# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Morgan Monroe ???

## tidal_cross

Hello!  i too am new to the mandolin, and looking for a good starter.  I love the appearance of the Morgan Monroe MAM-200 

and the MFM-300 model as well.

BUT I haven't found any reviews of Morgan Monroes at all.  I've only found a few posts of people who are thinking about them for intro level mandos, but nearly all the responses ignore them all together.  What do you think?

If not a Monroe, does anyone know of other non-sunburst A-shapes that are in the same price range? ($300-$400)

thanks all.

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## dragnlo

I have an MMS-8 and I like it for whats its worth  :Wink:

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## bigbike

MAM300 is my dream mandolin.  I am a banjo player first and foremost and my main banjo is a Morgan Monroe.  Morgans tend to get slammed by "instrument snobs" who unless the instrument has a major name attached to the peghead or a custom builder's they put it down.  Any Morgan Monore instrument I have EVER played needed a set up.  I do not know if it is because the dealers they have don't know how to do various set ups or not.  I usually set my own instruments up so it is not a big deal to me.  Chances are the nut will be plastic-replace it with a bone one and you are pretty much set for life.  Put decent strings on the instrument-the factory ones are ####.  Make sure the bridge is where it needs to be for proper intonation and fit it to the instrument (using sand paper of course).  Some tailpieces are lighter than others, so if the Morgan you want does not have a decent cast tail piece change it over.  other than that-enjoy.  Oh yeah the neck may need a truss rod adjustment as well.

Morgans are great looking, and once set up proper, great sounding and playing instruments. (other than their budget entry level stuff).  But the $400 for the MAM300 (on ebay frequently) takes it out of "entry level" in my book

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## allenhopkins

> Morgans are great looking...


Seems to be the "knock" on Morgan Monroes is that they stress appearance over construction...

The MAM-200 has a solid top, but it's mahogany, which is an unusual tonewood for a mandolin top.  Most mandolins sold today have spruce tops -- a few, cedar.  If you're familiar with mahogany-topped guitars, such as the "17" series Martins, you know that mahogany, which is a hardwood rather than a softwood like spruce, doesn't *generally* produce the same defined sound as a spruce top.

There are Kentucky mandolins for the same price that have solid, hand-carved spruce tops and solid, hand-carved maple back and sides.  You seem to want to avoid a sunburst finish; folkmusician.com has the *Kentucky KM-254,* with a "burgundy" finish, for about the same price as the Morgan Monroe.  It's tonewood selection is more "mainstream," though it's possible you could prefer the mahogany-top sound.

There's a *Morgan Monroe social group* on the cafe, for MM owners/players, and you might find some there who play the mahogany-top mandolins.  Were I to give a bit of caution, I'd suggest that while appearance is definitely a criterion in selecting an instrument, over the long haul sound is more important.  Buying from a well-respected establishment that does good set-up is vital in selecting a first, learner mandolin.

What helps the most is to play as many mandolins as possible, and if you haven't the ability yet, to take along a mandolin-playing friend whose opinion you trust, to get some assistance.  Good luck and hope you find the right instrument for you!

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## jim_n_virginia

I've checked out quite a few new Morgan Monroe's and every one I have ever played looked better than it played. For a mid level import I have seen some real beautiful ones out there with beautiful curly maple backs and some really nice inlay work. But like someone said it seems like they concentrate more on the bling than they do on the sound. The tops seem to be carved thick and the lacquer is quite thick too which to my ears dampens the sound somewhat.

That is not to say they are not good mandolins to play. You get one set up right and it can be a decent mandolin to play or learn on it's just that for the same money or slightly more there are so many more better sounding mandolins.

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## backwoodsborn10

jim n virginia hit the nail on the head.i have a mm white lightening.plays great...top is thicker than any mandolin i've ever seen.finish is beautiful.neck and fretting is very precise.good practice mandolin but wont cut it in a jam.just aint got the sound.

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## bobbyburns

Jim is right. If a Morgan Monroe is your dream mando, it's time you got out and played a few others, and quit looking at the pictures on the net. The Kentuckys sound better, as do the Loars. 

I have a student who started with a plywood Washburn A. He "moved up" to a Micheal Kelly F costing a few hundred more than his Washburn A. The "step up" sounded worse than his A by far.  He the moved up again to a solid Washburn F (after all, the Washburn he had was better than the Kelly). The Washburn F was so heavy, it was the worst of the bunch, even though it was the fanciest, most expensive looked neat, scroll carving etc.. was nicer than the others, it sounded like a brick. His next mando was one of the fancy Morgan Monroe models. It was in the same leage as the Washburn F. So far this guy has spent around $2600, and has a nice collection of shiny new less than mediocre mandos, and is still looking. I'll bet you can see where I'm headed. Don't you think this guy would have been better off if after the first $150 Washburn A, he'd started looking at something that sounded good in the $2000-2500 range? All os these purchases were made within a six month period, and the guy actually plays fairy well for the short time he's been at it ( he still usually shows up with the plywood A).

PS.  I can't count the number of times I have talked this guy out of buying one of those pearl-incrusted, mando sort of looking things from Vietnam on Ebay.

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## bobbyburns

I didn't intend to sound like a mando snob who thinks you would have to spend $2000 to have a legit instrument. I've seen a lot of cheap A models that sound and play fine. If I was looking for the best mando in the $300-499 range, I'd look for a new A model Kentucky, or a used F that I had actually played and sounded good. I have one student who started out on a Alvarez F. It has a plain brown satin finish. I don't think it was very expensive at all, and it sounds very good. I bet it blows the MAM-200 out of the water. This one could just be a lucky fluke though. 

The point is, get out and play them, and listen. Play some instruments that are way outside your price range also. Then you'll have a better idea of what it should sound like. Don't just compare $300 new mandos to the $350 new ones. Compare the $300 one to the $3000 ones, and learn to understand the differences. When you run up on that lucky fluke that sounds way better than normal for it's price, buy that one. Don't go looking for a deal on one just like it, buy that one that has the sound you fell in love with. It may be the only one of that model ever made that sounds as good.
 And also, take your old mando to compare them to. If you can't tell a huge improvement in the sound over what you have now, save your money.

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## Patrick Hull

Bingo, Bobby Burns.  Very well said.  We should permanently link to this for newcomers...and maybe some old timers as well.  Spoken as someone whose second mando was a MM "phantom of the Opry.". Fortunately, I was able to bail out of that mistake and trade it even for another instrument.

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## 300win

Previous owner of a MM5 and MM8. Neither of them were good, but at the time the only thing I could afford, And I agree, the tops on them are way thick. During this same 2-3 year period I also owned a Kentucky 630 which was rough as a cob soundwise, and a Kentucky A-250s, which actually was a pretty good sounding mandolin. The ones I have been impressed with that I've picked up in the music stores I've been to, have been a The Loar, not sure which model number and a Kentucky 675. Both of those for the money were pretty darn good. Every MM I have played has been as dead as a doornail. Just so happy that I finally got able to get a Gibson F-5 and a Gibson A-9. Those two will do me from here on out, as they both sound as good as any other high quality mandolin I have played, including ones that were serveral $ 1000's more. I encourage anyone who is really serious about playing to get the best you can afford, but I know how it is also, I've been in the poorhouse most of my life. I've been playing mandolin since 1965, and it was always my dream to have a very good Gibson F-5 someday, finally this past year it happened.

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## bobbyburns

300win is right about the Kentucky 675, that is a very good one for the money. The Loars are also all good, I think the cheaper ones are better now than they were a year or so ago. The same distrubutor sells a Savannah model, which is made in the same place as the Loars, and the full list price is $399, and it sounds great. They also have another cheaper F, which is the same junk as everybody else has in it's price range, but the SF-200 Savannah is very much like the Loars, and the best F mando for the money I know of hands down. I used to reccomend the Rovers a lot, but I've seen way too many loose necks and tops caved in on these in the last year to feel good about them.
 Of course these are all sunbursts, and they don't come in black, but you've got to line up your priorities somehow!

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## carlnut

I bought a MM mam-200 about 3 years ago when I first began learning mandolin. I had only been playing about 6 months and bought it to upgrade from a $50 Rogue. It was a little better than the Rogue but not much. I bought it online and when I asked the guy how MM mandos sounded, he said they sound just fine. Duh. What did I think he would say? I was able to sell it at a $50 loss which was a pretty cheap lesson not to buy any mandolin without knowing anything about it. I have a Kentucky 380S which actually sounds pretty good, although I want a better mando soon as financially possible. The point of all this rambling is to play the mando first and make sure you like the sound. looks come second.

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## Stamper

I have a MAM 200, or rather my kids do.  We call it the Family Mandolin.

The appointments are very modest.  After the set up, and the changing of the nut (bone), the price came in around $380.00.  We could have spent less but we wanted to support an independent shop.

My eldest (12 at the time) picked it out: we went to various shops and looked at similarly priced instruments.  My general take when it comes to this price range, and to echo the thoughts of others, is that, well, I guess it depends on what one is looking for.  An instrument costing a few hundred dollars is not likely to play like one costing several thousands.  I wanted something the kids could play on to see if they liked the idea to begin with.  I like that it is not made of laminates, but I'm a sort of purist.  I also wanted something that wouldn't require humidification (we live in Southwest) or, rather, that if the instrument split it split, and so be it.  We've had it over a year now: no splits or cracks, and this in a climate of 20% at best humidity.  Beats me.

I play it a lot, actually, because it's always by the couch and in reach.  So, you know, when I'm watching the news, or a movie, I'm endlessly noodling.  I like the mahogany top, myself, which seems to sweeten the tone.  The mahogany top and body also adds an oddly more mellow flavor to it (unlike, I think, maple and spruce might in this category).  It is, though, quiet.  More soft in voice all around.  I find instruments in this price range generally to carry a sort of bitter and shrillness to the tone (to my ear, at least; I don't mean to criticize) and this mandolin has a thinness to it, yes, (it's just unfair to compare it to my own mandolin), but when this MM is on (I can't explain, but sometimes an instrument sounds better to me than at other times), the words I come back to are warmth and sweetness.  If a Weber or a Grown Up Gibson or Collings is a horse, then this thing is, I think, a sort of colt.  That is to say, it's not a foal.  It's a little bigger than that.

Because of the set up (and light strings) it's very playable, though the intonation is faintly off.  Either way, my three kids love it, and I love it that they love it.  And I like especially that it isn't fancy in its appointments, but that's just me: satin finish, no inlay.  Mostly I'm curious to see if it ripens over the years.

FWIW, I saw a guy reviewing the MAM 200 on YouTube a few months ago.  As I recall, he liked it very much.  He also seemed to really dig the case.

For the cause,

S

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## rcsmith83

I have a Morgan Monroe model MMS-4FJ mandolin purchased in late 2014.  Didn't play it for a few years.  Recently retired and started to dive into the mandolin a little more.  I played lead guitar in a country/southern rock band for years but have always loved bluegrass.  I setup my own guitars and have done some setup on the MM mando.  It plays and sounds much better however, the tuners seem crappy in need of replacing, one is hard as hell to turn but stays in tune pretty good.  Any recommendations on tuners?  Bridge?  Thanks folks!

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