What Mandolin?

[Disastrous]

I'm looking to buy a mandolin!

I've been playing guitar for years but a mellowing towards country/folk has left me with an itch to experiment with adding the odd mandolin line into my songs. Not fussed about the learning to play part as I tend to pick stuff up quickly and have a working knowledge of violin fingering but could use some suggestions on a starter-for-ten mandolin.

I'm not looking to spend a fortune, as this may be a passing fad but want something decent enough to learn on/perform with on occasion.


A brief bit of research throws up a couple of likely candidates in the right sort of price bracket:

An Epiphone:

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/mandolins_detail.asp...

A Fender:

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/mandolins_detail.asp...

But also, this Stagg effort seems to cheap to be true - is this a viable, playable instrument to get going with or will I hate it within seconds??

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/mandolins_detail.asp...


Any other suggestions appreciated - I don't want to go too far over £150 as I'm not sure whether I'll love it as much as my guitar but also happy to look second hand for any special ideas...

Over to you, mandoliners:


PS - If it helps, the sound I'm looking for is the sort Springsteen used on Atlantic City so I guess an F-holed model, rather than a 'trad' sort?

[davepoth]

Stagg instruments are in the main quite nasty, I'd avoid.

[GetCarter]

oooh... Jimmy Moon! http://www.moonguitars.co.uk/moonhome.html

[Disastrous]

Agree on the Stagg stuff. I wouldn't dream of touching their guitars but I thought they might be a good 'cheap n cheerful' way into Mandos. 5 minutes in the music shop this afternoon has proven this isn't the case and like an impatient teenager, I've come home with this:




Really nice to play so far but bloody hell, those frets are tiny for my lazy guitar hands!!!


The moon stuff looks nice but I'm guessing they ain't cheap?

[davepoth]

Good choice, but I hoped you were going to get:



This.

[The Lukas]

I'd look for one on EBay.

[Disastrous]

The Lukas said:

I'd look for one on EBay.

I'd never buy a guitar/mandolin/any instrument that I hadn't had a chance to play first! Too much variation in finish, even between supposedly 'identical' instruments, IMO.

Anyway, it plays really well (I think, having no frame of reference other than a guitar) and I'm enoying getting to grips with it. It's brought primary school violin lessons flooding back to me!

[1878]

Play it, enjoy it - then save up for a visit here: http://www.paulshippey.co.uk/