Lefty Mandolins!

jonnyfoxes

Hi all,
Hope I can get help on this one. I'd like to buy a semi-acoustic mandolin, and although I've been looking in shops and online for new/used ones (left handed models), I have come across only a handful that were either not right for one reason or another.

Can anyone recommend me any makes/models/somewhere I could purchase?
I play the guitar already, so I'd be hoping I'll get up to speed on an 8-string pretty quickly.

I have a few quid put aside for this purchase, so I'd like to get a decent, well made instrument. I'd probably spend up to €1000 for the right one!

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks y'all
JF

Hoagy

I've bought lefty mandos from both of these:

Left Hand Bear

Gold tone dealers, wide range of electrics, and

The Music Room

Eastman handmade Chinese, good quality.

Thomann do a lefty electric mando, but it's not great quality.

jonnyfoxes

Wow thanks man!
The Goldtone ones look nice and seem to have few good reviews.
Do you/did you have one yourself?
I'm new to the mandolin game...just wondering did you manage to get a semi-acoustic or an acoustic with pickup?

Thanks again!
JF

Hoagy

Yep I bought a solid electric Goldtone, great fun altogether. The Eastman is acoustic only.
I bought this semi acoustic on Thomann, but it's cheaply made with a right handed saddle.
That's something you need to watch out for.

PaulieBoy

With a €1000 to spend you could just go to your nearest luthier and get him to make one just for you!