Hey all, this is my first post, but I've been reading MandolinCafe for the past 6 months or so and I love the discussions you all have here. I'm reposting this from a Facebook group some of you may be a part of; like many newbies here, I could use some help finding an instrument.
I've played guitar since I was a little kid, but I've recently gotten into mandolin. I got started learning the classic intro bluegrass tunes on a 1970's Japanese f5 copycat from Lyle that I found on craigslist for a fair price, and it's actually a pretty decent instrument. However, I've started taking choro lessons, and I'm pretty into it. I think it would be cool to get a mando that fits the style better.
I would love your recommendations! I've looked all over the cafe for ideas, and for price point I've been eying the Giannini GBSM series, thinking I could find one used in the $200-$500 range, depending on the model. Ideally, I'd love a GBSM5 as I feel like the hand-made solid wood instrument will give me something that I won't want to upgrade for a while. However, I haven't been able to find one for sale yet, and their US operation seems to be in a state of flux at the moment. Other than that, I'm not sure what else to look at.
I'd like to stay under $1k. While I'm willing to spend more to jump on good deal (I'd love a luthier built bandolim), I'm more than happy buying something similar to the GBSM 3 and saving up for a really nice one when I have more experience. A used GBSM3 just sold for ~$400 on Ebay, but that felt a bit high, so I decided to wait. I like my chances, but would love your input.
Other considerations:
- No need for electronics- I'd rather have a nicer instrument.
- Modern or vintage works, but I'd really like it to be ready to play. For a screaming deal, I'd be open to taking it somewhere to get it work done, but I don't even know a luthier near me so this might be a gamble without a good recommendation (I'm in Oakland, CA)
- Maybe this is a side effect of being a guitarist, but I can't help but feel like I would benefit from a wider fretboard. My mando is super narrow at the nut, which seems to be typical of these style. I believe the Gianninis are 1 3/16" at the nut, which I think I'd prefer, but it's not super important if the thing plays great.
- Must immediately make me as good as Danilo Brito.
Thanks all for reading, and for your help! Happy plucking!
- Nick
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