Hi All,
I was referred to Mandolin Cafe by folks on the Telecaster forum. I got some great advice from over there but lots of suggestions I get an account and ask for advice here.
So here I am.
I should start by saying that my timing in buying a Mandolin is based on me selling a guitar I have posted on eBay. Hopefully it will be soon.
I have been playing guitar for 20+ years but am new to Mandolin. My current knowledge of the instrument is mostly based on "Ooo that looks nice" but I know that things like action, tone, and intonation are far more important. I will admit I like the look of that curly bit at the top.
I am trying to cap my spending at less than $500 primarily because I'm not ready to go all in. Thanks to guitar I will be coordinated enough off the jump to not be an absolute beginner but at this point I am only thinking of it as something I will occasionally use for home recordings and for simply messing around for fun. Who knows what the future holds.
Another benefit of capping my spending is it forces me to be thrifty and to get the most for my money.
Some sage advice from TDPRI members is to buy from the Mandolin Store because their included setup. They also recommended avoiding guitar brands like Ibanez, although I'll admit their mandolins look nice in the pictures!
Another question is oval vs ff. Listening to the demo's on The Mandolin Store the oval sounded richer and better to my ears but after reading some posts is seems that the the ff will deliver a brighter more punchy sound that cuts through better and sounds more traditional bluegrass.
Here are a few I have been eyeballing for reference & thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts.
Loar Lm-310
Kentucky KM-150
Kentucky KM-250
Kentucky KM272
Ibanez M522
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