[HansDerTans]

Today I was at guitar center playing with a few mandos. I had no idea what I was doing but it was so much fun to play, especially the acoustic/electric ones plugged in through an amp. Every last cent I earn in the next week or two is going towards an acoustic/electric mandolin.

Anyone here play mando? If so, can you shine some insight about your particular brand or style? I played an F-style that looked great and played great but it was strictly acoustic. Then I played a teardrop style and a guitar-shaped ovation mandolin, which were both acoustic/electrics. I didn't like the way they looked as much, but I would definitely rather buy either of those because they were electrically capable.

Both sounded great, but that was the first time I had ever picked up or played a mandolin. Afterwards I was fooling around with some guitars and they seemed HUGE.

[CountryMile Cadillac]

Go with an acoustic one. You will be much happier with the instrument

[tigerstrat]

Go with an acoustic one. You will be much happier with the instrument

Even though he stated in his opening post that he specifically wants one to plug into an amp?

[Laytonco]

Lost Sailor will chime in I am sure. He is a newbie on the Mando but plays like a pro! He has an acoustic and bought a pickup for it. Sounds great!

Peace, Gil

[I'm on the Bozo Bus]

I have an "Oval" shape Mandolin and it is as old as dirt. I can't remember the manufacturer .... Still at the "Salt mine".
It is acoustic, no pickup nothin'...
It was given to me by a friend who was cleaning out his mothers attic... GOTTA LOVE THOSE FINDS

I took it to my guitar guy... A little cleaning, new set of strings, a little bridge adjustment..oh yeah... a book on chords and how to tune the thing and off I went.

Point being... The "Box o' guitars" you went to should not be the only stop on your journey. You gotta poke around... Hit the pawn shops, check the paper, etc.... There are a lot of un-used and un-loved instruments out there... To hell with PETA...
Save an instrument!
Peace,
Phil

[causebass]

I play a Rigel mandolin A style..an acoustic with built in pick up...they are out of business but there are always some for sale used...they are not really a beginner instrument, but something you could have for a long time ...the electric mando's like the fender are fair sounding at best...not much like a mandolin , more like a high pitch electric guitar...if you really don't need to plug in there are a number of decent acoustic mandolins, mainly A styles, usually in the $300 range for a beginner model that plays and sounds decent..Kentucky makes a reasonalbly good F style and there are others mainly in the $500 or so range..I guess I'd be looking for a used mandolin, check out mandolin cafe , and acoustic music works (in Pgh) lots of instruments for sale..
http://www.theCAUSEjams.com

[ker1227]

rogue makes a decent beginning mando, $50, it gets the job done

[lostsailor8782]

Dude you want a Mando !!!! Check out this link ... good stuff affordable... the whole works ... nicely equipped with a pickup but plays nice without ... just check these out ...

http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/mandolins/

[HansDerTans]

I'm not looking for a beginners mandolin. I want to be able to gig and sound nice amplified as soon as I get some chops on the instrument. I'm actually considering making the mando possibly my main instrument, once I get it down.

One that I have my eye on is a Fender FM-52E Acoustic/Electric mandolin, teardrop style. Its going for about $240. Or an Ovation MCS148 Mandolin acoustic/electric, for quite a few more bucks. This is just what was in stock. I'm not jumping into this, since I can't afford either right yet.

I just want to be able to gig with this thing in a jam/rock/grass setting and I don't want to have to stand in front of an instrument mic the whole time.

[HansDerTans]

Note that I'm not going to be playing any straight standard old school bluegrass. Not right off the bat anyway. I have no desire to adhere to tradition and "the way things were". I'm going to be using this instrument for various genres of music. So I don't need its sound to be the ideal bluegrass mando tone.

[big_river_bum]

mike kellys are nice for the price. i got a $750 dollar f-5 style for 500 with a 100 dollar case off of ebay. it was only slightly used as the guy just didn't have time for it with his banjo so i'm not necessarily pushing the mk's, but suggesting you take your time in looking around

[lostsailor8782]

Mike Kelly's are not beginners instruments ... this guy makes great stuff ... I in no way am a traditionalist .. I play mine thru my pedal board .. I use more pedals on my mando than my guitar ... I am buying a new Kelly for about 800 .. and plan on gigging from here to mars and back with it .. Hell I did Scarlet> Fire with Shakin Bones at Dulcinea's a few weeks ago, on Mandolin with a full electric band

[bobbybobbob]

I love the sound of an electric mandolin on effects. Can anyone give me any infomation about Michael Kang's (String Cheese Incident) mandolin and setup? He is AMAZING!!!

http://www.emando.com/images/players/Kangolin1.jpg

[causebass]

just came back from seeing Nickel Creek,and to think I tell anyone that I play mandolin after seeing Chris rip it up all night..man what a monster, and the rest of the band smokes to..they really rock

[IamDocWatson]

dont go cheap if your serious at all...think about the all the tension on such a small neck....the cheaper u go the sooner the neck will warp, i almost gurantee that...and its not that big of a deal to get a very accurate sounding pickup put on your mando..if u do some research youll find better pickups than are in those acc/elec's....