First Mandolin

[Mando Mort]

I too have enjoyed an Eastman 615 at a reasonable price compared to American made instruments. I have played it for 5 years now and have no complaints nor do I have the desire or funds to upgrade.

[kd8tzc]

In doing some reading on the 305 has some crummy tuners... is that still the case as all of the things I was reading was a little old. It sounds like they are not very smooth or detune easily. If that is the case, are there any good tuners that can easily be swapped out and not need major changes to the mandolin?

[Tighthead]

In doing some reading on the 305 has some crummy tuners... is that still the case as all of the things I was reading was a little old. It sounds like they are not very smooth or detune easily. If that is the case, are there any good tuners that can easily be swapped out and not need major changes to the mandolin?

I have a 314-- the same "proline" tuners (but f-version) as the 305. I think they're fine--I also have a Pava with Gotoh tuners and I don't see much difference. I might even like the Eastman tuners ever so slightly more.

I think the best bet would be to live with the instrument for awhile before making too many changes--it may be that the tuners work just fine for you.

One thing you can change as much as your hearts desires without breaking the bank is the strings (and picks)--don't be afraid to try different types/brands/gauges if something isn't working for you.

[kd8tzc]

Thanks, I'll more than likely live with them for a while as you state just to see what my experience.

Regarding the Pava with Gotoh tuners, I would hope with a Pava (or an Ellis) you have outstanding tuners. I know the Gotoh tuners are some of the best, and for the money you spent on the Pava, I would hope they wouldn't cheap out with "cheap" tuners. I've had no experience with Proline, so I'll stay open minded about them.

And I'm sure I will change the strings almost immediatly. I much prefer light strings and have 4 different sets of strings coming with the mandolin. I'll try out the medium strings that come with it and see how I like them, but I'm sure I will swap them out quickly (and more than likely saving the mediums as an emergency set).

[Tighthead]

Thanks, I'll more than likely live with them for a while as you state just to see what my experience.

Regarding the Pava with Gotoh tuners, I would hope with a Pava (or an Ellis) you have outstanding tuners. I know the Gotoh tuners are some of the best, and for the money you spent on the Pava, I would hope they wouldn't cheap out with "cheap" tuners. I've had no experience with Proline, so I'll stay open minded about them.

And I'm sure I will change the strings almost immediatly. I much prefer light strings and have 4 different sets of strings coming with the mandolin. I'll try out the medium strings that come with it and see how I like them, but I'm sure I will swap them out quickly (and more than likely saving the mediums as an emergency set).

I don't think Gotoh are cheap tuners--they're clearly very good quality--it's just that the ones on the Eastman work fine for me, and I haven't found the Gotoh to be a noticeable upgrade. Could be I'm just not picky about tuners.

[kd8tzc]

@Tighthead, I never said they were cheap, I said the exact opposite. I think my concern is I have heard a few anecdotal about the Proline tuners "jumping" or whatever you want to call it where they are not smooth and you adjust them a slight amount and it jumps a bit and not it is really out of tune. I had a cheap guitar back in the 1980's that did this all the time and it was so frustrating as when you would be playing it, it would just "detune" from the vibrations of the strings. I gave up trying to play the guitar because of that. A better solution would have been to find new tuners, but I forget why I didn't. Most likely because I thought it was expensive and the internet had yet to come around.

I have a hard time believing Eastman would put something crummy on their instruments. I know it's only a 305 and not one of the higher up models, but still.

[kd8tzc]

Okay, so the Eastman MD305 is here and it is more beautiful than the pictures show it... wow! I bought it from The Mandolin Store and I am really impressed at the shipping speed. One thing I am surprised about though is how firm the strings seem to be. My banjo is fairly easy to press into the fret, but these seem to be a lot firmer when tuned up. It could be because I am used to light strings on the banjo. Looking at the gap between the strings and frets, and they are nice and close with no buzzing, so TMS did a great job with the setup, so I just have to get used to firmer strings maybe. Now, to figure out how to play something simple on it.

[Sue Rieter]

How exciting!

[kd8tzc]

Okay, now I feel like an idiot. How do I attach the strap?? I have a two piece leather strap (see here for what I bought), and I assume I have to take the pin out of the but of the mandolin (sorry, not sure of the proper term), and place it through the wide end of the strap, and then push the pin back in. When I do that the pin falls right out again. Tried to push a little harder, but the leather seems like it might be too thick for the pin/peg to stay in (or I'm just a complete idiot). What about the other end? It has a slit in it.

Man... do I feel stupid.

[Stacey Morris]

Probably not the best solution, but I put just a little dab of wood glue on mine to hold it in. I didn't use much but it has stayed in now for a good while.

[CES]

The tuners on my 315, which should be the same as on yours, weren’t spectacular but they were functional. I toyed with changing them out but never got around to it and eventually just kind of got used to them, so I’d live with them for a while before you swap them out.

I usually work my straps over the end pin without taking them out and just leave the strap on all the time. If the end pin is a little too loose make sure your humidity is not too low (there are plenty of inexpensive case humidifiers if so). Two easy fixes are to wrap a piece of two of masking tape around the end pin and reinsert it. Some recommend using clear nail polish or super glue on the end pin, but letting it dry before reinsertion. The idea is to improve the fit, not actually glue it in.

Regarding the other end, you can either attach it to the headstock with some cord, a leather shoelace, whatever. Or, if the leather strap is thin enough you can slide it under the fretboard extension and form a loop by pulling it through the hole. Or, as I do with my Kelley A5, use the cord in the same location and just tie it to the hole in the end (as I really like my strap but it’s too thick to easily fit under the extension.

The tension on mandolin strings is much higher than banjo…double courses, short scale, and higher break angle cuz of the arched top. So it’ll take some getting used to, but you will!

[kd8tzc]

I usually work my straps over the end pin without taking them out and just leave the strap on all the time. If the end pin is a little too loose make sure your humidity is not too low (there are plenty of inexpensive case humidifiers if so). Two easy fixes are to wrap a piece of two of masking tape around the end pin and reinsert it. Some recommend using clear nail polish or super glue on the end pin, but letting it dry before reinsertion. The idea is to improve the fit, not actually glue it in.

Regarding the other end, you can either attach it to the headstock with some cord, a leather shoelace, whatever. Or, if the leather strap is thin enough you can slide it under the fretboard extension and form a loop by pulling it through the hole. Or, as I do with my Kelley A5, use the cord in the same location and just tie it to the hole in the end (as I really like my strap but it’s too thick to easily fit under the extension.

The tension on mandolin strings is much higher than banjo…double courses, short scale, and higher break angle cuz of the arched top. So it’ll take some getting used to, but you will!

I used some blue painters tape, and it holds. Looks bad if you see the blue, but at least the mandolin isn't going to hit the floor. The strap that I got came in a plastic bag and had a round shoelace tied around it, when you said leather shoelace, that clicked and so I just used this. It's not leather, but it works.

I started learning some chords last night, and even though the strings feel super taught, it was very easy to play and I don't have to press very hard. In fact, I press with much less pressure than I do with my banjo. Makes me wonder if I should lower the strings on the banjo.

It's funny that you mention archtop... I hadn't even noticed it was arched until you mentioned that. I would have thought it would feel strange but it doesn't.

I think the only thing I am disappointed with is the gig bag. Really flimsy, but I guess if they had given a better one, it would have driven up the price. The bag that it comes with will protect it from scratches and dust, but I would not feel safe taking it someplace.

One thing that I didn't notice though was a warranty card or manual. Almost every instrument I have ever purchased came with both of these (and the manual I'm just talking about how to adjust the truss rod, etc). I'll have to give TMS a call today and see why these were not in the box.

Now to find some lessons. Thanks for your help and everyone's help!

[JeffLearman]

Okay, now I feel like an idiot. How do I attach the strap?? I have a two piece leather strap (see here for what I bought), and I assume I have to take the pin out of the but of the mandolin (sorry, not sure of the proper term), and place it through the wide end of the strap, and then push the pin back in. When I do that the pin falls right out again. Tried to push a little harder, but the leather seems like it might be too thick for the pin/peg to stay in (or I'm just a complete idiot). What about the other end? It has a slit in it.

Man... do I feel stupid.

As I said earlier, you should check out this thread about strap buttons:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...a-strap-button

And I also said,

Where to attach the strap? See the post I linked to above about strap buttons. Basically, you have two options: headstock and neck-body joint. The latter requires a button or else a looping method (see pic in my post there.) I've always hated headstock straps, but lots of good players use them, and they avoid a lot of issues.

[JeffLearman]

Regarding the button on the end, yeah, it can be tricky getting the strap on. I find that if I bend the strap just so, I can slide the corners between slit and hole under one side of the button, and then tuck the other two corners in. And like CES, I leave my strap on.

[kd8tzc]

As I said earlier, you should check out this thread about strap buttons:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...a-strap-button

And I also said,

Yes, I forgot about your post until much later last night. I'm not too keen about the button. I'm not a fan of drilling anything if I can avoid it.

I did like the one post that someone had on the first page where they slid the slit under the head stock strings and then over a tuner, but my strings were too low to do that... and the more I thought about it I wondered how good that would be on the tuner over a period of time.

Thank you for the reminder though as you had a lot of good stuff in that post.

[JeffLearman]

I'm happy I found a way to attach at the neck/body joint without a button! I don't mind the button on my guitar, but the mando necks are so much thinner, and it's a lot more crowded for my hand up there too so I don't want a button in the way.

[James Vwaal]

Double post

[James Vwaal]

Regarding the other end, you can either attach it to the headstock with some cord, a leather shoelace, whatever. Or, if the leather strap is thin enough you can slide it under the fretboard extension and form a loop by pulling it through the hole. Or, as I do with my Kelley A5, use the cord in the same location and just tie it to the hole in the end (as I really like my strap but it’s too thick to easily fit under the extension.

I second this solution. Here is a photo showing the leather loop to which you can attach your leather strap. I checked out a photo of the Eastman MD305 and it does have a gap under the fingerboard extension.

And it hangs just as if you had one of those $1,000 strap hooks!

[GMorgan]

Some observations of an older neophyte...

When I bought my first mandolin, an Eastman 515 in 2017, I was underwhelmed by the tuners. I seemed to be tuning all the time and I did start looking for "better" tuning machines. That was a waste of time for me as I discovered that they all feel pretty much the same. Eventually, I decided to stick with the original tuners and they are fine. Keeping a mandolin perfectly tuned is a nearly impossible task. So, nowadays, I just tune when it comes out of the case, and sometimes in the middle of a playing session. And, although I know the Waverly tuners on my Ellis are excellent, I also have to tune that instrument a bunch. But, I play indoors and outdoors and I am no longer surprised that it needs tuning attention so often. Small price to pay for the joy of a mandolin. Your original tuners will likely work out just fine.

On another topic, I actually requested the gig bag, instead of the hard case, when I got my Eastman. Although I now own two really good hard cases, I still like the gig bag when I know I am going to be hiking or walking with an instrument. It's worked out rather well.

Switching gears again. Although I also bought a strap when I first bought my Eastman, I have never used it. I always, 100% of the time, only play when I am sitting. And, because there is no strap, I don't have to be careful when putting my instrument away or worry about catching the strap on something and having the instrument pulled out of my hands. And, fortunately, I have never dropped one of my violins or mandolins. Fingers shall remain crossed.

And, finally, playing with new strings and picks is a great way to discover the new sounds your instrument can make. When I was strictly a violinist, I would mix and match set and eventually found a combination that made my good violin sound spectacular for my tastes. On my mandolins, I have also looked for the sound that makes me happiest and works well with my fingers. In my particular case, I settled with Thomastik Infeld medium gauge strings and although I have perhaps a couple dozen different picks, I settled on the CT-55 for almost all of my picking. For me, finding a good pick was like the hunt for a good bow on a violin.

Have a wonderful time with your new instrument.

[Lawrie]

Finding that perfect mandolin is not an exact science, the really good ones are usually expensive. The vintage ones, are in short supply and because they are collectible, that keeps an upward pressure on the prices. New US made is never going to be cheap as there are many hours of skilled work in making a good one and the craft persons involved deserve to be paid fairly for this effort. Starting in 1975, until around 2000 you could get a Flatiron mandolin, based on the old Gibson Army - Navy model, built from good materials by skilled crafts persons, the fundamental rule for any good instrument and because of the simple design, originally not that expensive.



Unfortunately these once inexpensive and playable instruments are now quite collectible and expensive. I nearly got my hands on one in the mid 1980's but was beaten to it. These instruments are beautiful in their simplicity way simpler than any A or F model so cheaper to build. There are Asian copies of Flatiron Mandolins, I have one made by Kentucky that I used professionally for a few years. I purchases it very cheap as it was damaged, not as good a a real Flatiron, not the same quality of materials or attention to details. Here is a 3D model I have made of this mandolin https://grabcad.com/library/mandolin-flat-iron-type-1

Most of the inexpensive mandolins are going to be made in Asia, probably China. Some are going to be poor, some good, some great and a few excellent. These Chinese mandolins will be like any other made anywhere else, if good materials are used, by skilled crafts people to a sound design some can be really good, but due to the cost od the skilled worker less than in some other places the end result cheaper. The Chinese have been making Violins for along time so some of the more expensive Chinese mandolins are starting to get quite good. The Epiphone, Gibsons own cheap brand, Eastman, Kentucky and Loar are all made in China. I recently purchased a Washburn early 90's F mandolin Chinese made that I am very impressed with. I suspect most of the top end Eastman, Kentucky and Loar are made in the same factory, just labeled to suit.

When purchasing a new instrument going to the store to check out what is available is often the best option, don't worry too much of brands make your judgment on what of what's available that you can afford that you like the best. When you are purchasing on line there is always more risk. When I purchases my 1918 Gibson A it was easy, I have never seen a vintage Gibson A I did not like, the price was real good, an easy decision. The late 70's Ibanez, I had seen several of these in the flesh, so I had a fair idea what I was getting for the price. Purchasing the Chinese Washburn was more of a risk as I have never seen anything similar in real life, it was not real cheap. After acquiring this mandolin I think equating actual mandolin against price I paid, it is my best purchase.

Purchasing a mandolin directly from China via alliexpress is another option, possibly a bit of a risk as buying direct you don't get to physically look at the product but if you understand specifications, looking at the top end, from the major manufacture's you could get a lot of mandolin for your dollar. The best materials, top crafts person, good design rule applies to these mandolins.

A good A model is always going to be cheaper than a good F as the is a big difference in the amount of work involved. Some of this extra work is only cosmetic.

[Jill McAuley]

Fairly certain that Eastman are not made in the same factory as Kentucky and Loar as I recall reading accounts here from folks who've been to the workshop that Eastman manufactures their instruments in - just curious, do you have information to back that statement up?

[Denny Gies]

This thread, once again, shows the knowledge and helpfulness of Cafe members. Thanks to all.

[slickmando]

Eastern makes a nice mandolin. As with everything, check out the one you looking to buy