Hello all,
My local shop has a pretty large selections of mandolins, mostly new. I currently only have one mandolin, a $300 Savannah SA-120. It stays in tune, and has served me well for learning, but I've been playing for about five years and decided to look at an upgrade. I mostly wanted to see if I could notice the difference between my mandolin and the higher end models.
My local store had three or four used models. One was a ~$600 Loar F type. I immediately noticed a difference in volume and playability (especially in first position). I realized the quality of my current instrument was holding me back quite a bit. i could play much better on the Loar. But before settling on that, I decided to try some of the newer, higher end mandolins.
I really fell in love with the Collings, and noticed an appreciable difference between that and the Loar. I tried several other higher end makers, but still really liked the Collings MF model I played. Of course, no-one here probably needs to tell them that these are pricey instruments. I figured you only live once and I would have the instrument forever, but also wanted to check if i could find a discount online. I also don't really care too much about cosmetic wear and tear on an instrument, I'm mostly interested in sound and playability. So I've started looking at used Collings MF models online.
My question is this: with a maker like Collings, how much difference do you think there is between individual specimens of a given model? Are most MFs more or less the same? I know that they offer a MF deluxe (which as far as i can tell is the same instrument, but with a pick guard and additional binding and appointments), but within a certain type, are they all more or less the same? In other words, can there be an appreciable difference between two individual Collings MF mandolins?
I ask because I am considering purchasing online, without trying the instrument beforehand. Thanks in advance for any input.
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