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Mandolin recommendations

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  • 03-01-2009 12:25pm
    #1
    pir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭


    I am getting ready to purchase my first mandolin, and I would greatly appreciate recommendations for a quality, entry-level instrument. I want to play traditional Irish / Celtic music, and from what I have read so far, an oval hole A-model would work best. I'm not sure which brands are good, which brands I should stay away from, etc...

    Thanks!


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    #2
    Strings.ie
    Registered Users Posts: 253 ✭✭Strings.ie


    There are so many brands these days especially on entry level instruments. I started out on an Ozark Mandolin many years ago. I guess it would have been in the €150-200 region price range today. You don't have to pay a fortune for a decent instrument these days but best bet is try a few out at a shop. Oh and you probably want to avoid a bowl back Mandolin.


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    #3
    pir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭pir


    Thanks for the info. With all of the brands out there, I agree that it would be best to actually play a few - rather than blindly ordering one from an online retailer.


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    #4
    granite man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 86 ✭✭granite man


    I've been playing an epiphone for a few years, was £180 with a case when I bought it, it does the job. You're best finding something with a nice action as it will help you start off without wrecking your fingers too much. Avoid the cheapies, they're only a waste of money.


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    #5
    Padre
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Padre


    how much do you want spend on that mando?
    look for a mandolin with a long scale - Ozark, hora and others like that usually have a short one - longer scale will give you better stronger tone
    you have to be very careful with cheapos from China - I've seen a lot of them with crappy bridges
    do you play any other string instrument?
    you have to be ready for a situation that on the mandolin you'll have a 4 pairs of pretty think strings and sometimes it may be really hard to play - in some cases you can try to change the action on the mandolin, but in most of the cases it's caused by really hard front of the mandolin. after few minutes of playing on a mandoline your fingers will hurt.
    definitely avoid neapolitan models - those with round back
    the pear shape type with oval hole is called A4 - A as shape, 4 type of hole
    you can find in internet F5 used in bluegrass florentine model.
    I've seen in shops in Dublin mandolins by Eastmand - they are pretty good, but cost quite a penny,
    I've seen Moon mandolin, good luthier mandolin.


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    #6
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    I started off on, still have, and still gig with a Crafter semi acoustic. It looks like a little guitar, so is probably rubbish as a mandolin, but I've gotten away using it accompanying bands and just guitars. I changed the machine heads and put a new nut on it, and experimented with different gauge strings. It takes round ballend strings.

    My only problem with it is, and I don't know if this is for all mandolins, is that the joints in my fingers often get pretty sore after fretting around the first 3 frets. it's pretty narrow there and hard to press down...

    So, I'm thinking of trying out a Mandola (or is it an octave mandolin?) to see if there is a difference in neck size, and if it'll help me..


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