I guess I'm way behind on the times. I didn't realize Lafferty was making mandolins in China.
https://reverb.com/item/1694066-lafferty-lf-5i-w-ohsc
I guess I'm way behind on the times. I didn't realize Lafferty was making mandolins in China.
https://reverb.com/item/1694066-lafferty-lf-5i-w-ohsc
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Dennis had some made in China. The origin of that one should be pretty apparent by it's hardware.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
That one your looking at is an eastman. Ratliff makes one that's a great lafferty! American made of course and the price reflects it as well. Summit also makes a lafferty that's pretty darn good as well. VERY easy to look at the mandolin and see. I can pick em out a mile away😁
Enjoy.
I was just reading some old threads that the Asian Lafferty mandolins were made by Eastman. I really can't find a good reason right now to purchase an import, anyway. Especially paying in excess of $1,000.00 USD. Under that, it would still be for a used arch top, made in the states. I've come to the conclusion at this point that for a new mandolin, a US made A style gives the most bang for the buck, in general. I've got a Econo A Silverangel on order with Ken Ratcliff right now, which will very likely be my next mandolin expenditure.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Yes. I owned a Mid-Missouri. M-2 I believe. It was very good. Nice sound. Yes, you are correct. Don't quite have the "Bark" as it were, of an arch top. I would agree. The Mid Missouri's I have seen for sale, used, can be had for under $500.00. So, yes, a pretty nice buy for the dollar. In fact, I purchased mine for $400.00, with a hard shell, used. Got right about that much when I sold it.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
I don't pay much attention to where the instrument is made, to tell you the truth. But thinking about it, probably not.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
No, I get it. And likely lots of folks would agree.
I was only responding to your statement about the best bang for the buck being a US made arch top. Tripped my personal issue: how often folks jump directly to the arch top, overlooking the flat top as a viable option.
And especially, if American made is important, there are many options under $1000.00 in flat tops that could make one happy for ever.
Definitely an option no doubt. It was one which I considered. In fact for quite some time the Flat Top was the only US made mandolin I could find under One thousand bucks. I enjoyed the Missouri. It just did not have the overall sound I like in a mandolin. Didn't really have anything to do with just Bluegrass music. There are other types of music I really enjoy playing where the flat top just didn't have the hard sound I like to come from a mandolin. That "Bark" so to speak.
For the moment the only other US brand of mandolin I can find lately under 1000.00 are used Breedlove's, in the OO and OF style. Not a great resale at this time. Which is okay as I really enjoy the 2014 OF I have for which I paid under a thousand. It was really worth the price. I'm really looking forward to getting the Silverangel after what other owners have said about the product.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
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