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The Gavin Baird F4 in my avatar makes me feel like that every time. Such a joy these little things are!

Maybe also consider the Pono guitar-bodied octaves? They can be had in combinations of two scale lengths and two body sizes. Used ones are sometimes priced at the upper end of the OP's price range...

I really like the Ameritage cases - both shaped and rectangular are good. The best of the traditional construction cases I've tried. The downside is they are heavy.

There was a thread from a year...

That clip is really something - the electric guitar player (who looks like Paul Hogan's twin, right down to the hat) pretty much manages to *light his amp on fire* during the tune and doesn't seem to...

I know this thread is about J74s, but I have to agree with the Curt Mangan strings' longevity, particularly the Monels.

It's worth mentioning if anyone with corrosive body chemistry is looking...

+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...

Like many other people, I've used mostly AT condensers. I admit I like the medium-capsule AT varieties a bit better than the large-capsule ones because they're just a little less sensitive to...

Wow, just beautiful!

That's Tim's Nugget guitar-bodied octave mandolin. It has a 23.5" scale.

More information:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/72308-Tim-O-Brien-s-big-archtop

and
...

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

Anybody in that band could be a headliner (or maybe the headliner) in any other setting. Such a lot of talent on that stage. Lifetime masters like Stuart, Scott and Tim as well as Sierra, one of the...

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...

A 20" scale OM can be incredible and doesn't have to represent a tonal sacrifice. Many great builders are making equally great examples. Girouard was mentioned above and there are others too. Here's...

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...

As mentioned above, it might be worth exploring F-body octaves and the arched top and back "cello-influenced" ones as well. Including these additional shapes could significantly expand the...

The Northfields I've seen, heard and played have been excellent. I instinctively like the idea of supporting the small-shop domestic luthiers but it's hard to take anything away from Northfield....

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...

This trio surely has a winning and rewarding run ahead. Wow, what a race indeed!

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...

Cinghialetto is really nice. Very high quality, comfortable, customizable, with both round and flat braids available. Run by Massimo Gatti who's a tremendous player, a contributor here and bright...

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 always preferred Elixirs over EXPs, and still prefer them over XTs. That being said, the Curt Mangan Monels have a ton going for them, not least of which is they sound great and last a long time. I...

Collings mandolins are very well built from beautiful woods and have great playability. They also have typically very clear tone with good volume and projection. With just a few occasional exceptions...

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...