Tacoma Mandolins

[druid]

Hello forum, does anybody here have any knowledge or experience with Tacoma mandolins? There's one currently offered on Denver Craigslist for $600. Just curious, I have a couple Tacoma guitars and they play and sound great.

[mandogrouch]

I have a really beat up M2 which I use for canoeing and camping. It’s all solid and it has very nice action/comfortable neck. It sounds a little different from any other mandolin I’ve owned, can’t really describe the difference, maybe a little “guitar like”, but pretty nice all the same. The finish on these are notorious for popping off. The finish on mine is about half gone but it has gotten wet more than once due to it’s service on MO Ozark canoe trips. Mine plays nice, stays in tune, sounds decent, and is well put together. $600 sounds like a reasonable price.

[jaycat]

I have a really beat up M2 which I use for canoeing and camping.

I have an old Kay which also makes an excellent paddle.

[mandocello8]

any knowledge or experience with Tacoma mandolins?

a local mandolinist played a Tacoma mandolin for Contra Dances for years. sounded great
on the dance floor, certainly was good enough to move dancers. I do not remember playing
a Tacoma mandolin myself.

[Marty Jacobson]

I loved my Tacoma M2. I bought it for $750 in 2002-ish.
I believe I loved it because it was the first mandolin I ever owned that had a decent setup (from the factory!) and decent fretwork. I liked the jumbo (.080x.040") frets and radiused fretboard and wider nut.

Today, $300 is probably the maximum I'd recommend paying for one. They are overbuilt and have apparently no dome to the top and back, meaning they weren't really engineered to be mandolins. They are probably tough, though!

If I'd spent that $750 on a Gibson A-Jr, it'd still be worth something today, and I would probably have never parted with it.

[jefflester]

$600 for an M3 would be a steal, for an M1 not so much.

Some older multipage threads on the subject:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...coma-mandolins
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...coma-mandolins

[Dave Greenspoon]

Iirc at one point they were bought by a major guitar maker. Models prior to that point are considered to have a higher build quality. Some came with factory pickups available. As always try to play before you buy and have a good tech look at it. Otherwise the price seems to be ok if not top end for that mandolin under optimal condition.

[mandocello8]

... apparently no dome to the top and back, ...

I confirm, the ones I have seen are flat top, flat back pancakes, no dome. I do not remember if fretboard was flat or radiused.

[Jeff Hildreth]

I own an M2.. bought it new on sale from Guitar Center for $118... one hundred eighteen dollars.
The custom factory case ( which looks like a dulcimer case) was an additional $80.
They are ok. Flat top, flat back, mutant paramecium bridge , Gumby headstock, weird sound hole.
I believe it also had a bolt on neck
$600 for a Tacoma mandolin.. don't think so unless it is a super OMG top of the line tricked out electrified, sunburst, custom in mint condition with a proper case... But for $600 you can find a descent A style.

Play before you pay.

Tacoma mandolins are not sought after nor do they have a very good resale and they are goofy looking. As to playability.. wider than normal nut width is a plus but the tone is meh.

This one ?

https://denver.craigslist.org/msg/d/arvada-tacoma-1-mandolin/7442575037.html

Definitely not $600 of my money. It's the bottom of the line.

However if you look at REVERB.. that is the going price. And I cannot explain why.

If you are going to play Blue Grass or Old Time ... not a good choice, for something else maybe.. but I do not know what.

Go play it and see, play before you pay.

Best of luck.

[StevenC]

FWIW I have a Tacoma M1 that I purchased in 1996 of thereabouts. I also have a Mix carbon fiber, and a mid 1920’s Gibson A4, and for a while had an electric mandolin.

I really enjoy the Tacoma, flat top and back, I guess that classifies t as a Celtic style mandolin but not sure.

The chop is not as strong as the Gibson but It has a bright clear tone, my fingers slide more easily on the fretboard than on the Gibson too. the finish is cracked, the neck is a bolt on, and it doesn’t feel as solid as the Gibson (doesn’t feel
Flimsy either). but other than that it’s my travel mando, especially fir camping trips when I’m hesitant to bring something more expensive along.

[StevenC]

[David Rambo]

I also have a M-1, made well before the takeover. It's not a bluegrass mandolin, but works for everything else. The prices being asked for Tacoma mandolins has been steadily going up. I don't know how close the selling price is to the asking price is, however. Based on the current asking prices on Reverb.com, $600 is on the low end. M-2's and M-3's, as well as M-1E's will all be higher.

[BrianWilliam]

There’s a Hamlett A5 in Denver too: https://denver.craigslist.org/msg/d/...440140475.html

Sorry for the tangent

[Steve L]

I think there are better things to be had for $600.

[Chuck Leyda]

There's a mint condition used Eastman 305 for $494 free shipping and a 6 month warranty from a reputable seller on Reverb. NFI.

Hard to see paying 100+ more for a Tacoma.

[Van-van]

Just got a mint M3E that's gorgeous, and sounds really nice. It's so nice I feel bad using it as a traveller.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I have a really beat up M2 which I use for canoeing and camping. . . .

Sounds like a great paddle but a lousy tent.

[druid]

Thanks for all the input, I'm gonna pass on the Tacoma. My 100 year old Bacon is everything I need. It pretty much stays in the house unless I go to the neighbors to play. It's irreplaceable, was my grandmothers. I don't really do it justice, I'm 66 and have only been playing mandolin for a few years. Self taught, finger style and chord strumming. I can't seem to use a pick!

[Markus]

Thanks for all the input, I'm gonna pass on the Tacoma.

Good call. I had one as my first mandolin and it was heavily overbuilt and despite a lot of work action and intonation were never great. Bought for maybe $200 20 years ago - mainly because I had a 90's Tacoma [US made at that time] guitar that has the finish problem but plays and sounds well above it's value.

The Tacoma mandolin, however, while quite useful for my first year with mandolin in helping me realize I wanted to `go deep' on mandolin, was fairly quickly outgrown.