SAVANNAH SF-100 F-Style Mandolin: is it good enough ?

[kkmm]

Has anyone got this mandolin and play it ?

Can you give comment on:
1) sound quality
2) any action adjustment needed when received
3) construction quality

I have played 7 mandolins so far (all in my possessions from 2 to 6 months, still own 3 at present time, quite happy with these 3), all are A-style, except one Ovation (not A, not F, more like a small guitar )
I have tried a Washburn F-style in a store and I am very impressed with it, but it cost around 700$. I can afford it but mentally reluctant to spend that much on a mandolin.

I may add this Savanah SF-100 (or SF-200) to my collection ( then sell the least preferred one(s) )

[CES]

I've played a couple around. For the price point they're not terrible, but I was underwhelmed. If I were shopping for an under-500 F-style I'd personally look for an RM-75, some of Morgan Monroe's offerings in that range, or look for a used Kentucky or Michael Kelly before I would go for a Savannah. Or, I think there's a Fullerton in the classifieds (NFI) for < 300. The tone of the two that I've played was a bit thin, but neither had been well set up and still had factory strings. They were pretty loud. Fit and finish looked, well, cheap, but they did appear to be fairly solidly put together. If it was all you could afford or you were looking for a beater, I'd say go for it...you can certainly learn on them! And, to be fair, I've only seen maybe 3 or 4, so I'm sure there are some surprisingly good ones out there, I just haven't found them yet.

With any import, but especially it seems with the less expensive ones, you'll need to do/have done some nut filing (to lower the action to playable), adjust/intonate the bridge, and at least check the truss rod/neck relief. Many require some fret levelling as well...so unless you're skilled at such endeavors save yourself some trouble and get one from someone who'll do that stuff for you before shipping/pickup.

I'm not a mando snob...I own a sub 400 dollar Kentucky F style (came with issues, not Saga's fault btw), a Mandobird (love it), and a Fender FM62SE (also < 400) that looks totally sweet and is pretty playable. But, there are probably some F-style options that have a better look and tone than the Savannah will offer, IMO...

[Folkmusician.com]

I have setup/tested quite a few of the SF-100 in the past.

Can you give comment on:
1) sound quality

This is an all laminated mandolin and it sounds like one. It is not the worst out there, but you shouldn't buy it for the tone.

2) any action adjustment needed when received

Absolutely. It will need quite a bit of setup work as it comes from the factory. Almost all imports do. Be prepared for bridge and fret work in addition to adjusting the string height.
You will also want to immediately toss the strings.

3) construction quality

Not great, but much better than I would expect for an F-Style at this price point. Once setup, it should sound like a mandolin (with new strings). I never had issues with one. If someone really goes through it, there is no reason it can't have great action.


SF-200
This has much better tone and is the better choice. The factory setup will be about the same, so it will also need plenty of work to play well. You will find that the SF-100 has cleaner workmanship. The SF-200 is actually a carved instrument. Very rare at this price point and some corners have been cut to keep the price this low. Don't expect great fit and finish. While there are much better A style mandolins at this price point, I am not aware of any other Carved F styles in the range of the SF-200.

You are getting closer to The Loar instruments. If you are OK with an A style, the LM-220 will blow either of these away. If you want an F, the LM-520 is again, in a different league of mandolins.

[Rex9633]

I recently purchased a Savannah SF200. I was looking for a "Knock around" F style mandolin to take camping, etc. and only wanted to spend $300-$500. I wanted a solid wood mandolin and wasn't considering the SF100. I hate to buy any instrument that I can't put my hands on, even in that price range. I found out that Mandolin Hut had all three instruments in stock that had caught my attention; The Savannah SF200 , the Morgan Monroe MMS2, and the Loar LM520. I drove up to Mandolin Hut in Knoxville and compared all three. The MMS2 was my least favorite. Poor fit, finish, and sound, compared to the SF200 and LM520. Fit and finish were about the same between the SF200 and LM520 (with the exception of cheaper tuning machines on the SF200) but the SF200 actually sounded better to me than two different LM520's in the shop. I paid $319.00 for it with a hard case. Whether you're a beginner on a tight budget or need a good sounding mandolin that you don't mind taking out in the rain or 100 degree weather, I think it's the best choice in that price range. Mandolin Hut was great by the way. Paul was very helpful, reasonable, and honest.

[Crabgrass]

Don't forget the Rover RM-75. I have an RM-50 A-style, all solid wood, carved top, bound fretboard, adjustable truss rod, etc. I'm very happy with it; exceptional tone, finish, and playability for the $$$. Agree they mainly cut corners on the tuners. Still, mine stays in tune very well.

[CES]

Rex's post brings up a good point that I tried to make but don't think I was clear on. The last Savannah I played was the 200 model, and on the same day I played the same model MM Rex tried...the MM I played blew away the Savannah, but Rex had the exact opposite experience, and I don't doubt at all that his account is accurate. There's just a ton of variability from instrument to instrument, and especially so in the lower price ranges.

So, if you can't play before you can buy, buy from an online dealer who does set-up but can also give you an honest assessment of the mandolins they have in stock, and maybe even play a couple for you over the phone to assess tone. I'm constantly surprised at how different the same model mandolins can be from one another, even in a shop with a consistent set-up...

[kkmm]

After reading about F and A style mandolins from other threads, I now learned that F style mandolins are not really better ( from the sound quality point of view ) than A styles, assuming made the same manufacturer using same quality materials.
A style cost less as it requires less labor, less materials.
I will stay happy with the A style I have for now. If I want a better quality one (that will last a very long time) I will order Kentucky or Rover from Elderly as they ship the new mandolin pre-setup.