$1500....why can't I find

[cedarhog]

I've been looking for a second mandolin. It is gonna be a dedicated bluegrass mandolin. Why can't my $1000-$1500 buy a F style bluegrass canon. Seems like when you look online every picture even if its a cheezy cheap mandolin...the picture makes it look awesome. Oh pictures..why do you tease me so. You'd think with the economy the way it is....this kind of money could buy you a very pleasing bluegrass mandolin......cause a grand and a half aint chump change.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Check the Classifieds - FI

[man dough nollij]

There's an Eastman 815 in the classifieds for less than that. They do vary from instrument to instrument (like just about all of 'em), so it might be good to play it first.

As the owner of two Eastmen (a 504 and a 505), I would highly recommend them for that price point. I paid $499 for my Eastman 505, and I'd stack it up against any BG mandolin I've ever heard under about $3,000. I'd also look for a used Weber Gallatin or Bitterroot in that range. I've also heard a lot of good feedback on the Rogues you can get for $400.

It's not hopeless.

[Mike Bunting]

The best Eastman I've ever heard was a 500 series F. Really give a listen because bling doesn't necessarily equate to a better sound.

[barney 59]

I played a new Kentucky Km1000 that was just about $1500 and it was a really sweet mandolin...or--- Look for someone out of the new crop of builders --the ones that haven't made a name for themselves yet,I can't give you a name of one because, well ,I haven't heard of them but I am sure there out there.

[Patrick Gunning]

Up it to about $1700-1800 and you're talking used Collings MT (A-style, I know, but real, legit professional level TONE and PLAYABILITY), for example: http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/mandolins.html

NFI.

But, to answer your question, because a quality American-made traditional F-style starts at 3k (maybe 2.5k if you push it). Eastman mandos, JBovier, Kentucky, or what-have you (or at least the overwhelming majority of 'em) just plain don't measure up to a Collings MF, Gibson F9, F5G, Weber Yellowstone, etc (again, the overwhelming majority of 'em, there are duds). Want a great F-style for bluegrass? Play a dozen Eastmans and the like. Law of averages suggests one will be substantially better than its normal peers, and you can nab that one for about $1000-1500, thus getting a superior mando. But that takes a significant bit of luck, proximity to a bunch of mandos, and patience. Personally, I'd wait a couple months, save an extra $300, and buy a Collings A. Or, if you need one soon, accept that for a second mandolin $1000-1500 most of the time won't get top-drawer tone (but can be adequate).

But hey, if you play like Chris Thile (or Bill, or insert favorite mandolin player here) even on a Rogue, the crowd'll still go nuts.

[Rob Powell]

At the risk of being chastised and banished by non-believers, check out a The Loar 600 or wait a bit and check out a 700. I continue to be astonished by my 700. Both of them can be had for well under the $1500 range. You could also get any number of Kentucky's in that price range as well as Eastmans.

For used, there's a Triggs A in the classifieds that you might get and I would suspect it would be a candidate for a cannon

[Dfyngravity]

Well I will agree with you that $1000-1500 aint chump change, but you also have to look at it from a little different perspective. A handmade, carved mandolin takes a lot of time and expertise to build. It also depends on what you think a "bluegrass canon" is. If you are looking for something fairly loud and a good chop you might want to try a Kentucky KM1000. The few that I have played were fairly loud and had a very good strong chop. Eastman mandolins are also a great bang for the buck, but you really need to try them because they really do vary from instrument to instrument. All of them that I have played were fairly nice sounding mandolins, but some were better bluegrass mandolins than others.

If you can wait and continue to save up, when you get into the $2000-4000 range you can get just about whatever you want including that ba$*o killer you might be after.

[grassrootphilosopher]

c´mon, you don´t need the F-look. Go for a Strad-O-Lin and forget about the rest. They are vintage, they are inexpensive, most of them sound great (just play them before you buy them), they look cool, nobody knows their origin, they are available every once in a while and you will never look back unless you would like to spend some serious money (talk 10 grand or so) for a killer F 5 style mando.

[Fretbear]

http://www.janetdavismusic.com/lm_600_vs.html

[250sc]

If you want the best sound for that amount of money you'll most likely find it in an A model. If you want that cool looking scroll that takes more care and time (money) to create but doesn't likely add any tonal advantage at your price range than get whatever F you can afford and sounds good to your ear.

[Jerry Haynes]

First and formost let me say... I'm not trying to sell you a mandolin.
Fortunatly I have a waiting list, but wanted to tell you of what I experienced a few months ago. I sold a guy a mandolin in 07, he could not play very well at all. Before selling I suggusted that he buy a low dollar mando, get it set up right and learn on it. If it didn't work out, he would not be out a bunch of money, etc. He insisted on buying one of mine. He brought it back to me last fall saying that he just couldn't learn and wanted to sell it back to me at half price, I made a few calls and it was gone the next day.
So, my point is this.. There are many great builders here who make some absolutly wonderful mandolins, look in the builders section , send an email stating what you want and how much you want to spend. Who knows, you may get pleasently supprised. Jerry

[RobP]

You can get a nice Breedlove ff for that much. The look is a little non-traditional, but mine is plenty loud and has a nice chop.

Cheers,

Rob

[jimbob]

I've seen Gallatins for somewhere in that range. Gibson F9's are a little more as a rule. $ 1500 is just a little low for a real good F....unless you just happen to stumble across a real deal...in these times.... I would have my cash ready and keep looking.

[Jason Kindall]

FWIW I love love love my new JBovier F5 Vine!

[cedarhog]

Well hopefully this won't open a can of worms........what about some of the PAC RIM mandolins. Many claim to be hand carved tops and backs...etc (Ibenez, Alverez.....lots of rez's, MK.etc) Sometimes I read things like "yea back in 1981 company X made a heck of mandolin" I wish I knew more about specific year mandolins when different company's produced an unexpected great mandolin...then I could search them out with that in mind. I admit it..maybe I've vain...but I can't own an A model......they look like a mandolin that is still in the larva stage and just not done yet.

[DerTiefster]

The O.P.'s lament:

...Why can't my $1000-$1500 buy a F style bluegrass canon.

It has been suggested that he's at about 2/3 of the way in price toward what he seeks. I don't know. I do believe that there's no fundamental reason he can't drop the "F style" and still get a "bluegrass cannon."

Does anyone here know why, for instance, the Triggs A-style in the classifieds (as mentioned by one poster) wouldn't be a great candidate for the O.P.? I can't see why. All I've read about Triggs' mandolins tells me there should be a flock of people clamoring for that mandolin.

[GRW3]

$1500 won't buy you a 'Bluegrass canon' guitar much less a mandolin. Somehow this sounds a little like guitar oriented price shock. You can do pretty well with Eastmans, or some others imports, if you get them properly set up and play them into submission. With any decent mandolin your problem will be properly throttling the sound in a jam session, as opposed to not having enough. Properly played a good mandolin can overcome most guitars and even hang with the banjos. That takes work though as the player is powder that powers the canon.

If the f style is esthetically pleasing to you and necessary to get the passion needed to play mandolin, then get an f style. A $1500 f-style you will play is much better than a $1500 A-style you won't, regardless of how much better the quality would be on the latter. Simple economic truths can't always overcome desire.

[allenhopkins]

Why can't my $1000-$1500 buy a F style bluegrass canon.

To play a BG version of Pachelbel's cannon?

[cedarhog]

Like I said before..this will be my second mandolin. I have a weber bitterroot already, I like this mandolin set up more jazz/swing. I wanted another mandolin setup for bluegrass. I guess I'll save a little more money...because I don't think I could handle getting a mandolin lesser than what I already have.........save, save, save.

[man dough nollij]

Hog,

Just out of curiosity-- what has been done to the Weber to set it up for "Jazz/Swing"? I am a relative noob, but I can't imagine what you would do in the setup that would inhibit what should be a pretty formidable BG mandolin. Eh?

[Rob Powell]

You can get a nice Breedlove ff for that much. The look is a little non-traditional, but mine is plenty loud and has a nice chop.

Cheers,

Rob

I'll second that. I used to have a Breedlove KF. It wasn't hardly strictly Bluegrass but it sounded real nice.

[Rob Powell]

$1500 won't buy you a 'Bluegrass canon' guitar much less a mandolin.

I disagree on both counts

My Blueridge guitar is every bit the bluegrass cannon many high end guitars claim to be. My LM-700 is every bit the bluegrass cannon many high end mandolins claim to be. Both of those were under $1500 RETAIL when I bought them and the street price for both is still under that.

[GTG]

but I can't own an A model......they look like a mandolin that is still in the larva stage and just not done yet.

Heh - that's a good one!

Nicest mando I've played for under $1000 (under $500 actually) was a Mid-Missouri M2... great folk instrument.

Nicest bluegrass mando I've played for under $1000 was an early 1980's (Japanese) Kentucky KM1000. A recent Eastman 515 came close, but the neck felt awkward. The 1970s/80s Japanese-made instruments have a good reputation - older Ibanez, Alvarez, Kentucky instruments. I don't know which years/models are considered the best, but if you can find them and set them up nicely, they can be very good value.

Supposedly 'luthier-made' Pac-Rim instruments of today include Eastman, Jade, and The Loar (higher-end models only). Lots of folks on here will recommend these, but I've only tried a few Eastmans (which sounded quite good).

Howard Morris of Oregon is a US builder who makes very affordable mandos that some people recommend, but I haven't tried any of his instruments.

Up around $1500-$1900 gets you into the realm of used Collings MT, Gibson A9, Weber Absaroka A-styles, very nice instruments if you aren't worried about an instrument looking like it's still in its larval stage...

[Rick Schmidlin]

There's an Eastman 815 in the classifieds for less than that. They do vary from instrument to instrument (like just about all of 'em), so it might be good to play it first.

As the owner of two Eastmen (a 504 and a 505), I would highly recommend them for that price point. I paid $499 for my Eastman 505, and I'd stack it up against any BG mandolin I've ever heard under about $3,000. I'd also look for a used Weber Gallatin or Bitterroot in that range. I've also heard a lot of good feedback on the Rogues you can get for $400.

It's not hopeless.

I agree