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Thread: What mandolins are made in North America?

  1. #1

    Default What mandolins are made in North America?

    I’m considering a new (or used) mando but want something made in the US or Canada. What options do I have? It won’t be anything boutique, I know — under $2,500 or so — so I don’t really need to know about the custom high-end makers. Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Double post.
    Last edited by Charles E.; Dec-05-2020 at 6:04pm.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Depends on what style of mandolin you want. If you are set on a carved top F style, your choices will be limited. If you want an A style or flat top mandolin choices open up.
    Makers that appear in the classifieds include Sonny Morris, Sawshyn,Crystal Forest, Flatiron, Rag Mandolins, Lafferty, Summit, to name a few.

    I would take a close look at the classifieds here and I think you will be surprised at the choices.

    Good hunting!
    Last edited by Charles E.; Dec-05-2020 at 7:01pm.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User slimt's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    I got a Cool Sota Mori Canadian made.

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    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    I imagine you could find a used Weber Gallatin A for about that.

    My Red Valley Em came in under a grand and that was with a few upgrades.

    Vintage Gibson's and Martin's are found under 2k.

    Used US made Breedloves and Tacomas (flat top) pop up here and there.

    The Northfield Calhoun (a flat top) is about 1k.

    These are only some examples. There are others.

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Godin A8's and Seagull's are good quality, inexpensive (under $1,000) mandolins made by the Godin company of Quebec. There's been lots of discussion of them here. Google the name of the instrument and "Mandolin Cafe."

    Added later: As well, check the Mandolin Cafe Builders Database: https://www.mandolincafe.com/builders.html
    Last edited by Ranald; Dec-05-2020 at 7:07pm. Reason: additional info
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    What design or type of mandolin do you want? F? A? Bandolim? Bowlback? something else?

    Ernest Fischbach makes flat top and back European style mandolins in Comptche CA. They are in your price range.

    Great for a variety of music, but not for other styles. It's not for Bluegrass, for example.

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/builders/a.html

    12 down far right by the Loar.



    Testing the frets on my Fischbach mandolin a few years ago.



    When it was new, before a few years of gigging.

    http://www.institutefortraditionalst...ic_history.htm

    Website for Fischbach.

    and at a gig
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Silver angel econo A in the classifieds...

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/161915#161915

    Lots of mandolin for the money.

    NFI
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User slimt's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    There are alot of Really Nice US and Canadian Mandolins out there. Have fun on your journey to find what your looking for.

  16. #11

    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    I would highly recommend Don Paine at Pomeroy Instruments (pomeroyinstruments.com) in Colorado. He built me a beautiful, simple A style within your budget. He even cuts his own Englemann spruce.

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  18. #12

    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Thank you — I have been checking classifieds but its seems very rare for an ad or listing to specify where the instrument was made. Same with most of the ones listed on stores’ websites.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I’m sure there are! I just wish I knew what all the brands were!

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    It seems pretty clear that the classifieds tell where the instrument was made in most cases. You might want to explore the builders data base here too.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User John Soper's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    At your budget point, there are a ton of builders in the USA or North America that could provide a lifetime mandolin. especially if you don't need the expensive F5 strap-holder and buy used. Peruse the classified ads on this site and there are a lot of good candidates. Also, a lot depends pn the genre of music that you want to play - Celtic or old time fiddle music - plenty of old oval-hole Gibson A models in your price-range. If you want an ff hole mandolin for bluegrass - There are plenty of Weber, Collings, Flatiron, Gibson, Pava, etc mandolins out there for you. Along as you aren't aiming for an F5 style mandolin, you should be in a good spot.

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    Registered User Gunnar's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    June, Cross, Boeh, RAG, Kratzer/Bulldog, and Buckhorn are all US builders that are in and around your price range.
    Mandolin: Kentucky KM150
    Other instruments: way too many, and yet, not nearly enough.

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    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    Testing the frets on my Fischbach mandolin a few years ago.
    There were several other pictures...I wonder why they did not show up in my post?

    I'll try again with one

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Fischbach mandolin
    Last edited by DavidKOS; Dec-06-2020 at 9:37am.

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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by esslewis View Post
    I’m considering a new (or used) mando but want something made in the US or Canada. What options do I have? It won’t be anything boutique, I know — under $2,500 or so — so I don’t really need to know about the custom high-end makers. Thanks in advance.
    There are 399 builders in the U.S. and another 53 in Canada alone in our builder database. You may want to narrow your selection a bit and be more specific about what you're looking for in order for the input to have some value for you. "Boutique" can mean different things to different people. Some might think Northfield is with only 9 employees, some may not (yes, they make U.S. built instruments). I've seen people imply using that word that there's some kind of negative connotation being built by an individual--not something we agree with. Unless you really spell this all out better than this everyone is going to use their guess in trying to be helpful.

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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Edited/deleted.
    Last edited by esslewis; Dec-06-2020 at 11:40am. Reason: Wrong reply.

  30. #19

    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    It seems pretty clear that the classifieds tell where the instrument was made in most cases. You might want to explore the builders data base here too.
    Really? I cannot recall seeing an ad that specifies the country of manufacture. I just looked at a few and it wasn’t mentioned. I will take a look at the builder database too though.

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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by esslewis View Post
    Really? I cannot recall seeing an ad that specifies the country of manufacture. I just looked at a few and it wasn’t mentioned. I will take a look at the builder database too though.
    If you mean Northfield, here's an article that's been out over two years outlining their Michigan built instruments. Their Michigan built instruments are sold by Elderly, The Mandolin Store, Fiddler's Green, The Music Emporium, Gryphon Stringed Instruments, Carter Vintage Guitars, Tejon Street Music and many others, and listed as such.

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  33. #21
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by esslewis View Post
    Really? I cannot recall seeing an ad that specifies the country of manufacture. I just looked at a few and it wasn’t mentioned. I will take a look at the builder database too though.
    In the three examples I pointed out in post #6, you are correct, the Flatiron and the Collings do not say country of origin. Forgive me for assuming that they are so well known that most folks would know they are, were American companies.

    Good luck with your search, let us know what you end up with.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    It seems pretty clear that the classifieds tell where the instrument was made in most cases. You might want to explore the builders data base here too.

    Charley: I think we know by the makers but for someone unfamiliar maybe not. Yes, definitely check the builder database. You can even search for US or Canada.

    And for esslewis (the OP): strictly speaking North America also includes Mexico and Central America and the Carribean islands. I have a feeling that you are not talking about southern North America? Then again that might open up some interesting possibilities.
    Jim

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    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandroid View Post
    Good resource, however it is misleading when it has companies like Fender, Saga, Goldtone, Michael Kelly, (the) Loar, JBovier, Luna, Gretsch, Ibanez, Savannah, Morgan
    Monroe, Mitchell, etc. listed as American builders.

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    Default Re: What mandolins are made in North America?

    Quote Originally Posted by Zach Wilson View Post
    Good resource, however it is misleading when it has companies like Fender, Saga, Goldtone, Michael Kelly, (the) Loar, JBovier, Luna, Gretsch, Ibanez, Savannah, Morgan
    Monroe, Mitchell, etc. listed as American builders.
    Those are all companies incorporated in and doing business in the United States. The fact that some purchase products made in other countries as part of their resale is simply part of their business model. Misleading? Please...

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