Value Priced Mandolins

[Hard2Hear]

Any of you guys know mandolins out there? I am looking for a mandolin, but I don't have the money for a Gibson or anything like that. The two I have been looking at are the Kentucky and the Michael Kelly mandolins. Does anyone know enough about those two to compare them?

Maybe there's other stuff that's a better value that I don't know about. But I can't afford a USA hand built piece right now. I'm not a mando pro, but need a quality piece, not a $70 junker.

Thanks!

 

[mrface2112]

i've got a Rogue F-style (the one that comes with a *really nice* case that you see in the MF catalogs for $199).

it plays pretty well (pretty good action) and has decent tone. once you start getting up around the 9th fret the intonation starts to go to shit and you start getting random buzzes from the fingerboard not being real level. i also shaved part of the 3rd fret off by fingering a G chord. :-(

i've gotten surprisingly good results out of sticking a studio projects B1 in front of it, and it holds its own in acoustic jams.

while i wouldn't recommend it for someone who's been playing for a while, it's not a bad entry-level mando. it's prolly below your level. it's my first mando, and i'm definitely saving my pennies for a nice, US, handmade one.......maybe a martin or a dudenbostel or something along those lines. i'm MUCH more a fan of the F's than the A's. i never realised that playing mando would come so damn naturally to me--it's come a LOT more naturally than playing guitar did.


cheers,
wade

 

[Fusioninspace]

I had a Kentucky for awhile. I would not advise going with them unless it's already setup and you can hold/play it before you buy it.

I got mine off of Ebay - the strings were on it, but the bridge wasn't. I've set up guitars as a matter of fact for years - but this SOB was a bugger. I never could get the intonation as tight as I'd like. Lot's of buzz also.

I think both the intonation and buzz could have been adjusted out - but I didn't want to spend another $75 on a $100 mando to have it done professionally.

I played a Fender (with a SC pickup!) at GC - it was about $175 I think. But it played wonderfully and had a beautifull sound. I should of bought that instead :-(

Moral of story - Don't buy a new-in-the-box Kentucky off of Ebay.