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Does anyone know anything about these things?
Basically, I was given an old mandolin by my Dad when he was having a clear out last year...



Since I'm a bit bored with the guitar I've been learning to play it, and have got quite reasonable...
My housemates girlfriend is a singer and a big bluegrass fan so we've been working on some covers together, and we have now been asked to play at a small local outdoor festival at the Jubilee weekend...

The mandolin I have is falling to pieces and isn't gonna be up to the task, so I really need to buy a new one if we're going to play the gig... I know shit-all about them... can anyone recommend a brand who make them? And how much would a good price be for an electro one? I can't really afford more than £200...

The one pictured is (most likely) a Japanese bowlback from the 60s or 70s. While not particularly valuable or rare, they're still really cool. In terms of application, bowlbacks are almost exclusively used in classical music. If you want something to compete with a guitar, you should probably use an A or F style.

If you're getting into bluegrass music, you're going to be wanting F holes on your instrument to get the projection and punch for bluegrass music.

£200 is a really, really low buget for a decent mandolin.

In that price range, look for a used Kentucky KM-150, or KM-162. Don't bother with paying for a scroll, you get more for your money with a simple A shape. Both my mandolins have scrolls btw

The Loar is another good example to look for used in that price bracket, check out the LM220 or the LM400, or their equivalent A models, can't remember. If you can stretch your budget you'll dso much better


Best of luck, it's a wonderful instrument. I'll also use this thread to show off my new Joe Foley F5 mando. HOSS!

I play an Epiphone "A-type"