Best place to buy a mandolin in Vancouver BC?

[Alstad]

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to get myself a mandolin, something in the less than $1000 range. Wondering if anyone has tips for where to find a decent mandolin in Vancouver BC?

[Alstad]

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to get myself a mandolin, something in the less than $1000 range. Wondering if anyone has tips for where to find a decent mandolin in Vancouver BC?

[Aaron Woods]

That is a very tricky price range. Try out L&M plus Rufus. The problem is that a good setup is a couple hundred bucks and that is absolutely required on an entry level mandolin.

I would suggest getting L&M to rent you a mandolin based on what they have in inventory and have them set it up. They have a fabulous setup guy at the terminal store named Jake. Pick the best mandolin they have, have them set it up, then rent until you're ready to buy or move on...

I hope this helps.

[Lo-Fi]

Greetings from one province over. In that price range you can get a fairly decent Eastman A-style or possibly even an F-style from Long & McQuade. They usually carry a few in both of those styles so you can try before you buy and they have a pretty generous 30-day return policy on new and used instruments. No affiliation.

[Kirk Higgins]

Might get more for your money buying used. Check your local musical instrument stores.

[Barry Canada]

I would like to send you a PM to suggest one that is up for sale. I have no financial interest. If you wish I could send you a private message with the referral.

[mandocello8]

mandolin ... less than $1000 range in Vancouver BC?

I am local in Vancouver BC, live not quite across the street from Rufus guitar on Alma&10th.

Off-hand, I would say you will not find such a thing. Readily available are $400 asian imports
of assorted quality/playability and $3000 "proper mandolins", i.e. new builds by Bob Laughlin, http://www.laughlinguitars.ca/mandolin.htm

BTW, I assume you mean $1000 Canadian wooden dollars, not USD.

But hard to suggest something, I do not know if you want a beach mandolin, a practice
mandolin, an axe for bluegrass jams or a performance and recording quality instrument.

Anyhow, places to watch are:
- Rufus guitar on Alma&10th, most mandolins and all the good stuff is there.
- Rufus guitar on Commercial drive mostly has "standard" stuff, but they did have a Godin electric for sale (gone now). They had a couple of Seagull S8 mandolins, as of about 2 weeks ago.
- Bonerattle on Commercial, they have the better asian imports and they have interesting vintage/antiques for very good prices (but you have to ask the guy at the counter, not everything
is on the wall). For very cheap, I bought a nice Portuguese mandolin (practice quality) and a nice Japanese flat top (good for playing ECD dances), both required very little work to get them going.
- Long&McQuade on Terminal have a good number of mandolins, they come and go week to week.
- Tom Lee downtown is much downsized, but worth stopping buy

And of course, next Monday (now, every Monday), come to the bluegrass jam at the ANZA club
and talk to every mandolinist, there are surplus mandolins floating around.
https://www.pacificbluegrass.ca/

P.S. moderator, please merge duplicate threads:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...n-Vancouver-BC

[mandocello8]

L&M ... have a fabulous setup guy at the terminal store named Jake

+1 for Jake. He is a member here and he is an excellent luthier. Rebuilt my "sinkhole top" Gibson A4 to better than new condition.

OP, please check your PMs.

[pheffernan]

Peter Sawchyn makes Beavertail mandolins out of Saskatchewan:

https://sawchyn.com/index.php/mandolins/beaver-tails

Folkway has one in stock for $1199 CAD which looks like $930 in USD:

https://folkwaymusic.com/new-instruments/item/id.2981

[MikeEdgerton]

I've merged the two threads started by the OP.

[j4music]

What Aaron and Mandocello said. Rent from L&M and come down to the Anza. Have fun.

[Que-sera]

i bought a eastman md315 from long and mcquade for around 1000$. It's a great beginner mandolin if that's what your looking for, i got mine financed so it was a little easier on the old wallet.