# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Planning to buy a Epiphone MM-50 - Any comments?

## merrira

I do not know much about mandolins. I play guitar and this will be my first mandolin. I have been reading alot about the different manufacturers. I plan to spend about $500. The information I have seen seems to state that at this price range, some people like the Epiphone mm-50 and some feel that there are better brands for the money. Please give me some guidance. Thanks.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Don't do it. There are better mandolins for the money. Talk to Dennis at the Mandolin Store. He'll get you a good one for the $.

----------

Timbofood

----------


## Tim2723

Hi and welcome!

Yes, there are any number of those who have gotten lucky and found a good copy of that mandolin.  Still others are happy for other reasons.  But you can indeed do better for the money with far less risk of disappointment.

----------


## MikeEdgerton

Put the mouse down and step away from the computer....

Not really. Most of us that play guitar assume that since that Epi is made by Gibson it's probably a great deal. Chances are that you can do a lot better. Don't get sucked in by the hype. If you're sold on an F style then take a look at the Eastman models. Used gets you near your budget, new is a little more. If you can live with an A style you'll get more bang for your buck. Check out the Kentucky KM-505.

----------

Timbofood

----------


## Jill McAuley

You can do better than the Epi for that money - check out the Rover RM75, it's in your price range and well thought of by the folks here who own them. Here's a link for it at the Mandolin Store if you want to see specs and hear a soundclip:

http://www.themandolinstore.com/scri...idproduct=8383

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## extramusical.com

The Rover RM-75 is on sale right now from the manufacture till Dec. 24th Do a search in Google and click on the Shopping link to find the lowest price. 

Looks like you can get it for $354 delivered.

----------


## billkilpatrick

i stopped hankering after a MM-50 the minute my new LM Loar 600 arrived.  i liked the idea of epiphone - sort of like a VW ... the "people's mandolin" ... steady, reliable, good solid instrument that will get you there but not necessarily in style.

a little more money will get you a LOT more mandolin.

----------


## Darren Bailey

Hey Merrira,
I have an Epiphone MM30, the A model not the F, but I imagine they will be similar instruments. the Epiphone is a lovely lokking mandolin, and I too twenty years ago was attracted to the Gibson name on the headstock. But the materials are not sufficient to produce a satisfying sound, in the pre-internet days I didn't know there was better out there for a similar price. 
I realise the Kentucky is above the price range you mention (unless you look for a 505) but I produced this video to demonstrate the relative qualities.

----------


## rohan

I've tried some of the Epi A styles and thought them easy playing and OK for a first mando. IMO they do not have the volumn or quite the tone of a more expensive instrument but, they do cost less.  If ur getting the mando for just a few songs then not a bad choice.  On the other hand, if you plan to do more than just strum a few tunes then look at something with broader appeal ( resale value). A little more money opens up more choice.

----------


## Capt. E

The Epi is ok, but really not worth the money. For the same money the Rover RM75 is a good step up in quality. If you don't need an F style (the one with the fancy scroll on the body), you can get an excellent mandolin by going for a Kentucky KM-505. The people at the Mandolin Store as well as several others, such as Fiddlers Green Music Shop here in Austin, can lead you to the best choice for the money. Keep in mind that mandolins cost about twice the price of equivalent quality guitars.

----------


## John Kinn

My first mandolin was an Epi MM-50. DONT buy one! Mine was a mandolin-shaped object you could have driven over by a truck. No chop, no response, very thin sound. Good advice from all the people here: Kentucky A, Eastman A, Rover. All these will be far better instruments than an Epi (unless they have upgraded them drastically during the years since I bought mine, which I doubt.) Remember that even beginners need fairly good, well set up and playable instruments. Good luck with your search and merry Xmas!
John

----------


## mandroid

The name  meant more before Gibson bought out Epiphone.. and sent the name off to be re imported.

----------


## Canister

I'll have to 2nd or 5th the Kentucky 505.

----------


## allenhopkins

> The name  meant more before Gibson bought out Epiphone.. and sent the name off to be re imported.


Amen.  For a period after Gibson purchased the company in 1957, Epiphone was a "second line" for Gibson in Kalamazoo.  For example, the Epiphone Texan guitar was a Gibson J-50 with different inlays and finish.  You could save a few dollars buying what was an equivalent product.  But the temptation to cash in on the heritage of Epiphone instruments, by sticking the nameplate on a line of lower-end imports, was too strong.  Now a quality brand started nearly a century ago by Epi Stathopoulo, is just a label on some Asian-made mediocrity -- with the possible exception of the new Masterbilt instruments, which are getting decent reviews as good-quality imports.  If Gibson comes out with a Masterbilt mandolin, it may be well worth consideration.

----------


## senorsquishy

Would paying $385US for a used Epiphone MM-50 that appears to be in excellent shape be worth jumping on?

----------


## MediumMando5722

> Would paying $385US for a used Epiphone MM-50 that appears to be in excellent shape be worth jumping on?


The general consensus would be "no." Read the above replies to see why.

----------


## Steve Ostrander

+1 for Kentucky km505 for a few $$ more.

----------


## Chris Daniels

> Would paying $385US for a used Epiphone MM-50 that appears to be in excellent shape be worth jumping on?




The above pic is the MM-50 I owned. As you can see, the model can be quite the looker. I bought it used but I don't think it was ever played because it was near mint. I'm thinking I had to have hit the jackpot and gotten one of the good ones because to this day it had the best action of any mandolin I've touched. I was able to get the strings really low without buzzing or sacrificing any of the tone it was capable of and it as a dream to play.

But it was the limits of that the tone that was the problem. It wasn't nearly as bad as one of the above examples ('No chop, no response, very thin sound') but it was still quite poor by comparison to the higher quality mandolins I've played since then. 

Here's the kicker: I paid $145 for it. At that price it's probably the best starter in the world. $385? No. Just...no.

----------


## Stevo75

I have an Epiphone MM 50 and it's a great starter mandolin.  I have played other MM 50s and though they sounded terrible in comparison.  I don't know if I just got lucky and got a good one or if they made better models in certain years or certain places (they have been made in different countries over the years - at least Japan and Korea that I know of).

Look at the pics in the post above and look at the pics in this thread where I asked about mine:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...light=epiphone

They definitely look different.  Mine has inlays in the fretboard and no florida.  The advice in this thread is good.  You'd probably be better off going with an Eastman or Kentucky because those are much more consistent.  But I know that at least the one I have is nearly as good as an Eastman or Kentucky (not the top of the line for either, I'm talking about the "lower end" versions of these).

----------


## Barry Wilson

My first mandolin was an Epiphone... it lead me to this place/forum, so it has some merits LOL

----------


## Doug Edwards

My first mandolin was an mm 50 (Korean). It was decent but not great. I spent a lot of money with upgrades when I should just bought a better instrument.  I have yet to play a Chinese made one that did not sound thin and tinny.

----------


## terzinator

Starter mandolins should be used ones, in my opinion. (I know, someone has to buy them new, but they're probably not reading this thread.)

If you buy used, you can be fairly confident you'll get most of your money back when you sell it. Especially if you can find one locally, and don't have to pay shipping. (Or if the seller covers your shipping!) For a used instrument, if you tend to it well, it's like money in the bank. It might not earn interest, but banks don't pay much interest these days.

So, buy the best you can afford now, and then save for when MAS strikes again. And it will strike again, I guarantee it.

KM505 is a great call. I haven't played the new iteration of it, but I love (and own) the older one. A great value if you can find a used one. (Probably $400 or less. I see a couple in the classifieds now, as it happens.)

----------


## colorado_al

> Would paying $385US for a used Epiphone MM-50 that appears to be in excellent shape be worth jumping on?


I'll jump on an Epiphone MM-50 for half that if it will render it unfix-able. I weigh about 220 pounds. Do you think my jumping on it would break it beyond repair?

----------


## Chris Daniels

> I'll jump on an Epiphone MM-50 for half that if it will render it unfix-able. I weigh about 220 pounds. Do you think my jumping on it would break it beyond repair?


 :Laughing: 

I found the MM-50's solid top to be rather thin, which helped it resonate somewhat but was likely the main source of the lacking tone. A good hop should do it.

C.

----------


## Sandhills Hunter

I'd go with Eastman, Kentucky or Loar. I have a MM50 that was given to me when I first started playing. I still have it and take it camping regularly. I have a F made by a builder in Arkansas that plays and sounds a lot better than the MM50.

----------


## Mandophyte

I'm being offered an Epiphone MM 50 with a Gibson marked trussrod cover. The serial number is 96090008.
Can anyone tell me how old it is, where is was made and what I ought to pay for it.
Many thanks.

----------


## Mandophyte

A picture.

----------


## rcc56

Well . . .

It's an Asian mandolin.  The serial number decoder I found, if accurate, indicates it was made in 1996 by Samick in Korea.

I've played quite a few Asian Epiphone mandolins from several periods.
The best ones were mediocre student instruments.
The worst ones were awful.
More of them were bad rather than mediocre.  Finding a good one is a gamble with rather long odds.

You might be better off keeping your money in your pocket.  I suspect that even in your part of the world that better Asian built mandolins by Eastman and Kentucky can be found for not too much money.  I feel comfortable recommending either of those brands to my beginning students.  I don't feel comfortable recommending Epiphone mandolins to anyone.

For what it's worth, a reputable US dealer [Elderly Instruments] listed a similar mandolin for $385 US.

----------


## Mandophyte

rcc56,
Many thanks for your distilled wisdom.

----------


## Ray(T)

There’s a shop in Stonehaven (depends how NE in Scotland you are?) which had a couple of Kentucky mandolins in stock the last time I was there. Any of these would likely be better than an Asian Epiphone.

----------


## Mandophyte

Cheers Ray.

----------


## Bill Cameron

New Epiphone mandos are flat out bad. Poor fit-and-finish, oversprayed, overpriced, clunky feel and sound. They have gotten worse than they used to be. 

It beats me why L&M (Canadian music store monopoly, but not entirely without merit as chains go) has been stocking them as a main line of mandos. Epiphone is a well-known name in the industry that seems to be still trading on the long-ago glories of Beatles and Gibson affiliations. 

An Eastman (first choice) or Kentucky, bought sight unseen, is almost certainly a better instrument than the Epi you know.

Also avoid: The Loar, Michael Kelly, Stagg, Washburn, and (speaking of name recognition) Fender.  The Loar might be OK but I wouldn’t bet on it unseen.

Good luck with your first purchase and happy pickin!

----------


## rcc56

The last new "The Loar" mandolin I saw was an A model, probably an LM-110.  That was about 6 months ago.  The build and tone quality on that one was somewhat better than what I had been seeing for the past several years, but . . . I don't know whether or not any of the improvement in quality that I noticed is consistent or not.  Maybe yes, or maybe they just messed up and got one right.

My general experience over the past several years with Asian built mandos is that Eastman and the current incarnation of Kentucky are not shipping any junk.
Too many of the other brands are just plain awful.

----------

