Any modern(cheaper) mandolins with a Gibson model A 1924 sound?

[Jill McAuley]

Hi Jill! I don’t know if the Collings specs have changed over the years, but the MT-O they make now has a 12th fret neck joint. Check out the pictures in their web site.

Thanks Don, my bad! Well the one thing I do know is that my MT-O's neck joined the body at a different location than my A-jr did.

[Murphy Slaw]

I think my Dad was right.

You get what you pay for.

[Paul Cowham]

I've recently ordered a new build of this style of mandolin and am very excited. There is a local luthier to me who I know through the Manchester Irish music scene, he plays uilliean pipes and has also done a fair bit or work on my guitar. A real nice fellow called David Lim. Anyhow, I had a go on two mandolins that he'd built a couple of years back (here is a photo of him with the said mandolins):
https://davidlim-uilleannpipes.com/lutherie/

I was very impressed and ordered one earlier last year (there is a 2 year waiting list). I'm not sure whether the price would be less than a vintage instrument (it is at the top end of the range quoted for his mandolins), but this seems like a fair price for a quality handmade carved top mandolin and it's great to support a local luthier. I do have a very nice F hole mando made by Michael Heiden and this seems like a good complimentary instrument, I don't see any point getting another F hole instrument. Like you Poul, I enjoy the sound of this style of mando.

[poul hansen]

Based on the videos I have sampled I prefer it's tone to the MD504

Thank You.
I just wish all those people demoing instruments would at least include a few slow strums of chords and slow scales up an down the strings and maybe some sustain examples on different strings, instead of just hammering away, to demonstrate their own prowess and not so much the instrument.

[Russ Jordan]

Weber oval holes?

[George Henry]

I'm a lover of oval holed mandos, particularly old Gibsons. The first imprint itself on me was was a 1917 F-2. It was perfect tonally. Next was an Old Wave A that sounded great except for a ridiculously low neck angle. I got a 1921 Gibson A for $1000 from GC which sounded as good as my old F-2, but I had to refret it. I also stumbled across a used Summit oval A at GC for $1000. Beautiful woods and build, but no Gibson sound. I finally settled for a 1920 Gibson A-4 and 1929 Martin Style 20. I had to have both refretted.

My best bet for finding an affordable A model alternative would be an Eastman MD-304 or an MD-404 (mahogany). I like the 304 because it is like a plain Gibson A model. I've found that the 300 series, although bare bones and plain, often sound really good and have a vintage vibe. Eastmans can vary a lot, so you might luck out and find a great one. But then again, a lot of the old Gibson varied in tone as well.

[Nick Gellie]

Thank You.
I just wish all those people demoing instruments would at least include a few slow strums of chords and slow scales up an down the strings and maybe some sustain examples on different strings, instead of just hammering away, to demonstrate their own prowess and not so much the instrument.

I certainly agree with you Poul. It was the best video I could find of an MD404 model. That said the current Mandolin Store videos are even worse than that at the moment. Maybe we could suggest your guidelines for instrument demonstrations.

To help you with your choice I will review a MD404 model arriving this Monday here in Spain.