Re: Mandolin purchase advice for a new player
I would get more info on the exact condition of the Eastie 515 before choosing between it and a 315. As a longtime Eastman player, I don’t care about dings and finish wear, what needs to be repaired is worn frets. Eastman frets are narrow and seem vulnerable to excessive grooving. I’m pretty sure they use the same fretwire on all standard models. I had a partial refret done on my 505 after about 8 years of hard playing. It was a necessity because it wouldn’t note properly—played 2 different notes on the E at 5 and 7. Cost me $280 Canadian, partial being the first 12 frets. In retrospect I would have paid more for a full refret and had different, wider fretwire used (possibly EVO). Cause all the frets gotta match. The reason for this “retrospect” is that the new frets were showing wear after only a year of playing. I guess I play too much and too hard. Mostly on my new Collings now though =
But to be cleary, I would consider both of the Eastmans above anything else on that list. Have fun.
2009 Eastman 505
2011 Collings MTO GT
2008 Toyota Sienna
2018 Sawchyn mandola
Mandoline or Mandolin: Similar to the lute, but much less artistically valuable....for people who wish to play simple music without much trouble —The Oxford Companion to Music
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