stores with mandolins in New England

[gauze]

I've never played mandolin before getting one off Musician's Friend and it's a $50 mandolin so assume you know what it plays like with factory set up (I'm ok with it), I've checked a few music stores but haven't seen more than 2 mandolins combined at them so I'm wondering if someone in the MA/RI/CT area has any tips on shops to check out so I can get my hands on a decent mandolin to see what all the fuss is about

[Mandobar]

do a search here on the cafe and you will find a few. one of our sponsors is in Lexington. they have all types and price ranges. if you are in providence it is not that far. they are right on mass ave.

[chriss]

Music Emporium, Lexington Mass
http://www.themusicemporium.com/

They're a great guitar+mando shop- big inventory of new+used instruments and in-depth repair capability + experience.
They typically have mando's from $200 up thru $20,000
I live in Ohio but bought my last one from them. I was out in Boston for work and they had what I wanted in stock + agreed to a decent deal.

But ... and this has been said before ... the BEST return-on-investment could well be a $60 setup on your current instrument. It will surely play a whole lot easier and be a lot more fun. A setup won't change the basic tone quality of the instrument in any huge way, but if the bridge is located wrong and/or the nut isn't right, leading to the intonation being off now ... well then in that case it'll sound a world better too, in addition to being a breeze + a joy to play. It's worth bringing it along if you go up there. You can compare side by side yours what you're playing there, and they can tell you in minutes what you can expect from a setup on yours.

[allenhopkins]

Music Emporium is presumably the one to which Mary refers. Stu Cohen has a good selection, more toward the high end, and surely knows his stuff about instruments.

Don't know what there is in Providence; my kid was in school there for four years, but the only music shopping I did was buying a clip-on tuner at a store in the big downtown mall.

[Mandobar]

The Music Emporium is in Lexington.

[joshtree]

That is really all there is in our area. You can find a Fender or an Epiphones at many guitar shops. (National in Woburn Ma. has one of each, I found the Epiphone very playable for the short $ they want)
there is one mando in North Reading, an older used Kentucky I think, F-style with pickup if I recall, I kind of liked it, he wanted $450 or so. I liked the guy and his shop. I didn't like much of what The Emporium had in my price range (1k-1400$) and I didn't like any of the $500 range (I probably would have if that was my price range) but he has since recieved an Arches FT oval that I wish I could have tried before I bought my Breedlove. (not that I am unhappy with the Breedlove, I am very happy, just wish I had that option.) If you go to Lexington give youself several hours they have some amazing instruments. Stu is a nice guy and they are gracious about letting you play around with things.
We are pretty lucky to have the Emporium so close though, comparatively speaking.

[Randi Gormley]

You could probably find a luthier to do a setup on the Rogue. I have one who lives down the street from me and he set up my Rogue for $60; it's another option if you're not up to a road trip or don't have the money for an upgrade right away.

[bingoccc]

Wakefield should have a few to look at. http://www.wakefieldmusic.com/Folk_Instruments.htm

[Jim Garber]

AcousticMusic.org in Guilford, CT has a good selection of mandolins and they are quite knowledgeable. Not right near you but you did say New England.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Northampton and Amherst both have acoustic stores with a good instrument selection including mandos. Amherst's is Fretted Instrument Workshop; http://www.frettedinstrumentworkshop.com/mandolins.html

I can't remember the other in Northampton, but Birdhouse looks promising for lower-to-midrange (Loar-KY-Eastman).

[Larry S Sherman]

In Northampton you are probably referring to Downtown Sounds. I've never checked out their mandolins.

I used to spend a lot of hours in Amherst at Fretted. In the past I bought my first F-5 and a National mando there.

In Easthampton there's a cool store called the Luthier's Co-op. They have some vintage Gibsons, a newer National RM-1, and more mandolins and funky archtop and vintage guitars. They do my repairs. They have some nice old Gretches there like the Beatles played.

It's worth a road trip to Brattleboro VT to Maple Leaf Music if you're interested in new instruments, especially Collings and Eastman. I bought my first new mandolin there.

I have NFI in any of the above.

Larry

[journeybear]

AcousticMusic.org in Guilford, CT has a good selection of mandolins and they are quite knowledgeable. Not right near you but you did say New England.

What I was gonna say. Also, they are on Route 1 right off I-95 in Guilford, CT, between exits 57 & 58. They might be more inclined toward the high end, but they do get instruments on consignment. Which is how I got my mandola. Make friends with them, tell them what you want, they will keep an eye out for you.

[CelticDude]

I'd second Maple Leaf Music and Music Emporium as well. Also, slightly out of New England, is the Mandolin Brothers, in Staten Island, NY. An entire room of mandolins, and is where I got my Collings MT. Worth the pilgrimage.

[nightjars]

I am beside myself. I have had an awful journey. I live in CT (yes the guys in Guilford really are very nice and helpful.) I bought one from a luthier in N. CA and it arrived with neck sheered off the body. I never got my money back from that "maker." But I will. Stay tuned on that. Then I blindly bought something on Reverb and it had a very odd little nub under the nut to accommodate the truss rod and it pressed into my hand such that I couldn't play. So I decided, let's get to a store and play a bunch.

I was visiting Arlington, MA for other reasons and did a quick search. I saw the name Music Emporium and thought it was the old mail order catalog out of Maryland that was popular in the 80s-90s. So I ignored it.

I was staying a couple of blocks up the hill off Mass Ave!

Of course now I am 2.5-3 hrs away and didn't put this together until after we realized they don't keep Sunday hours. But I drove by 3-4 times.

I grew up in NY. I miss 48th St. And the loss of Mandolin Bros kills. There is no where in the tri-state. I foolishly mentioned this to a guy at Sam Ash in Midtown who told me to go to Nashville and shop. It wasn't the suggestion but man the 'tude.

Music Emporium, Lexington Mass
http://www.themusicemporium.com/

They're a great guitar+mando shop- big inventory of new+used instruments and in-depth repair capability + experience.
They typically have mando's from $200 up thru $20,000
I live in Ohio but bought my last one from them. I was out in Boston for work and they had what I wanted in stock + agreed to a decent deal.

But ... and this has been said before ... the BEST return-on-investment could well be a $60 setup on your current instrument. It will surely play a whole lot easier and be a lot more fun. A setup won't change the basic tone quality of the instrument in any huge way, but if the bridge is located wrong and/or the nut isn't right, leading to the intonation being off now ... well then in that case it'll sound a world better too, in addition to being a breeze + a joy to play. It's worth bringing it along if you go up there. You can compare side by side yours what you're playing there, and they can tell you in minutes what you can expect from a setup on yours.

[Dave Reiner]

I live 5 minutes away from the Music Emporium and can check out mandolins there if you need. It's a great store with very knowledgeable staff. However, they're closed for renovations through the end of the month (still open online, though).

Dave

[Jim Garber]

I am beside myself. I have had an awful journey. I live in CT (yes the guys in Guilford really are very nice and helpful.) I bought one from a luthier in N. CA and it arrived with neck sheered off the body. I never got my money back from that "maker." But I will. Stay tuned on that. Then I blindly bought something on Reverb and it had a very odd little nub under the nut to accommodate the truss rod and it pressed into my hand such that I couldn't play. So I decided, let's get to a store and play a bunch.

I was visiting Arlington, MA for other reasons and did a quick search. I saw the name Music Emporium and thought it was the old mail order catalog out of Maryland that was popular in the 80s-90s. So I ignored it.

I was staying a couple of blocks up the hill off Mass Ave!

Of course now I am 2.5-3 hrs away and didn't put this together until after we realized they don't keep Sunday hours. But I drove by 3-4 times.

I grew up in NY. I miss 48th St. And the loss of Mandolin Bros kills. There is no where in the tri-state. I foolishly mentioned this to a guy at Sam Ash in Midtown who told me to go to Nashville and shop. It wasn't the suggestion but man the 'tude.

I don’t understand what your comment means about Acoustic Music in Guilford. Did you go there?

RetroFret in Brooklyn is like Mandolin Brothers at least on the vintage side. Rudy’s Music in Scarsdale has and excellent selection of fretted instruments but the caveat is always that mandolins will always be the minority instrument compared to guitars. There is also Lark Street Music in Teaneck, NJ.

[Dan in NH]

Strings & Things in Concord NH is an Eastman dealer, and usually stocks a few 300 & 500 series mandos.

Johnson Strings in Newton Upper Falls, MA is an Eastman dealer, and usually has some 300 & 500 series mandos.

And Music Emporium stocks mandolins that I can't afford.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yep, Music Emporium is New England's go-to.

And I just tried Googling vintage guitar stores new england. There are several visit-worthy shops. For instance, I like the look of this place: Fretted Instrument Workshop. If you scroll down, there are some tasty offerings.

And even though it's not in New England, here are some USA-made all-solid-wood mandos that sound great, look cool, and come in at well under a grand: www.bigmuddymandolin.com. They're not a bluegrasser choice, but if that doesn't matter to you, check 'em out.

Last but far from least, it can pay handsomely to browse the Mandolin Cafe classifieds regularly. Lots of good instruments come through here.

[Mandobar]

What I was gonna say. Also, they are on Route 1 right off I-95 in Guilford, CT, between exits 57 & 58. They might be more inclined toward the high end, but they do get instruments on consignment. Which is how I got my mandola. Make friends with them, tell them what you want, they will keep an eye out for you.

The shop has relocated to Chester, CT.

[journeybear]

Whoa! Wonder when that happened? Perhaps it was inevitable, as the shop side of the operation kind of diverged from the restoration side some time ago, and then George had some serious health issues, which put him way behind. (I hope he's OK, as he has not been responding to emails, and has had a few instruments in his shop which I've been hoping he's been able to repair.) Well, thanks for the heads-up.

Well, here's what they've got. Not a whole lot to choose from at the moment. I guess keep checking in now and then.

[Mandobar]

The retail shop part of the business belongs to Tryp Wyeth, who moved the instrument sales to Chester, to a building he owns and also houses his architectural practice. George is still going the work for the shop, but Brain Wolfe is now retired.

Brian retired last December. The shop moved to Chester only recently.

[Steve L]

Diamond Cove Music in Gloucester, Ma. has a decent selection of Eastman mandolins.

[JeffD]

11 years between post 13 and post 14. I missed that.

Just another thought that may help folks reading all of this. An additional option. Often a good music store with which you have had a good relationship is able to acquire mandolins not on display. What I mean is that if you have a jones for a particular mandolin but its not there in the store, it may be possible for them to get it for your perusal. Of course you have to be serious, no casual tire kicking. It never hurts to ask.

I have a place I like to go to, they have always been helpful, and twice now they have been able to acquire specific instruments for my in store test drive, with no requirement that I purchase. In both cases, yea I purchased. They know my addiction. (FYI the first one was a National resonator, and the second one was a Weber Gallatin Sopranino.)

[ccravens]

11 years between post 13 and post 14. I missed that.

Yikes!

Seems you're not the only one. How does an 11 year old thread get resurected?

[tiltman]

How does an 11 year old thread get resurected?

I don't know - seems to be happening a lot lately - especially in the "Looking For Information About Mandolins" Forum.
Not sure if something changed on the IT side of things or if a lot of people simply aren't paying attention...

Kirk