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I'm no expert but my Octar has a 24" scale and I have just medium-sized hands so I've had to come up with some coping strategies! Bart's given a ton of good advice already. May I add a few more...

The new D'Addario XS strings are coated like Elixirs, although the XS are Phosphor-Bronze rather than 80/20. Seems the XS are spiral-wrapped whereas the Elixirs have an extruded coating. In any case,...

+1 on the Curt Mangan strings. I find them to have excellent quality and consistency, great sound (particularly the Monels which I really like) and they last a long time too. And they're not...

Wow! Those guys are awesome. Seriously great players and a terrific tune. Thank you!

I'd agree with the recommendation for the Curt Mangan Monels. I found very little competition between the Martin Monels (a bit blah) and the CM Monels (really nice).

Feel, tone, volume, overall...

I know it's not original, but here's another +1 for this idea. Collings mandolins sell quite easily at sensible prices that tend to satisfy both sellers and buyers. Several reasons I guess, not least...

Generally speaking more tension from a longer scale length yields a larger, more "profound" tone. But the longer scale length gets tougher to play. For instance my fingers are average in length so a...

With respect for Bill's suggestion (which I'd instinctively tend to agree with) but also with respect for the OP's desire to consider a refinish, maybe ask Bruce Weber about it? If you call up...

Maybe it's worthwhile looking at some of the main structural choices in the instruments we're discussing. I know I've noticed real differences between oval-hole mandolins with raised vs attached...

Of the ones that have been mentioned so far I'd recommend the Collings MT-O or Girouard. Vintage Gibsons can be nice but at least in my experience the better modern ovals are a big step forward in...

I hope somebody at Gibson understands how embarrassing this is becoming. The Collings headstock is intentionally asymmetric in part to establish their own brand identity and distinguish their product...

Well, I'm not a luthier but I notice a beautiful dilemma behind the question - you have exquisite mandolins to compare!

Rolfe designed Phoenix mandolins to be easy to play. I had one and it was...

Delightful - particularly the Gigue which I must admit I was unfamiliar with.

Thank you!

Pheffernan's suggestions are most excellent. Flat-top mandolins can be really good and have a feeling about them that's really different from a carved-top instrument.

Dave Sheets' recommendation...

+1 on the Curt Mangan vs. D'Addario monels. I tried both on a Gibson Jam Master A and preferred the Mangans. Tone seemed a bit more complex and they felt nicer to my fingers.

There's also a...

Steve, that was a lot of fun - thank you!

Enjoy!

Hi everyone (and OP!)

If you like the Collings sound then buying one is maybe the best way to get it. The reports of Collings consistency have been accurate in my experience - every one of them...

Hi everyone,

I just noticed the last Gavin Baird F4 is in the classifieds right now. Being sold by Gavin no less! I know we are all being careful with $ during this awful pandemic but if I didn't...

I'm impressed by how consistent the Collings I've played have been. They've all sounded good (with the Collings flavour) and have had high quality build and excellent finish. Fancier or more basic,...

My OM has a 23.5" scale and I don't have long pinkies - so it can be tough to play melody in first position at speed. The upside is it has beautiful tone and sustain. After a while it dawned on me to...

One step up in the catalog from the entry-level Eastmans and Kentuckys might be a good place to look for a great instrument to start on. You might find yourself with something very good and maybe...

Hi everyone,

Baird mandolins rarely show up for sale since Gavin's total output was low and demand for his instruments is always high. I have NFI in the one that's in the classifieds right now -...

I've tried the Curt Mangan and Martin Monel mandolin strings (not the D'Addarios yet) and felt the Mangans were quite a bit better than the Martins. Seemed like better tone, volume and presence to...

I've had both a Jam Master A and a Nashville Flatiron F. Both were very good, and good value too. I did like the Flatiron a bit better though. They can be incredible mandolins for the price. Compared...

OK, how about...

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