"Sweet Spot" price wise

[RHBoy]

Hi,

My question, in a nutshell, is at what price point does the buyer get the most mandolin for the cost? I know there are $100.00 dream mandos and $20,000.00 not-so-dreamy mandos, but in general at what price range do you get the most consitant sound and playability? I understand that A-styles have a different price range than F-styles, therefore the "sweet spot" would be different. I was thinking $1500-$2500 for A's and 4-6k for F's?
Thanks for your input and thoughts on this!
Jeff

[kudzugypsy]

yeah, i'd say your figures are dead on.
there are always once-in-a-lifetime deals, but be prepared for those figures.

[kyblue]

A little more for a good A5 style, but the F price sounds right. At least new.

Paula

[Tim]

As I understand the question, I think the prices you have are a little high. #BRW and Rose are both samples of good quality small-builder instruments that are in the $1-2K for an A, $3-4K for an F (unless they've dramatically raised prices in the last few months). #The prices you have seem more like the range for Weber/Collings production mandolins.

[GBG]

If your's is not a rhetorical question and you're into bluegrass, I would jump on that Summit advertised on the front page for $1,400.

[morgan]

Those A prices are for carved tops. #If you're not a bluegrasser and instead like sweet round- hole tone, and are concerned with "sound and playability" and not aesthetics, you can do pretty well for way less than $1000 with a Mid-Mo, old Flatiron pancakes, or some of the other smaller maker flat-tops. They might give the most "bang for the buck"

[LeoR]

Or you buy my Rose F-5 for $2800

[RHBoy]

Yes, I am a bluegrasser, so that means f-holes...

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of a different price range for small builders...that would be considerably less...

[ab4usa]

When I think of a Bluegrass mandolin, I think Red Spruce and varnish finish (not that I own one). There is an interesting thread on "varnish A's" that discusses builders and prices. In order to get a varnish finished f style mandolin from one of the larger builders, your "sweet spot" will not quite get you there. There are a number of quality smaller builders who can do it and stay below or within that sweet spot.

[glauber]

For me, the sweet spot is in an used instrument. They're as good as the new ones, but cheaper.

[first string]

I think Tim has a point. In my opinion, above 4k and you are likely paying for the name on the head stock, as you could probably find as good an instrument at a lower price point. Which is not to say that there is anything wrong with paying for the name. You are getting a guarantee of quality, a higher resale value, and often more frills. But in terms of "bang for the buck," I think around 4 thousand is it.

[kyblue]

I don't think I agree. You're not going to get an F from Kimble, Brock, Hamlett, etc for 4K, and I think there's more difference than the name on the headstock between those and some of the less expensive mandolins. YMMV, I guess.

Paula

[Bill Van Liere]

Jeff/RhBoy

Check out BRW.

[Tim]

I don't think I agree. #You're not going to get an F from Kimble, Brock, Hamlett, etc for 4K, and I think there's more difference than the name on the headstock between those and some of the less expensive mandolins.

You are assuming away the essence of the question as I read it. #Yes there are great mandolins at higher prices. #But in the trade-off game, is there a spot where the marginal improvements in quality aren't worth the marginal cost. #Clearly some people are willing to pay any amount for top of the line. #Those people aren't relevent in this thread.

In my earlier question, I ignored the used market. #That is the best place to maximize bang-for-the-buck but you have to be patient and know what to look for. #Some people who are asking others what to buy don't know enough about the intangibles to evaluate a used mandolin.

[Dena Haselwander]

I have a very nice Jimmy Moon Mandolin--flat top, round hole, beautiful clear, sweet tone. I ordered it from The Acoustic Music Co. With shipping it came to under $900.
Dena Haselwander

[sunburst]

Having been mentioned in this thread, I hesitate to comment at all, but, I consider myself a pretty fair judge of mandolin quality, and in my opinion, there are many builders building at the very top, in terms of quality. Many of them are selling in the afore mentioned price range, though it might stretch into the 7000-8000 dollar range sometimes. You can't get better than top quality, just more expensive, so, to me that does seem like a "sweet spot".

[J. Mark Lane]

In my humble opinion, the spot where the marginal improvements are not quite worth it to the non-professional, average good amateur musician, for an F5 style mandolin, is likely in excess of $6k. You'll be lucky to get a truly good F5 for $6k, and more likely, you'll pay closer to $8 or $10k. In my humble opinion, above that price I find it hard to discern much improvement.

Apropos, I guess...I stopped in a local shop today that doesn't often have mandolins. They sell stereo equipment and guitars (interesting shop --

http://www.tfta.com/

They happened to have a 1993 (Carlson) F5L. It was in fine condition...and sounded pathetic. Thin, dull, hopeless. Priced at $4895. I'd rather play my $600 Glenn Student Model A. (I did, however, pick up a nice set of Grado SR125 headphones...awesome!)

[chuck.naill]

Judging an instruments worth by price is risky. The Chinese have improved their standards so much that the current production instruments are better than many high end American produced instruments at more than half the price. I think to answer your question appropriatily, you have to take into considerantion that remarkable instruments are being produced for a few hundred dollars.

I was just reading the financials of Steinway Instruments, the owners of Steinways Pianos. They sight the Chinese piano builders as a major influence to be recognised appropriatily.

Chuck

[Brady Smith]

chuck.naill...you'll have to delete your post, common sense is not permitted in this type of thread. #(I'll take a stab at it though....price break = $400 give or take $30)

[first string]

I don't know. I definitely didn't mean to disparage any of the great builders who are charging 6k to whatever. As I said, when you purchase an instrument from one of them you are almost always getting a masterpiece. But we should bear in mind that most builders who are now charging those amounts, at one point didn't command nearly so much. And while one could argue that they have improved significantly from their early work, in many cases the increase in price has more to do with an increase in recognition.

All that said, I think John Hamlett's point is well taken. And in the end, I'm not sure that one can really say where the sweet spot is. Can you get a top quality mandolin for 4k or even 3? Certainly. Do your chances of getting a superb instrument go up at a higher price point? I would think so.

[Tim]

After watching this thread for a while it just reinforces the individuality of all of these choices. #The amount of money you have to spend on a mandolin apparently influences where you think the "sweet spot" is. #If cash is tight, that extra money to go from $4k to $8k needs to bring more "improvement" than if you have $10k set aside for an instrument.

[glauber]

Tim, i think you're correct there. I also think that, once someone spends a large amount of money on an instrument, he or she will be likely to defend that expenditure by praising the qualities of the instrument. It's impossible to measure stuff like this in a small market like handmade mandolins, but i'm convinced that this bias exists.

Other variables affect the results you get with any instrument (confusing the issue further): strings, setup, and most of all, the quality of your playing (if Sam Bush and i were to trade mandos, he would still outplay me with one of his hands tied behind his back).

It's a journey...