I'm looking to purchase my third mandolin. I am a guitar player. I bought a Rogue to see if I could learn Mandolin. I enjoyed it enough to invest in a better instrument. At the time, the best one I could find locally was a Fender FM-63S (F-Style). I've added a Fishman M-200 pickup to it because I need to play it amplified.
Fast forward about 10 years... I don't play mandolin a lot, but recently I am in a band where the band leader wants a folk sound, so I'm playing a lot of Mando and Banjo. The more I play the Fender, the more frustrated I am with the instrument.
A) Tuners are temperamental. It seems like I'm constantly needing to retune.
B) The G-strings rattle bad
C) I need an EQ pedal to make the pickup sound good, and even still, pretty much have to play on the upper strings only.
D) The M-200 pickup keeps falling off
E) I've never been thrilled with the sunburst finish
Some of these I could probably remedy with a good setup and upgrades (tuners, pickup, etc.), but I'm reluctant to sink more money in this mando.
I've started looking around, but I'm struggling to find good shops near Lexington, KY. Heart of Bluesgrass country, you'd think there'd be a decent shop here somewhere! I found the Eastman dealer in Louisville and like the MD-515 with antique finish, but I'm looking for one with a tailpiece pickup. It looks like this is going to end up in the $1000-1200 range.
Questions:
1) What else should I be considering in this price range? It must have a hard shell case and pickup.
2) I prefer F-style because I seem to think it cuts through the mix of the band better (acoustic/electric/bass guitars, drums, vocals). With a pickup, does it really matter? Is the EQ different between A and F-styles? I know I dislike oval hole vs. f-holes acoustically.
3) Everyone seems to prefer K&K pickups. I got the Fishman because it was the only option at the time. I'm only interested in tailpiece jacks after the trouble I've had. It seems like there are different K&K models. What should I be considering? The dealer had a MD-415 with a K&K factory installed, and it seemed significantly cheaper than buying one without and adding it on later. It was a great instrument but I HATE the look of painted wood. Any advice on finding an Eastman at a good price with a pickup?
4) Any suggestions of stores within a reasonable drive? I would prefer to play an instrument before spending this kind of cash. Any Kentucky brand mando dealers in this region?
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