If you're really in love with the Collings sound, I'd go in search of a used one, and to get closer to budget, I'd accept for the present the esthetics of the A-model look. To take an extreme example, I bought a very nice 1957 Martin D-18 maybe in the mid-1970's (I realize that's a long time ago) for $300, and got a trade-in allowance of $3,000 on my recently-purchased Larson brothers mando-bass. If you buy a quality used instrument, of the types you describe above, treat it with care, and keep it for a while, you'll find that you can get what you paid for it in private sale, and most of what you paid for it in trade-in at a reputable dealer. I assume once you get a quality instrument, you aren't planning to sell or trade it in six months if you 'churn' through your inventory, you'll end up taking losses. I have a bunch of mandolins I bought a fairly long time ago - all used - that are worth multiples of what I paid for them in the current market. And there are many attractive options in the classified ads on this site. Elderly Instruments in Lansing also gets good grades here. Cafe members are very complimentary of The Mandolin Store I've never dealt with them, but that's the kind of dealer you want. There are two excellent dealers here in Rochester, with whom I've dealt for decades, and whom I trust to describe instruments accurately, price them at fair market value, fix them if I find a defect that didn't show up during the sale, and take them in trade if I decide to get a different instrument. People on the Cafe speak very highly of The Mandolin Store I've never dealt with them. First, I'd recommend buying used, from a reputable dealer who prices instruments fairly, and stands behind them after sale. I'd be a bit cautious about putting four figures cash into a luthier's first mandolin, even if he's built 35 really good Martin clones.Īnd I tend to disagree a bit about mandolins not holding their values. There are skills needed to build a carved-top mandolin that are different from those needed to build a flat-top guitar. He’s undoubtly skilled in the art, he’s on his 35th build so he does have some build experience, just not in mandolins. He could build me a Loar spec Mandolin in my price range, but being his first I wonder if I should take the chance. I currently have a local luthier/builder making me a D-45 style guitar (pre-war FS bracing), and he’s been contemplating starting to build mandolins, too. Any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated. They seem to be good bargains and hold their value well. I’m currently looking at Gibson F9s and Flatiron mandolins from Montana or 1999 (or newer) Nashville ones. I’m really looking for an F style, I’m not sure I’d be visually satisfied with an A style.

Now, being on a limited budget (especially in these times), I’m looking to get a good sounding mandolin for $2,500 or less (preferably around 1k) that will most likely still be worth the money sometime down the road if I decide to move on from it. That’s currently the in my head benchmark for what I want a mandolin to sound like. I played some Collings Mandolins at Gruhn’s last time I was there and LOVED the tone, the clarity and note seperation made them hard for me to put down. It sounds more like a plywood board that won’t hold tune (probably because it is.

I’ve been using a borrowed cheapo China-made mandolin for a while now, and it just doesn’t have the sound I crave for bluegrass style music. I’m mainly a guitar player but I’ve had a bad itch to get into mandolins for a while, I think its almost time to appease the itch. Glad to be able to join such a great resource for all things mandolin.

Collings mandolin price list