Mandolin recommendations

TheMadMick

I'm seriously thinking about getting into the mandolin. However, the neck seems awfully tight. I am aware that the fingering technique is different to that on the guitar. However, does anyone have recommendations for a starter Mandolin with a relatively wide neck please?

By the by, I'm thinking of tuning it GCEA instead of GDEA then the chord shapes from the Ukulele will still be relevant.

camf

I have a very nice entry level Fylde mandolin gathering dust. Lovely thing but it’s just not for me. 

TheMadMick

I think that might be a bit beyond what I might be willing to spend as a beginner.

How much would you like for it and where are you. I'm in Merseyside.

drofluf

What’s your budget? My experience in my brief flirtation with mandolins was you pay about twice as much for a cheap mandolin as you would for a similar quality guitar. 

But have a look at the Ashbury range at Hobgoblin, they make good value instruments or Eastman. 

TheMadMick

I don't have a budget yet as I don't know that market I'm looking in. However, for starters I'd think £2 - 400 might be the right ball park?

On the other hand, if the right instrument came at an attractive price I might consider more.

barnstorm

I'm mostly interested rather than a player, but Breedlove's Crossovers are a bit wider than standard at the nut, also Seagull/Godin. Have always quite liked the look of the latter (in acoustic form).

And there's Harley Benton, if their measurements can be trusted. I'm sceptical that you can make something that's really enjoyable to play for the price they're asking, but I guess one of those would be an inexpensive experiment.

If you've not yet tried any mandolin, bear in mind that you might be more sensitive to string spacing than nut width with two strings for one finger. Eastman build theirs a bit narrower at the nut than standard and sell a heap.

I've almost exclusively been playing tenor guitar and ukulele for the last couple of years, and I was impressed with the Recording King tenor I had a muck about with. I'd hazard a guess that their mandolins are good for the money, too, but they're normal width.

If you get into it, Walter Carter's book (The Mandolin in America) is good.

TheMadMick

Thanks Barnstorm. That seems like very sound advice - pun intended.

By the by, used to be a 12 string player. Never seemed to affect me much but then I'm not all that critical about necks and nut width - usually.

Creed_Clicks

There was a Tanglewood model a few years back that had a wider neck than other mandolins I played in the past. Maybe try an octave mandolin as well if you find a standard one too narrow.
I played a mandolin for years in covers and original bands, and sold it. I bloody hated the shrill sound, but stlll gigged it every weekend.  
I would love to revisit but octave mandolin or guitar shaped body bouzouki etc.

TheMadMick

I just found a friend has a Mandolin and he's letting me borrow it. That way I might be able to judge if I can get on with one. Also there is the offer of a Fylde earlier in this thread and I'm given to believe they are longer and wider in the neck than the "normal" (whatever that may be?).

TheMadMick

Just had a jangle on my friend's mando. String spacing it as problem but I expected that. Also, the strings seem very old and stiff. I've ordered some silk and steel new ones. Watch this space.

maltingsaudio

Mrs M has an octave mandolin much easier to play with big fingers but as you would expect not as high pitched as a mando if your doing the flat picking thing, You also might like to check out Guitalin

TheMadMick

^^^ Thanks for that. I'll see how I adapt to the normal string spacing. I've only had a few hours working at it  so far.

Stratavarious

I have an celtic style Ashbury that cost around £500. It has a slightly wider spacing than a previous one I had.  I found medium/heavy flatwound stainless strings make a great difference to the tone, warms it up and takes off some of the thinness/shrillness. Sounds very good amplified live too.  Transducers I added via DI box.

A trick is to imagine the strings just as a guitar strung upside down, you can upside down mirror the bottom 4 strings of guitar chords you know.

Go to a place with a few to try out.

TheMadMick

Just restrung the beast and found the nut loose so had to re-glue that in (NOT SUPERGLUE) and remembered to mark the bridge position with with masking tape (thank you YouTube). Otherwise, it was just a pain like restringing a guitar.

The new strings have improved the tone considerably and the whole thing looks better but the action is high with nothing left on the treble side to get it any better. It's not my instrument so I'm going to have to live with it.

Still struggling with the tiny neck, the closely spaced frets and the unusual chord shapes. I'm starting to think maybe I should stick with my Ukulele - at least that's played regularly even if some chord shapes are horrendous - but that's the same for any stringed instrument.

Wish me luck. I may need it but at least I'm not significantly out of pocket.

TheMadMick

OK. I gave it my best shot but I 'm simply not bonding with the Mando. Besides, I can get a very similar sound from my tenor Ukulele and I don't need to learn anything new.

Thanks to everyone for your help and advice. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Nibulniblin

Try this for size:

streethawk

Nibulniblin said:

Try this for size:

Was falling asleep until he hit the fast parts. My word! 
I thought I was doing well playing the fiddle break from jig of life...

I bought an Eastman mandolin last year btw. Don't know jack about the instrument but it seems nice enough. 

Sambostar

I had a Harley Benton, it was very playable, then the neck separated from the dowels holding it in, although it might have got jammed in a door, easy to fix..  Nicest ones are spruce topped mandolas but the Harley Benton was more than ok for the money and looks the part