Honest opinion sought

[MartP]

Hi Folks
I’ve been looking for a mandocello & I live in the UK. These things seem to be mutually exclusive. However, I have the opportunity of buying a British built basic acoustic m’cello or a mass produced electric/acoustic Korean/Chinese produced one, with all bells & whistles. Out of respect for the British luthier I won’t provide their details but their instruments have wooden backs & excellent tuners. The Korean instrument has a laminate back & possibly cheaper tuners. Otherwise the prices are exactly the same.
My head says buy the foreign one, while my heart is telling me to buy the Brit.
I know if it’s a judgement call but I’d appreciate your opinion please.
Cheers
Martin

[Bill McCall]

Get the one that sounds better if it plays easily..

[Stopstop]

I can't imagine why you would buy the Korean one if the British option is solid wood with better tuners. Is it a bit homespun looking with the fit & finish? I generally find solid wood to sound better and give preference to tone over looks. But yeah, as Bill said, if you can try them both out go for tone & playability. If you are buying unseen I'd opt for domestic production & solid wood. Good luck!

[Charlie Bernstein]

Guy says, "Doc, I can't get a date. What's wrong with me?"

Doctor says, "Well, you're ugly."

Guy says, "I want a second opinion!"

Doctor says, "Okay. You're stupid, too!"

[Charlie Bernstein]

I can't imagine why you would buy the Korean one if the British option is solid wood with better tuners. Is it a bit homespun looking with the fit & finish? I generally find solid wood to sound better and give preference to tone over looks. But yeah, as Bill said, if you can try them both out go for tone & playability. If you are buying unseen I'd opt for domestic production & solid wood. Good luck!

What Stopstop said!

Why is your head telling you to get a plywood mando? I don't get it. But I'm a heart-follower, myself.

[Dan in NH]

Do the two mandocellos cost the same, or close to it?

I can't imagine a PacRim instrument from a reputable company (say, Eastman) that sells in the same price range as a local luthier-built instrument NOT sounding awesome.

For example, I sort of have my eye on a Big Muddy flat top, oval hole mandolin. The one that I have my eye on, build to my specifications, would run me right around $900. OR I could buy a $900 Eastman from Elderly Instruments or The Mandolin Store, like for example the Eastman MD505, and I know that it would be all solid select tone woods, hand carved, excellent fit & finish, and excellent intonation & playability thanks to the set up that Elderly Instruments & The Mandolin Store do on all the mandolins they ship.

Now a PacRim instrument with a laminate back, if it cost, say, half of what the MD505 cost, around $450, well a $450 instrument that has a laminate back, I'm probably not even going to pick it up and play it. And I would never in my life expect to find any local luthier-built instrument costing anything near that low.

[Dan in NH]

Actually now what I check The Mandolin Store they have two Eastman Mandocellos, one F and one oval, but they're more like $2400. According to google that's ~2000 pounds, if that helps.

I don't know any other PacRim companies off the top of my head that make mandocellos. And I happen to be a huge Eastman fan.

[Jim Garber]

Actually now what I check The Mandolin Store they have two Eastman Mandocellos, one F and one oval, but they're more like $2400. According to google that's ~2000 pounds, if that helps.

I don't know any other PacRim companies off the top of my head that make mandocellos. And I happen to be a huge Eastman fan.

Gold Tone with solid top but laminated back & sides: https://goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldt...nts/mandocello

[MartP]

Thanks to everyone that responded. You've helped me decide to go for the Brit. I'm going to own it for a long time (hopefully) & so I want something that I'm going to feel proud to own. I don't need the bells & whistles . . . that won't replace the need to play well!
Best wishes
Martin