Looking at a used fern. Looking for best tone and good resale in the future. #What would you consider as other options. Regular Mando Cafe member. #See all the option from BRW, Poe, Silver Angel, #Mowry, Collings. #Have not had the opportunity to play any of these. #Limited access to mandolins in Texas. Welcome your thought and ideas.
RLH
Check out this thread.
Lot of choices, decide with your ears and heart.
Gibson A9
Eastman 804D two point, blonde
Nothing is fool proof for a talented fool
For certain, since you say availability in your region is scarce, then figure on spending some money on either traveling to where the mandos are, or bringing them to you.
If you need to make excuses to someone, make your trip into a mini-vacation. I spent 4-days in Nashville sight-seeing. Had a blast. Visited Gruhn's, Cotton Music, a couple others. Saw the Parthenon, the Gibson factory is there, lots of southern plantation tours, Andrew Jackson's house, etc.
Came home with a Old Wave oval A.
Highly succesful vacation.
Wye Knot
go through the cafe classifieds too. I was able to find a great deal on a Sam Bush Gibson through it. It should be here any day
Bluegrass makes you more attractive...
2001 Sam Bush Gibson
Epiphone MM-50
you've got a lot to pick from in that price range. just play all the top end mandolins you can before you make a decision. heck, looking is part of the fun of buying a new mando!
Wes
"i gotta fever...and the only prescription is more cowbell!!"
'87 Flatiron A5-JR/'25 Gibson A-JR
When dropping that kind of coin, I think it is definitely worth making a trip to a store where you can try out a lot of instruments. Just a quick search on Travelocity shows that you can go from Dallas to Nashville or NYC for a couple hundred bucks, round trip. If you make it just a day trip, you won't even have to pay for a hotel!
I expected more from the unexpected.
With that price range "education" and your fingers and ears will be the key.
If it was me I would buy a cheapo and spend the rest on a custom Mowry. Mowry's prices are gradually climbing. I would order now. .02
07 KM 1000
My thought is that I would not include resale value as part of the criteria. I would buy what pleases me the most.Originally Posted by (Quanah @ Feb. 09 2007, 12:32)
A lot of folks disagree with me on this - but in general I don't care about the resale value of what I purchase or own - I am a user not an investor, and when I invest, I invest in things I can't fall in love with - so that I have no conflict when I sell the investment.
I would never purchase a mandolin I was less happy with only because of a perceived future resale value. I would purchase the one I was most happy with, and hope I never have to sell it.
My mandolin teacher has a SWEET BRW...
edit: But I'd probably get 2 totally different 2500 A styles. That's a lot of mando and a lot of options. Make one a bell-like tone'd oval hole and the other a gritty woody f hole style.
Garnet Bruell
Hey Garnet,
How does the BRW compare to your Newell? You obviously have a very nice mandolin, does the BRW compare well with it? How would you describe the differences. Both luthiers seem to do a fine job with their instruments.
Tim
Passernig F5
Thanks for your comments. I am interested in an F Model not really an A. I have a really fine f5g that I've made improvements to; new Gibson tuners, sent to OAI for setup, new bridge, gold hardware, new abreviated pickguard they made for me. I guess I should be satisfied. But then who can explain MAS! It certainly can make you do things you know you shouldn't. I was having a BRW made months ago but due to a medical issue pulled the plug on the order. Ben makes find instruments as Andy Poe and others but I don't her as much passionate talk about the sound of some of these instruments. Any first hand comment on these are welcome. Really look hard at a Fern,
just wondering if I'm going in the right directions from the F5G. If I was in the room with all these different mandolins maybe I could figure this out. Am I crazy or is this just a symptom of MAS? Is there a medication, help!!!May be I should just by a treadmill.
RLH
Why not just get a whole new kit of accessories, have the F5G refinished in varnish, take a trip to Disney World , buy a dozen custom-made $20 picks ...
Curt
They're really different. I haven't had enough time on the BRW to really give you descriptive words. It's certainly more "traditional" sounding than mine. But that's not really what I was looking for..
Garnet Bruell
If I was spending that kind of money, I'd fly to Kentucky and pick up a Silver Angel. I don't remember seeing anyone buying a mandolin from Ken and not being happy about it, and you couldn't deal with nicer people.
/Magnus
Why isn't the F5-G working for you?
Jason Anderson
"...while a great mandolin is a wonderful treat, I would venture to say that there is always more each of us can do with the tools we have available at hand. The biggest limiting factors belong to us not the instruments." Paul Glasse
Stumbling Towards Competence
Nice Gibson F5L available at Bizzare guitar in Reno, NV. Plays and sounds great, brand new-make a low ball offer? I bought a 1960 Gibson archtop there a few months ago for $1000.
david blair
Ron,
I would be inclined to invest 5% or so in a trip from DFW to NYC and go to Mandolin Brothers. You would get to sample an amazing breadth of mandolins in and arround your price range. I checked and you can do round trip for less than $250.
Old Wave 351
www.justbecausebluegrass.com
I made the jump from an F5G to a Poe about 6 months ago, no regrets here.
Poe#5, Neely#72, Kentucky KM 150 (The Bagram Beater)
http://WWW.myspace.com/easternskybluegrass
http://www.myspace.com/darrintissandier
Try a Smith Creek - if you can find one. Practically play themselves.
Leo R
Burnsville, Mn
10 Gibson MM
08 Weber Coyote
46, 58 D-28
45 D-18
27 RB-3
Ditto. Love those mandolins. And Ellis.
Stephen Perry
Consider Charles Horner.
I am most likely going to get Charles Horner, /Westal community near Harriman, Tennessee, to build me an f5 next year. I plan to specify red spruce and pick out some nice Maple. I visited him yesterday and he is asking below $3000 cash.
Charles is pretty famous around here and his stuff is copied from a Loar he came in contact years ago.
red
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