best mandolin for under $1000

  • Thread starter Thread starter LI_Slim
  • Start date Start date
LI_Slim

LI_Slim

voice in the wilderness
What's the best mandolin for under $1000? It would also be nice if it had electronics.
 
Eastman, hands down. Hand carved solid spruce and maple. A bodies, 2 points, and even a F-5 style 515 in that range.
 
Cool. I will check Eastman out.

How about Morgan Monroe, or Big Muddy (aka Mid Missouri Mandolin)?
 
I have a very early Mid-Missouri which I have been quite happy with, but I was unaware they were back in production after their legal woes. It should be noted that it's really not a Bluegrass instrument, if that's what you are after.
 
Assuming I go Eastman,

how do you like to amplify it? some sort of contact pickup?
 
Great instrument for a injured musician

I have an Eastman 614, it is a very nice instrument. A very mellow sound and extremely easy to play. I also have a MK Dragonfly equally as nice and much less expensive I did have to do a lot more setup on it to get it thay way.
There is a little place in Columbus called The Mandolin Store do a search for them I got my Eastman 614 for under a grand and the MK for $600. That was
a little over a year ago and I purchase 2 at the same time.

I would go with the Eastman 515 if a grand is your limit.

Here is a pretty one almost in your range.

http://www.themandolinstore.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=8021

looks like they have for a 515 for a grand.

The owner will play them over the phone for you he is pretty good.


I plan on doing a lot more mandolin play for the next couple months. I was running around the backyard racing grand children and feel on my shoulder and tore the rotator cuff ouch. I tryed to play a guitar when I go home from the hospital that didn't work I could move up or down the neck. Next I tryed the keyboards but can't hold my injured arm up with out bracing it.
Finally I thought of the mandolin a nice short neck that doesn't require a lot of movement. That is the ticket.
 
LI_Slim said:
Assuming I go Eastman,

how do you like to amplify it? some sort of contact pickup?
Click to expand...


I had a epiphone with a piezo in it but it didn't sound very good so I returned it.
I've seen a few Gibsons with mounted pickups don't know how they sounded.
Most mando players just mic them with anything from 57s to condensor mics.
In bluegrass it's common for several players to gather around a mic.

MK has a few with electronics but I've never plugged on in.

It seems like a lot of players like to slam the MK's the few I've played were very good. I think the quality of craftsman ship is equal to the Eastmans. I think what the main difference may be in the aging of the wood and better setup due to the forementioned.
 
60's guy said:
I'll second the Eastman mandolin. I have a an Eastman 615 (identical to dtb's). The list price is a bit outside of your budget.

A friend of mine has a Washburn, but I don't recall which model it is.

http://www.washburn.com/products/bluegrass/mandolins/
Click to expand...

I have a Washburn M3SW I like and use a lot-another band member has a custom made mandolin and he always prefers mine to his. His dad has the Jethro Burns and he says my newer one is a much better playing mando than the Jethro is!!! ;)
 
I'm not a fan of Washburn guitars but maybe their mandos are okay these days.


It's really not for bluegrass, although I might play a little of that; my uses would be pretty eclectic.

I guess it would easier to deal with a mic for a mandolin than it is for a guitar.
 
LI_Slim said:
I'm not a fan of Washburn guitars but maybe their mandos are okay these days.


It's really not for bluegrass, although I might play a little of that; my uses would be pretty eclectic.

I guess it would easier to deal with a mic for a mandolin than it is for a guitar.
Click to expand...

I saw some Eastmans on display while I was on vacation-I went to a music festival-but I didn't have a chance to play them, they were fine looking instruments though~

I use my Washburn for folk, bluegrass, jazz-its a nice feeling mandolin, the neck is great for my hands.


I have a cheap Alvarez 'A' style mandolin that I used with a classic rock band I was in a few years back, and I used a barcus berry outsider contact pickup with it. I actually mounted it inside the mandolin-not an easy job having to work through the 'f' holes- :eek: :eek: :eek: -I then went through a direct box-high impedence converted to low impedence-then to the mixer.

It gave a nice sound for live gigs-just don't get too close to the monitors-and it kept up with a power drummer we had in the band. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top