all scratched and look not so shiny and not so new in a few years.

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## Jonathan K

Latest update!

My Pango mandocello departed Qingdao on January 30 and arrived in San Francisco February 11! So close! I wonder how long it will take to get through customs...

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## Joe Dodson

Wow, looks beautiful.  I'm glad I just now started following this thread.  I don't think I could have stood the wait!

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## Charles E.

Wow, that is great that you are getting "The best Mandocello in the world!"

Looks really nice, let us know how you like it.

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## thecelloronin

> Latest update!
> 
> My Pango mandocello departed Qingdao on January 30 and arrived in San Francisco February 11! So close! I wonder how long it will take to get through customs...


Stoked for you, brotherman! Could I convince you to do an unboxing video for us?

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## colorado_al

Looks like Mando Mo Strings (who purchases from Pango/Afanti) has the F hole style one in stock for $2,389 with case:
https://www.mandomostrings.com/store..._Shipping.html





Direct from China without setup and case is $1892
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pango-Music...-/173688914054

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40bpm, 

Joe Dodson, 

tmsweeney

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## thecelloronin

> Looks like Mando Mo Strings (who purchases from Pango/Afanti) has the F hole style one in stock for $2,389 with case:
> https://www.mandomostrings.com/store..._Shipping.html


Man, the pics on that website hurt my eyes. The overuse of filters is highly suspect, as is the product description. Thank goodness the instruments seem to sound better than their marketing!

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## Jim Garber

It looks like they are importing an A-style mandocello they call *the Bison* for $1250 w/HSC and free shipping. I agree the instruments in the demo videos look a lot better than the photos on the web page. They need to work on their sunburst finishes or else just finish solid color. It does sound good and unlike the Eastman MC, it looks like this was meant to be a mandocello vs. a converted archtop guitar.

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## colorado_al

> It looks like they are importing an A-style mandocello they call *the Bison* for $1250 w/HSC and free shipping. I agree the instruments in the demo videos look a lot better than the photos on the web page. They need to work on their sunburst finishes or else just finish solid color. It does sound good and unlike the Eastman MC, it looks like this was meant to be a mandocello vs. a converted archtop guitar.


Ugh! That is an ugly sunburst!

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## William Smith

Wow the cello sounds great! Never heard of this import brand? Have they been around long? Looks very nice also for the $$$.

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## Jonathan K

> Stoked for you, brotherman! Could I convince you to do an unboxing video for us?


Yes! There will be an unboxing video!

I received the mandocello yesterday, unboxed it, looked at it and dropped it off at Gryphon for set up today.

Initial observations pending full review: the instrument was boxed and shipped very well - lots of form fitting styrofoam. The finish looks quite nice, but there are a number of small imperfections, especially in the area of the scroll - nothing really noticeable, but this is clearly not the finish of a $6k Weber mandocello and that's fine. The neck is nice and smooth. When I brought it to Gryphon, the first thing the guy noticed was the huge amount of backbow in the neck. This was quickly corrected by loosening the truss rod, but it was weird that the truss rod had been tightened to 11. I assume that was just a "prep for shipment" error. Gryphon guy also noted that the nut slots seemed to have been cut too deep but we'll see how that actually turns out - he wasn't as outraged about that as he was about the backbow.  :Smile:  The color is nice and I apologize for not including a photo here - I forgot to take one last night - but it's kind of honey colored, I guess. It's not nearly as shiny as it seemed in the photos I posted earlier in this thread so I'm happy about that. Gryphon will also swap out the strings that came with the mandocello for a set of Thomastiks I brought. 

More news in a few days!

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Bernie Daniel, 

colorado_al

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## Jonathan K

> Looks like Mando Mo Strings (who purchases from Pango/Afanti) has the F hole style one in stock for $2,389 with case:
> https://www.mandomostrings.com/store..._Shipping.html
> 
> Direct from China without setup and case is $1892
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pango-Music...-/173688914054


Omgomgomg I can't wait to get my mandocello back from Gryphon! Mine is oval hole so it will sound boomier than this one which I think is great for ensemble playing. 

$500 extra and you get a HSC is not outrageous - given the impossibility of acquiring a mandocello case without a mandocello in it. Thanks, Colorado_al, for that info! I wrote to the dude and asked if he could provide any info on a case. But I don't have much hope...

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## Jim Garber

Jonathan K: that looks to me to be a guitar case. It certainly doesn't look like it was made for that mandocello. Which dude did you write to? The guy in China or Mandomo or Adam Sweet? I am sure that the two latter folks can tell you what kind of case that is or possibly sell you one. I am guessing that it is a case meant for an archtop guitar.

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## Eric Hanson

:Popcorn: 
Hurry up before my popcorn runs out! 
 :Grin:

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## Jonathan K

> Jonathan K: that looks to me to be a guitar case. It certainly doesn't look like it was made for that mandocello. Which dude did you write to? The guy in China or Mandomo or Adam Sweet? I am sure that the two latter folks can tell you what kind of case that is or possibly sell you one. I am guessing that it is a case meant for an archtop guitar.


I wrote to mandomostrings@yahoo.com and got a reply from someone who said they could order a case. 

I'd be very happy with an archtop guitar case! I went to Guitar Center on the way to Gryphon and one dreadnaught case fit nicely but was not deep enough. Then I tried an actual archtop case and it was way too big. An archtop guitar case of the right dimensions would be perfect.

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## Jim Garber

Do you know what the dimensions are, especially the lower bouts?

I recently bought a 17” archtop guitar. Even though the guitar was made in 1936 I found that Epiphone makes sort of copies of their vintage archtops in three sizes. Mine is the largest of the new cases but they make one for 16” and one even smaller.  I also looked at Gator and Golden Gate which are cheaper. 

I think this one I was also considering: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Gator/G...questid=165310

GC will ship it to your local store and let you try it there. There are specs on the Gator site. Might be too big for the MC but there are other sizes.

Here are specs for that case:

Body Length: 23.5"
Body Height: 5.5"
Lower Bout: 17.25"
Middle Bout: 11.25"
Upper Bout: 13"
Total Length: 44.5"

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Bernie Daniel, 

Jonathan K

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## colorado_al

When is this mandocello coming back from setup? Can't wait to hear about it!

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## Jonathan K

Hi!

The Afanti mandocello from Pango is set up and I've been playing around with it for about 24 hours. Here's my review.

First, a timeline:

Ordered: December 30, 2018
Build completed: January 28, 2019
Shipped: January 29, 2019
Delivered to California: February 13, 2019

The mandocello arrived packed quite professionally in a form-fitting syrofoam coffin wrapped in cardboard and plastic shipping tape. It was strung with roundwounds with the bridge and truss rod wrench wrapped and stowed separately. 

At first glance, the mandocello looked very nice. Very shiny and smooth - very smooth neck. Looking closer, one could see some imperfections in the finish, especially around the scroll, but nothing observable from further than a yard. For a $2k instrument, the finish was quite fine.  

And the flamed maple is very pretty. The fit of the wood components feels very nice. 

In setting up the mandocello, my luthier noted that the truss rod had been tightened all the way. Loosening a bit made the neck straighten out. The frets needed a bit of leveling. The 1 5/8 inch nut needed a little work and of course the bridge had to be fitted. 

All that work done and the mandocello sounds great. Honestly, I have nothing to compare to but videos on YouTube and Mike Marshall's playing on the albums with Caterina Lichtenberg (I heard him play his mandocello live a couple of years ago) but it sounds as I imagine a mandocello would sound - deep and sonorous with punch. One could play Bach cello suites or acoustic speed metal power chords with this intrument and it would all be equally compelling. 

Playing the mandocello is difficult - guitar scale, double courses of heavy strings and fifths tuning. Prepare for that if you want to buy one. There are lots of death-defying leaps and shifts - especially if you have smallish to normal-sized hands. If you play hard, you need high action on the bass strings and have to really press to avoid buzz. 

Besides the finish around the scroll, I'm not thrilled about the tuners - I might replace them later. But at the moment, they are keeping my Thomastic flatwounds in place and mostly in tune. 

My rating: 4.8 of 5 stars! I deduct .2 for the finish around the scroll. But at this price point, if you're looking for an A or F mandocello, I don't think you can beat the Afanti from Pango in terms of quality, style and sound. 

Afanti Music's Mandolin Family Catalog. I bought my mandocello through their eBay store. 

I should also note that their customer service was spectacular. They answered all my questions and sent me photos of the mandocello as it was being built.

My awkward unboxing and review video is here.

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40bpm, 

Ezri

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## Jim Garber

Thanks, Jonathan. What are the specs for nut width and scale length of yours? On their web site they say:




> Scale Length:	25 Inches, 24.75
> Nut Width:	1 5/8 Inches,  other size available


So is the scale 25 or 24.75? Also what does the neck feel like? Teens Gibsons have a extra thick triangular profile but later one have sort of guitar necks. I had a 1937 one that I swear had a guitar neck and it was very slim and playable but it was a little too thin for standard gauge strings. I lightened up the strings and it was better.  I know some mandocellists remove the lowest C string so there is only one string to pluck avoiding rattling caused by two strings close together. Of course, proper spacing between the strings of each course could be adjusted, too. I don't know if your luthier noticed that.

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## Jonathan K

Hello, Jim! 

The nut on mine is 1 5/8." I *think* that's a fraction wider than the K4? The scale is just over 25" given where my luthier placed the bridge.

The neck is very guitaresque and thin. I can't really compare it to the old Gibsons - I spend a lot of time with my 24" Fender Jaguar electric guitar and this neck is very playable for me. By comparison, I hate playing 25.5" chunky-neck Stratocasters. I'd rather play this thin neck in fifths.  :Smile: 

I feel like I'm getting the hang of this thing and I'm getting less rattling on the C string the more I play. Removing one C string is an interesting option. 

A kind soul here posted the specs for a K4. I haven't gotten around to measuring the string spacing but it is certainly wider than my mandolins! I don't think the strings are hitting each other, but rather the frets - the forward fret until I raised the bridge slightly and now the current fret if I don't press down hard enough. 

This thing is fun to play.  :Smile:

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colorado_al, 

Mandobart

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## colorado_al

Glad to hear you're enjoying it! Looks and sounds great!
I've found that at 24.75" to 25" scale I prefer .075 strings for the C course. Thomastik are .070. I think you'd see a change from about 25 lbs to about 29 lbs tension. That might help with some of the buzzing you're getting.

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Jonathan K

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## Jonathan K

Oooo! .075! Do you have a suggestion for flatwounds? Perhaps I’ll give it a try when I change strings next!

Thanks!!!

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## colorado_al

> Oooo! .075! Do you have a suggestion for flatwounds? Perhaps I’ll give it a try when I change strings next!
> 
> Thanks!!!


I buy Daddario chromes for electric guitar and clip the ball out from the loop.
CG075
https://www.stringsandbeyond.com/dchflwoelsis.html
And you might consider a single 075 C string. Easier to fret just 1 and less chance of buzzing.

Also, from your video, it was hard to see what the tuners are. From the website pictures, they look like old style Schallers but with black screws. Maybe whoever was making them for Schaller in Korea kept manufacturing them when Schaller switched to the new GrandTune?

PS- I like your rendition of Miserlou on the C strings!

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## Jim Garber

For convenience, here is the unboxing video. BTW youtube categorizes it as comedy. You may need to work on your stand-up act a bit more,  :Smile:

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40bpm, 

Don Grieser, 

meow-n-dolin, 

tmsweeney, 

WaxwellHaus

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## Jonathan K

I think the whole genre of the unboxing video is hilarious. Although my playing makes my cat cry. But that’s funny so...

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## Jim Garber

> I think the whole genre of the unboxing video is hilarious. Although my playing makes my cat cry. But that’s funny so...


Wow. An unboxing AND cat video. Memeland! Your playing is fine.

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Jonathan K

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## Jonathan K

BTW, I also posted in another thread the dimensions for case sizing:

Body Length: 20.5 in
body Height (incl. bridge): 5.5 in
Lower Bout: 14.5 in
Mid Bout: 10 in
Upper Bout: 11 in
Total Length: 40 in

Jim, thank you for your pointers to the Epiphone cases. I can't figure out which one to try - the case you suggested seems too large.

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## Jonathan K

So I just bought a Road Runner Boulevard Acoustic Gig Bag (7/8 to Concert). The 'cello fits quite nicely and if I don't jump up and down on it, I think the bridge should be ok. 

Any suggestions for hard shell would be appreciated!

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## colorado_al

> BTW, I also posted in another thread the dimensions for case sizing:
> 
> Body Length: 20.5 in
> body Height (incl. bridge): 5.5 in
> Lower Bout: 14.5 in
> Mid Bout: 10 in
> Upper Bout: 11 in
> Total Length: 40 in
> 
> Jim, thank you for your pointers to the Epiphone cases. I can't figure out which one to try - the case you suggested seems too large.


I think your best best will be Guardian CG-056-C
http://www.guardiancases.com/cg056.html
Though you'll need extra space for the lower point

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## Jim Garber

> BTW, I also posted in another thread the dimensions for case sizing:
> 
> Body Length: 20.5 in
> body Height (incl. bridge): 5.5 in
> Lower Bout: 14.5 in
> Mid Bout: 10 in
> Upper Bout: 11 in
> Total Length: 40 in
> 
> Jim, thank you for your pointers to the Epiphone cases. I can't figure out which one to try - the case you suggested seems too large.


As I mentioned, Epiphone does not list measurements. OTOH if you like the look, check out the measurements of the modern Epiphone archtops that would fit in them. Zenith or Olympic might work. If the one that Al recommends could work.

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## Bernie Daniel

> So I just bought a Road Runner Boulevard Acoustic Gig Bag (7/8 to Concert). The 'cello fits quite nicely and if I don't jump up and down on it, I think the bridge should be ok. 
> 
> Any suggestions for hard shell would be appreciated!


Check out the case thread you posted in yesterday for one suggestion.

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## nblauss

I also ordered one of these, and while mine got held up in customs, it has now arrived, and I've played it for a few days.

My thoughts are similar.  The finish around the scroll could certainly use a bit of touch up, but for the most part, the instrument looks great.  I have yet to do a more detailed set-up, but the neck is adjusted, and the bridge placed (but not re-shaped).

I wanted to add a note about tone.  I've got an Eastman that I've had for a number of years - but I was really envious of a scroll.  The Eastman's neck has been adjusted width wise so that it's more playable, but that hasn't affected it's tone.

The comparison between the two is interesting.  While the Eastman has f-holes, and the Pango has a single sound hole, I'm guessing the sound has more to do with body shape.  This Pango seems to focus more on the mando side of the name, while the Eastman is more of a 'cello.  The Eastman may be very slightly louder, but I think it's more a roundness of tone, rather than the the bite of the Pango.

Just thought I'd put that out there.  I'm handing them back and forth to compare.

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40bpm

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## Charles E.

> So I just bought a Road Runner Boulevard Acoustic Gig Bag (7/8 to Concert). The 'cello fits quite nicely and if I don't jump up and down on it, I think the bridge should be ok. 
> 
> Any suggestions for hard shell would be appreciated!


Use the styrofoam shipping box it came in. You could glue luan plywood to the outside of it, make a hinged lid and add a handle. Kind of like a giant Travelite.

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Chuck Leyda, 

Jonathan K

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## Jonathan K

> Use the styrofoam shipping box it came in. You could glue luan plywood to the outside of it, make a hinged lid and add a handle. Kind of like a giant Travelite.


Clever!

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Charles E.

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## jkcornwell

Im this close to ordering one!  The thing thats putting me off though is the sellers all positive reviews: many of them are from the same buyer, for the same guitar strap, with the same innocuous comments.  I feel like that doesnt make me feel good about the sellers honesty.

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## stevojack665

I bought one of their mandolins and I like it quite a lot! But they may be fudging their reviews. I wouldn't be surprised with that from a Chinese factory. Anyhow, the mandolin is great!
Best, Stevo

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## tmsweeney

> The comparison between the two is interesting.  While the Eastman has f-holes, and the Pango has a single sound hole, I'm guessing the sound has more to do with body shape.  This Pango seems to focus more on the mando side of the name, while the Eastman is more of a 'cello.  The Eastman may be very slightly louder, but I think it's more a roundness of tone, rather than the the bite of the Pango.


I won't claim to know the physics behind it, but the F hole style top will project the sound out ward from the instrument a little further than the round center hole. Just my observation but round hole tops tend to be more "Bassier" and F hole more high register.

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## Shawn Walters

Hello everyone!  New to the forum here, but saw this thread awhile back and ended up buying one of their Mandocello's.  Here's the one I ended up getting:



It appears they do build them in batches of 4, as I received the following pictures and message from them on ebay of the 4 currently being built:

 

Great day! 

for now, the Mandocello body is ready, the rest building progress will be fast, 

to make 1 unit, it will take a lot of time, so we built 4 units this time, 

attached are the body photos, pls check them

any update will be offered, pls don't worry 

any questions or needs, pls tell us anytime

Sincerely, Ann

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stevojack665, 

WaxwellHaus

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## Harmon Gladding

[QUOTE=Shawn Walters;1723865]

"It appears they do build them in batches of 4, as I received the following pictures and message from them on ebay of the 4 currently being built:"

I received the same message and photos from Ann.  I think I received my instrument about 2 months after ordering it.  I am very happy with its sound and playability.  I have posted a couple of Bach recordings on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWE...Y3qRkRQOZH92YQ
The channel also has a couple of tracks that I did with a Fender acoustic guitar that I had converted to 6-string mandocello tuned C G D.

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## Caleb

Jonathan, that thing looks and sounds great.  Nice score.  I think the stretches would be too much for me to get much enjoyment out of something like that, so I admire your skills.  I used to have an octave mandolin and couldn't play tunes on it at all.

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## stevojack665

It looks like Jonathan is selling his. Curiously, for more than they cost new?
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/145522#145522

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## Caleb

> It looks like Jonathan is selling his. Curiously, for more than they cost new?
> https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/145522#145522


Probably rolled in the setup costs at luthier.  Not cheap.

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stevojack665

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## Jonathan K

Its a great instrument. I just dont play it enough to warrant keeping it.

As for cost, I invested about $280 into it including TI strings and setup, so $100 over new isnt so unreasonable. And you get it in a few days already set up instead of in 45 days needing a setup.   :Smile:

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stevojack665

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## tmsweeney

Congrats Jonathan K and Colorado Al, those Pango's sound pretty good, more importantly the number of active mandocellos on the planet increases which puts my soul at ease....

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## CES

Props to those of you that can play those things. I had an ache for the low rumble for quite a while (thanks Mike Marshall and Gator Strut) before circumstances worked out so that I could get a Weber Yellowstone MC from The Mandolin Store. It was a beautiful beast of an instrument, with awesome tone, and it came set up perfectly. I dove in with all the fervor of someone who wanted to be the Yo Yo Ma of mandocellists. I got a couple of beginner cello books to learn the fretboard and shore up my bass clef reading, and really enjoyed it. I even managed to work it into a couple of contemporary Christian songs with our youth praise band when I had basically a fingerstyle guitarist/vocalist and had to hold down both rhythm and bass, and it actually worked out well. But, man, the scale length just kicked my booty, and, after a couple of years I realized that I’m way better at mandolin and guitar than I’ll ever functionally be on MC. I used to have a 22.5 inch OM with which I could play rhythm all day long, but with which I struggled on tunes/lead stuff. 

Then I played a 20 inch scale OM at The Music Emporium, and my hands liked it...a lot. So, the MC is in transit to TMS, and i’ll Soon be getting a 20 inch OM. Can’t wait...more to come when it arrives. For now, props to those of you who make a MC sound so fine...

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## nblauss

Hi, all.  Another update several months down the road.  Having spent more time with this thing, I'm coming to a couple of conclusions / realizations.

Firstly, I'm really coming to appreciate the sound.  I've never played another f-style mandocello, so I can't make a comparison (though I'd love to if anyone knows of one in Western Maine), but I think the tone is mellowing a bit.  It's not as loud as the Eastman, but it does sound nice, and you can feel the resonance as you play.

On the flip side, I'm finding more spots where the finish and/or detail work is a bit off.  I'm a carpenter (not a work-worker, necessarily), and there are some places that really needed to be sanded, or where the binding on the fret board is loose, etc.  I'm not sure what it would take to get everything totally dialed in - and I definitely don't have the time to do it - but I notice it while I'm playing, and wish I knew more.

Anyway, I have no remorse.  I think the Eastman sounds marginally better, but this thing feels right.

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stevojack665

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## stevojack665

> Hi, all.  Another update several months down the road.  Having spent more time with this thing, I'm coming to a couple of conclusions / realizations.
> 
> Firstly, I'm really coming to appreciate the sound.  I've never played another f-style mandocello, so I can't make a comparison (though I'd love to if anyone knows of one in Western Maine), but I think the tone is mellowing a bit.  It's not as loud as the Eastman, but it does sound nice, and you can feel the resonance as you play.
> 
> On the flip side, I'm finding more spots where the finish and/or detail work is a bit off.  I'm a carpenter (not a work-worker, necessarily), and there are some places that really needed to be sanded, or where the binding on the fret board is loose, etc.  I'm not sure what it would take to get everything totally dialed in - and I definitely don't have the time to do it - but I notice it while I'm playing, and wish I knew more.
> 
> Anyway, I have no remorse.  I think the Eastman sounds marginally better, but this thing feels right.


There are certainly some places where my Afanti mandolins could be better. A fair amount of visible glue in the neck joint, a few places where the binding has a tiny air pocket beneath it, and the finish could be smoother. I'm sure if I took the time to fix these it would be not too hard to do. For the money spent however, they are terrific! The fingerboards are straight, the tops and backs are well carved and the sound is quite good.

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## Shawn Walters

I'll add a few things about mine as well.  I should add that I repair stringed instruments and occasionally build them as well, so I'm coming at this from that perspective.

I'm very pleased with it overall.  The strings it shipped with, however, we're completely useless.  They looked liked someone who sweats heavily had been playing on them for a over a year, and they wouldn't hold tune, but that's just a small thing.  Finish is just "ok", small imperfections and bubbles, but again, not a deal breaker.  I did visit with Pango (Ann, their Representative) about shipping mine without a finish as I could have just applied my own or done a french polish or something, and they agreed to do so at a reduced cost.  In fact, they can pretty much do anything you ask because you're custom ordering these instruments and they were willing to use different finishes or ship the thing in pieces if you want to finish the luthiery work yourself...that's a major bonus in my book.  Ultimately, I decided just to have them do the finish, as I had too many other projects in line to get around to it.  There are only two "big" issues for me:

1. Glue:  Seems minor, but it's a bit sloppy and it stinks to high heaven.  I've had the thing for 3 or 4 months now, and it still stinks.  Not as bad as when it was new, but nonetheless, you'll want to avoid exposure to it for long periods until it's fully gassed off.
2. Design:  With this instrument being around a guitar scale length, the cutaway where you'd normally rest it on your leg is far too short.  I get that they wanted to keep the general mandolin appearance, but it's a serious design flaw for larger instruments and it's hard to get the instrument into a comfortable playing position.  I'm thinking of building a small leg rest attachment to solve the issue however.

That being said, there are many positives and here are a few I've noticed in particular:

1. Fingerboard wood:  Surprisingly, it's Ebony!  The listing says it's Rosewood, but it's not.  In fact, mine is actually pretty high-grade ebony at that.  With the extra string tension, ebony is a smarter choice, as it's harder than Rosewood and over time should be able to help ease some tension related issues with the heavy strings.
2. Sound:  I didn't really know what to expect to be honest, but the tone and sound are "there", and quite good to my ears.
3. Playability:  Some small setup was needed.  You'll most likely need to cut the string slots in the nut deeper (it's a bone nut by the way, not plastic), make the bridge a bit lighter, and adjust the truss rod, but the fret job was pretty much spot on and quite beautifully done.  It plays as smooth as butter now.

Overall, at the price, a great instrument.  I wouldn't have been able to do the work myself and charge the price they do for the quality you'll get.  It's a beast of an instrument, but for those of you not used to playing longer scale length instruments, it's going to be a challenge.

Just my 2 cents.  Well, maybe 3.

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40bpm

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## NotMelloCello

How much cheaper with no finish?

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## Shawn Walters

NotMelloCello, I deleted our exchange of messages back and forth, but if I remember correctly it was around $150 (maybe $200) less without the finish.  I'm fine with the finish to be honest, and although it's probably a type polyurethane or something similar, it doesn't look to be applied terribly thick.  If I'd had the time avaliable when I got it, I may have opted to do a higher quality finish nitrocellulose or french polish myself, but it wasn't a deal breaker.

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## NotMelloCello

Okay, thanks. Filed for future reference.

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## Algreen

Sharing the sound of my recently acquired Pango Alfanti octave mandolin with the TI mittel strings. Happy with the sound, playability and craftsmanship. I think $1500 is the reasonable limit for these instruments, since the build quality is decent and they use all solid woods. Pro tip, this 20” scale mando fits perfectly in the Golden Gate hard shell case c1511.

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Derik Palmer, 

Harley Marty, 

tmsweeney, 

Uvedale

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## Derik Palmer

Thank you for that, Algreen. I came to this thread because I really want an f-style OM and can't afford a Weber. Pictures are fine but they don't tell you how playable an instrument is, or what it sounds like. Yours sounds pretty good, and since you're playing it I'm guessing its pretty playable too! What strings do you have on it? Did you have any setup issues to attend to when it arrived, like Jonathan described with his mandocello? (I'm guessing they probably sell more OM's than MC's...)

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## vwfye

Very cool!

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## Juney

I am lucky in that I have a local store with an Eastman and Goldtone Mandocellos in stock (or at least they did a few months ago when I was last there). I was more impressed with the Goldtone, tbh. The unplugged sound wasn't quite as full as the Eastman, but it was still passable and it was much easier to play. The neck is too wide on the Eastman, in my opinion. I have thought about swinging by to pick that thing up and jam with it. Then I discovered Pango. This only makes my decision tougher haha. I love the idea of a gigantic F style mando. I think if I had a 'cello I could adapt to the longer scale length, as I was a guitar player before ever picking up a mando. 

That said, an OM would be nice because it is still tuned to G-D-A-E. I guess the only solution is to aim to have both eventually...
In the meantime, those of you with OM and MCs of all makes need to be posting more youtube videos for me to drool over!

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## keithepop

Is there a similar thread for the Pango/Afanti Mandolin?  thanks

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