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Thread: Help Selecting New Mandola

  1. #1

    Default Help Selecting New Mandola

    Howdy Folks,

    I'm looking for some help and insight on purchasing a new mandola. My budget is ~$1000 and I've down selected to the following. I would love some insight and/or info on any of the three and which you would prefer (I'm currently leaning towards APC.) As always, thanks in advance:

    Big Muddy M-17
    APC MDA305 or 312
    Ashbury Style E Tenor

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Big Muddy is made in the US. I've seen a few of them, and they are instruments of good quality.

    Ashbury instruments are built in Viet Nam, China, and/or Indonesia.
    APC are built in Portugal. Most of the comments I have seen are positive.
    Someone else will have to speak about the quality of construction of both of these brands. I have not had either in my hands.

  3. #3
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I tried the Ashbury Tenor and the Ashbury E32 Octave. Tone much richer on the octave so I bought that with a capo. Not sure if those countries/economic zones are exporting the instruments to US.

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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Big Muddy is the winner in that bunch.

    You might be able to find an Eastman 315 or a vintage Flatiron in your price range.
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Hora mandolas are "best bang for your buck"
    Kentucky KM-805..........2 Hora M1086 Portuguese II(1 in car)
    Hora M1088 Mandola.....
    Richmond RMA-110..... .Noname Bearclaw
    Pochette Franz Janisch...5 Pocket............Alfredo Privitera pocket
    Puglisi Pocket 1908........Puglisi 1912.......Puglisi 1917
    3 Mandolinetto ..............C.Garozzo
    1 Mandriola...................Cannelo G. Mandriola...Böhm Waldzither 1921
    Johs Møller 1945............Luigi Embergher Studio 1933
    Marma Seashell back......Luigi Embergher 5bis 1909

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    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I had a Big Muddy mandola and it sounded great and was very comfortable to play, only reason I sold it was because I had to thin the herd for my move back home to Ireland, otherwise I'd still have it. Of the three you list that's the one that would get my vote, no question.
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Thanks everyone! It looks like Big Muddy is coming out on top. Sounds is pretty subjective, so can anyone chime in on why? I'm looking for examples of build quality, quality over time (will it eventually cave,) material selection, etc. etc. I know Big Muddy is the only American made on the list, but I have plenty of other instruments non-American made that have been fantastic. Just wondering why Big Muddy over the others aside from sound. Thanks again in advance!

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    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I've got a 1999 Mid-Missouri M-15. When I bought it, it had a loose brace, so the top had sunk a little on the bass side, and it buzzed like crazy on the C string upper frets. I could have returned it, but liked it too much. I liked the way it sounded (buzz notwithstanding) but also really liked the way it felt in my hands. I got it fixed up in short order for a very reasonable price and it's been great. I was playing it quite a bit before I got my F2, (with which I am somewhat obsessed at the moment) but am sure I will go back to it, as it is a lovely instrument that makes me smile. Used, and with repairs and a really nice case, I paid about half of your budgeted amount.
    Last edited by Sue Rieter; May-02-2022 at 10:07am.
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    In general build quality and fit/finish are going to be better on a small shop luthier’s instruments than on mass produced ones. That’s certainly not always the case, and I have nothing against the other two brands you’re considering. If you could play them sized by side and liked one of the others better, then I’d go with that one. Without that opportunity, though, my vote would be for the Big Muddy as well. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have the guy who built it available for questions, any repair work needed, etc.

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    Registered User meow-n-dolin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I have owned the Gold Tone and the Eastman mandolas, but am not familiar with the Big Muddy or other brands mentioned in other posts. The GT is perfectly decent, and well-suited for folk or Irish music (as long as one is not competing with at zook.) The Eastman is a better-quality instrument, overall (IMHO), and better-suited for what I play.

    Al

  11. #11
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Quote Originally Posted by hawthorn1213 View Post
    Thanks everyone! It looks like Big Muddy is coming out on top. Sounds is pretty subjective, so can anyone chime in on why? I'm looking for examples of build quality, quality over time (will it eventually cave,) material selection, etc. etc. I know Big Muddy is the only American made on the list, but I have plenty of other instruments non-American made that have been fantastic. Just wondering why Big Muddy over the others aside from sound. Thanks again in advance!
    I'm not advocating for Big Muddy simply because it's made in the USA (I'm Irish so no dog in that race), but because it is a well made instrument with, in my experience, a full, rich tone that was a joy to play. If you listed an Eastman mandola amongst your choices I'd give the thumbs up for that too. I'm personally not a big fan of the Ashbury instruments - the ones I've played have been thin sounding, at least to my ears. I don't have experience with the APC instruments.
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    I'm not advocating for Big Muddy simply because it's made in the USA (I'm Irish so no dog in that race), but because it is a well made instrument with, in my experience, a full, rich tone that was a joy to play. If you listed an Eastman mandola amongst your choices I'd give the thumbs up for that too. I'm personally not a big fan of the Ashbury instruments - the ones I've played have been thin sounding, at least to my ears. I don't have experience with the APC instruments.
    Thanks, I appreciate the follow up! I actually have an Eastman F style mandolin that I like quite a bit, just not a big fan of the look of their mandolas.

    Here is the conclusion I'm coming too: I think you can get a decent, if not good, quality instrument out of APC or Ashbury. However, (and it's a big however) the quality will vary from instrument to instrument. If I had the ability to sit down and play about 6 different APC MDA305's then I would be confident I could pick out a decent one. But since I don't have that ability, or the ability to play any of these, I think the safe bet is to go with Big Muddy.

  13. #13
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Here's what Jake Wildwood (who worked on mine) had to say about these: "Mid-Mos [same as Big Muddy but previous iteration of the Mr. Dulak's company] are hard to beat for the money and they're sturdy and reliable to boot. The necks are very playable and remain dead straight after decades of use and the design is simple and practical. They're also US-made."
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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I see there's a Sawchyn Beavertail mandola in the Classifieds for <$1K. I'd be seriously considering that one.
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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I agree with Martin on the Sawchyn. They're a killer value for the price.
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  16. #16

    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I am a *huge* fan of the Flatiron mandola, and actually own five. One each of the early '80s models and of the later ones with a truss rod are set up and restrung as GDAE octave mandolins, with the remaining three being regular CGDA mandolas. All of them have great set-ups, and can be used for chord-melody all the way up the neck.

    At some point at Dusty Strings in Seattle, I got to try my original Flatiron mandola (bought new in the '80s) against a mandola from Big Muddy and a Sawchyn Beaver Tail mandola. The Sawchyn was comparable to the Flatirons, and it took some soul searching to avoid the temptation to get just one more. *laugh*

    The Big Muddy was in the same ballpark, to my surprise, and at a lower price at the time. I now keep my eyes open for a used Big Muddy/Mid Missouri mandola for a beater... even though I scored a damaged Flatiron mandola which I restored to playing condition.

    I've also owned an Eastman MDA815 and a Trinity College 575 (I think that's the model, the top of their range with the Art Deco TC on the headstock). Neither managed to stay with me.

    Of the OP's list, I'd vote for the Bid Muddy, but I'd move first on the Sawchyn Beaver Tail mandola in the classifieds.

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    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I just picked up a used Flat Iron Scout Mandola- very decent for under 1K, I imagine they are somewhat hard to find. While the tone and volume don't approach my Weber Yellowstone, its on par with my Weber Gallatin mandola which was about 2x the price. So for learning or jamming its decent, volume might be an issue against fiddles and banjos.
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  18. #18

    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Quote Originally Posted by tmsweeney View Post
    I just picked up a used Flat Iron Scout Mandola- very decent for under 1K, I imagine they are somewhat hard to find.
    Is that the one that was on Reverb, that needed a little work? I had to sit on my hands when I noticed it. I have a Scout from 1995, a year before the one in that listing (my third Flatiron mandola). It was nice enough that it led to me getting another more recent one (number 4) that Bruce W was selling through his shop for a former Flatiron employee....

  19. #19

    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I have an APC mandocello and a Sawchyn Beavertail octave. They are both very good instruments, and I love playing them. To my ear, the sound of the Sawchyn is a tiny bit more "alive".

  20. #20

    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    I bought one of the Sawchyn mandolas mentioned above in the May classifieds (there were two from two different sellers to choose from, I went with the cheaper deal) and repatriated it to Canada. Nice instrument, I’m still getting used to it. Comfortable player and certainly a good value for $765US.
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  21. #21

    Default Re: Help Selecting New Mandola

    Those Sawchyns keep calling my name, but I really don't need any instruments. It's purely MAS, so I'm trying to instead get every instrument that's already here into perfect performance condition.

    I think Sawchyn is the only maker I've run across which really nails the larger Army Navy style pancake instruments that Flatiron made. They and Big Muddy/Mid Missouri really hold that niche IMO.

    ----

    I did some further research long after this topic was first posted, not centered on mandolas but on 5-course instruments. APC and Ashbury both have such instruments.

    It was a bit concerning to me that both makes had their own consistent issues arising over time, as mentioned in ads for used instruments. APC ads seemed to always mention seam separations. Ashbury ads often mentioned sinking tops from loose braces.

    I just found it striking that numerous different instrument types from each maker had the same kinds of issues. What's up with that?
    ----

    Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.

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