What is the BEST Budget Beginner Mandolin???
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Here's a mega beginner mandolin comparison video where we put 7 popular starter models to the test to see which one is the best in terms of sound, playability, and affordability. Check out the lineup (affiliate links):
1. Vangoa Basic VMA10: amzn.to/3Rw3rjy
2. Ibanez M510DVS: amzn.to/46mzVkr
3. Recording King Dirty 30s: amzn.to/3ruV8to
4. Washburn M1S: amzn.to/45XDOfS
5. The Loar LM-110-BRB Honey Creek: amzn.to/3LvsC1z
6. Kentucky KM 150: amzn.to/3ENpKK0
7. Eastman MD 305: amzn.to/45XDTQI
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My name is David, and I play the mandolin. I've played with multiple award-winning bluegrass bands across the world including Missy Raines, Mile Twelve, Cup O’Joe, and The Foreign Landers, and I curate the weekly mandolin video series #mandolinmondays hosted by the Mandolin Cafe. But most of all, I love sharing my love of the mandolin with others. I run an online mandolin learning community on Patreon, and I also make videos to share my thoughts, ideas, and general mandolin enthusiasm with other mando aficionados. Find out more at the links below:
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This video is permanently linked at the top of the mandolin subreddit. Every new player asking for good starter instruments gets directed to this video. What an accomplishment, David!
You make the cheap ones sound good
Wish this existed when I was shopping. This is the only video needed, instead of having to watch 90 comparison videos. Nice work!
As I'm watching this, I can't help but be filled with this thought of "Wow, so this is the world I'm getting into. This is so freaking cool."
So excited to get mine!
I liked the sound of the Loar best.
I spent an entire afternoon at a music store that had about 25 mandolins in stock. I also found that expensive does not always mean good. Though I wasn't looking at beginner level stuff. Their cheapest were these Eastman 305s, and at the high end they had several vintage Gibsons, including one genuine Loar. I played them all and one particular Eastman 515 sounded the best. Now, not *all* their 515s were better -- just one in particular. Even when compared head to head with the old Gibson Loar. Go figure.
Great story here!
For folks living in Europe, Harley Benton sells one for about €90,-. Perfect for anyone wanting to give it a try, sounds fine.
I've been more than pleased with my Kentucky KM 150. I didn't start playing mandolin until my 50s, and it's solid enough to give me confidence while letting me know if something sounds off, it's me and not the instrument. (Meaning, "I need to work on that a bit more...")
Thank you for the post. Is there a significant difference between KM 150 and KM 156? I like the looks of the latter much more
@@PlavitPOi90not especially, but as a general rule, as the model number gets higher, build quality usually improves, even if only slightly... but with a good, proper setup, either of those will sound just fine...you can count on Kentucky to produce fairly consistent instruments, even in the less expensive models...good brand...
No real surprises - you get what you pay for and you need to pay $200 (or £200 in UK) for a reasonable beginner instrument. But I would disagree that any mandolin is better than no mandolin - I think a bad mandolin is worse than no mandolin. The cheapest model isn't a mandolin at all - it's a Mandolin Shaped Object ;-)
I've also learned from experience not to buy direct mail order. I've got a music shop I use and I think it's worth the extra they charge to get their excellent technician to set up the instrument and make it playable. I can understand why the string tension is reduced and the bridge removed for transport, but I don't think the average beginner would be able to place the bridge and do a set up to get the action and intonation right. They'll just place the bridge randomly and put up with the bad noises it makes.
Don't think I'll be upgrading my Vangoa soon because I don't have much money, but this will be very helpful for other first-time mandolin players!
I started my mandolin journey with a vangoa in 2020, then upgraded to a loar 310f before the end of the year. Its probably just familiarity bias, but even without looking I could hear that clean, sweet sound, and I am glad of my choice.
Just a week ago I got a gold tone f-10 ten strimg mandolin for 800$. Might be interesting enough to make a video about, especially since it is the only remotely budget 10 string option.
I bought a Kentucky KM-150 a couple years after a lot of research and was happy to hear that it still holds it's own against most of it's other competitors. Thanks for your extensive comparison and thoughts on mandolins in this price range!
After seeing this, I have much more respect for a Kentucky !
I have one I picked up from a junk store !
Seems a girl passing thru town needed money, and sold it to this store that sold strange items !
Found it by a fluke, as it wasn't displayed, instead offered when we requested if they had one for sell !
Not sure of the model ?
But couldn't believe the price on the 150 !
Wow....!
Addendum : I think I paid $100.00 !
Started with the Vangoa and upgraded within a couple months to an Eastman 415BK. I call the Vangoa a MSO (Mandolin Shaped Object)
This is the most helpful video I've seen yet on shopping for a first mandolin. Thanks!!
Thanks a bunch for this super helpful as I am going to get a mandolin today and needed some true review of these starters
Great job David! This will be one of the most helpful videos out there for a lot of newer players
Glad to see your doing good david. I haven’t been playing mandolin for awhile because of college but im going to get back into it for sure. Loving what your doing with foreign landers. If you have any shows in cullowhee are you will bet i will be there!!
Thanks for the endorsement of my choice of the Eastman md 305. Always enjoy your videos and hope to see you back in the UK/Northern Ireland soon
Wonderful review David - thank you. This will be a real help to starting mandolin players in selecting that first mandolin. I will definitely refer players to this video to help with that 1st instrument pick - trying to buy an instrument well before knowing what you don’t know.
Excellent video David, You put a lot of effort into your productions and it shows.
The fact that you're not selling these, purchased all of them, set them up for a fair comparison is impressive.
Now what are you going to do? Start a beginner mandolin orchestra?
Thanks for a great video.
So glad I bought the Kentucky Km150 4 years ago, very happy with it! David Your video makes me feel even better about my purchase, Thank you!
This is hands down the best comparison of instruments i have seen. Thanks for that!
Holy mackerel! I can’t wait to see the next video. My mando teacher suggested an upgrade from Washburn to Kentucky. So I guess you guys both agree. After hearing this comparison I do too. Having some issues with strings. XT was good. Elixir Mediums not so much. May try heavy next and hope they get in tune and stay in tune. Thanks for putting this comparison out!
Wonderful review, David! I couldn't ask for a more in-depth and well-presented beginners buyers guide. Many thanks!
I watch lots of "beginner's guide to purchasing -- " videos and this was by far the best one I've ever seen! It was so comprehensive, you thought of everything! Really glad I found this before getting one....and also really torn now LOL
I’m really glad you made this. I get asked about best budget mandolins a few times a year and it’s great I can now send people this. I usually have the same conclusions - get a second hand Eastman or Kentucky and allocate another $100ish to get it set up properly.
Thanks for making such an informative video. I'm thinking of getting my first mandolin and I'm glad I watched it before going for a Vangoa!
Thanks for the excellent info! Happy to see that the Recording King I purchased at a local guitar store a few months ago did well in your ratings; the list $ was $266.99, but I paid about half that! Time to take advantage of the long New England winter ahead, & learn to play it, with the assistance of your videos & maybe an IRL teacher...
I was literally biting my nails as you got to the top 2...and jumping of joy when the Kentucky won your countdown. I love my Florentine Kentucky KM650, my first and only mando.
Thank you for your videos David, and for sharing your musicality with everyone. You are a great player!
Nice work on this video! Just finished setting up the Ibanez for my 10 year old son using your "How to setup a Mandolin" video. Certainly didn't expect it to win here, but it looks nice (which is really important to him) and it'll be great for getting him started. If he sticks with it, that Kentucky might be next.
Thanks for the video. I could tell the Kentucky sounded the best to my ear from the first sequence.
Thank you so much for doing this video! I bought the Vangoa last fall because that's all I could afford at the time. It's been great in a lot of ways especially for $120, but then it fell off the chair (totally my fault) and spilt the whole top. I still play it, so I stay on top of practicing even though it doesn't sound great and now looking to buy a nicer instrument next month. This video was a wealth of help!
Great video - a lot of time and work put into this! I thought the Kentucky sounded the best too.
Extremely helpful, thank you so much.
I found this very interesting - the differences were quite apparent between the plywood and solid wood tops. To my tin ear, the differences between the solid wood instruments and those with laminated back and sides was less dramatic. Having a KM-150, I was quite happy with your ranking, although I think the rank of the top three is a pretty subjective matter. Nice video, David. Thank you.
I don’t own a Kentucky but I have always been curious about them. I do own an Eastman. I am pleased to hear your recommendation about Kentucky. I just may have to pick one up.
Got a Kentucky, love it. Will stay in tune forever.
Ended up with the loar honey creek. Found one with a coupon code for 270 shipped. Can’t wait to start tinkering!
I have an Eastman MD 315 (F Style) and a Kentucky kKM 270 (Oval Hole). Love em both. I like the sound out of the Kentucky more. But I have a passion for Folk, Celtic and Irish mandolin. Especially Irish Jigs. I hope to upgrade one day, but, yeah, the next level starts around $2000 to $3000 on up!! Excellent video David!! Thanks!!
I've been a guitar player for 30 years and have always wanted to learn mandolin. Great video and great information, I'm still not sure which way to go.
Great production. This video is invaluable to folks looking for a first mandolin. One interesting question: how much variability exists among a single brand? I’m not recommending you do this, but if you compared ten Kentucky’s to ten Eastman’s I wonder whether your findings would be the same.
Nice Job on this accessment David! You are spot on. If a buyer has the extra funds available, I personally would choose the Eastman for the playabity and neck shape. Beginners may struggle with adapting their left hand to the unfamiliar regiment of coordinating the fretboard during practice. A more optimal shape and playabity may be the most important attribute for a beginner.
Cool video. Thanks for this. I’ve only played bluegrass, nothing fancy, in years past with my Dad. (Actually my stepdad but he earned that title.)
He bought me my first guitar. He had a mandolin and I learned a few chords and would strum along with him when I visited. Blue grass and old country. Good times.
I would throw in some southern rock sometimes.
now many years later I just ordered a used Kentucky for $300.
Thanks again for the info . This will be great!
Thanks for the excellent video! For pure sound, I would have put the Washburn up with the Eastman and The Kentucky, certainly above the Loar. I thought the Recording King had a thinner chop than the Washburn as well, and not only was the Washburn loudest, it also seemed to occasionally have more complexity than even the Eastman and the Kentucky. I totally agree the Washburn is not great to look at, and maybe some would disapprove of the size of the neck, but compared to the price of the Kentucky or Eastman, it seems to me at least to make the best sound for the price.
I just got my Vangoa "left-handed " mandolin, and it is really nice. I had to move the tail-piece over a quarter of an inch, to center it on the body. Other than that, didn't have much of an option when you're a lefty. Nice video!
I have the Eastman and while I'm not into Bluegrass I play quite a bit of Brazilian Choro on it. Mine sounds fuller and more complex than your recording so many factors may be at play here. It's kind of scary how well it sings. It makes me smile every time I play it. Great reviews by the way. Thanks.
Great comparison, David!
If one is based in mainland Europe it's hard to get access to such variety of mandolins without additional shipping costs. However, in Europe people often use Thomann as the biggest and main music instrument store. That's where I bought my first Harley Benton mandolin for roughly $60.
That was my first encounter of any mandolin ever and I must say it does a great job for such price. It's twice cheaper than your cheapest mandolin there, but sounds much better in my opinion. Also, I haven't noticed such intonation problems and there is a truss rod. It taught me that I really enjoy mandolin and led to buying a Loar LM 590 as a next step.
Didn't watch this first but ended up getting the Eastman 304 (oval hole) over the Kentucky after playing them together. Really love it. Eastman also has some sort of finish on their fretboards that stain your fingers, which is worth a mention? Never experienced it before on any other instrument, but my Eastman mandolin and guitar both stain my fingers. Anyway my starter mando was that Ibanez and the all-solid Eastman (and Kentucky) are a world of difference.
Bravo David! What a well researched and helpful video! Come see Marci and me in Cedar Key sometime!!
Great video. Thanks!
Good video for helping new mandolin players. About 10 years ago I wanted to start playing mandolin. I did some research and got an Epiphone MM-20. It only cost about $120 and it is a great instrument. It is well built, stays in tune and really projects. I believe this model has been discontinued but the MM-30 is likely as good.
I bought the Eastman MD305, 4 years ago and I’ve been very happy with it. I bought mine from Banjo Ben’s and it included a free complete setup which has held true since I’ve owned it. At the time I bought it the price was $499. Money well spent, but I do think the Kentucky sounded best in this comparison. Good video.
Great vid! 😊 Thank you!!
I have an Ibanez, needed a lot of bridge work and the neck has a twist in it. But Uncle Ike's in Dubuque set it up for me, and it's fun to play with. Good video.
Cool video
The Washburn M1S was the fist mandolin I got like ~10 years ago. Still plays very well but it's a bit quiet and flat in tone.
New sub. New mandolin player. Great stuff💯
I have two Eastmans....a 304 and a 305. I will say they open up very nicely after a couple years......the 304 has pretty decent volume and the 305 has a real nice woody tone..
Gotta say, I was consistently surprised by the sound of the Washburn. I started out on the F style version of the Loar one, but nowadays I use a kentucky KM-1000 which is just fantastic
The harley benton hdma-100 is a nice option. The price and construction is great. It also has a 9-3/8" radiused fretboard. Usually found on more expensive mandolins.
Superb Video, thank you so much and I agree with the outcome for the top three. I live in England and for some reason the Kentucky's up to about £800.00 don't come with a case/ bag. Take care. David.
Great video, have the recording king, good mandolin, would love to see a comparison of oval holes, if you have any wall space left.
This is awesome!
I’ve been teaching mando at Elderly Instruments since 1979, so I’ve played and been exposed to the full range of mandos. I concur re: the Kentucky solid top model. I routinely help beginners as they choose an instrument, and tend to steer them towards the KY, and if it’s beyond their $s comfort point, the laminate KY is a good compromise. 👍🏼
Elderly is a great shop to buy from as well. They include a setup with the purchase. That is so valuable! I recommend spending just a bit more to go with the Kentucky KM-250 to get some nice upgrades vs the KM-150. And sometimes you can even find the KM-250 for less than the KM-150.
Loar honey creek?
When I started playing mandolin two years ago I went with the Eastman MD305. Kentucky KM-150 is hard to get a hold of in Europe and to import one from north America would be more expensive than an Eastman (shipping, taxes, customs duties and so on). The Loar LM-110 at that time was either out of stock or had a delivery time of around ten weeks at the online stores that I found. So I went with the Eastman and I haven't looked back since.
Very nice video. Thanks.
Glad you liked it!
Thanks much. As a guitarist, it's not always obvious what to look for in a Mando.
I don’t play any stringed instrument and not played anything since I was in high school band. But, in my mid 30s the mandolin is intriguing me and I am thinking about picking one up to tinker with.
Great comparison video!! The only drawback is you make them all sound pretty good….and a few of them are no good!
Very beginner friendly, thank you! (Speaking as a beginner)
Thank you!
Before you did your ranking, i thought the Kentucky sounded the best. My first mandolin was one i bought on Facebook marketplace for $20. It came with a nice hard case and sounds great. Then i found one for $10 that was missing a string. I replaced the strings and it sounds pretty good, but not as good as my $20 one. I’m just learning and i love how the mandolin sounds. Very fun, thanks for the very informative video.
Hey David, thanks for this great video. I am surprised that you didn't review the rogue that a lot of folks got to test the waters. It cost around 50 $ !! I'm a long time guitar player and was always interested in trying out the mandolin. I've been playing it for a few years and don't really have a lot to compare with since I can't seem to find many mandolins in our area. Do you or others have any thoughts on this instrument? Please be kind. I must say that it is playable and fairly in tune.
Hi David,
Thank you for the video!
It is great getting to see and especially hear all the mandolins.
I have a question:
Where would you recommend we go to shop for mandolins? They are such a niche product. I happened upon a few ukulele videos, one of which told us why you shouldn’t go to a guitar store to look for your instrument (ukuleles, in the case of the person putting the video out - but mandolins would be the same: that is, most guitar shops would have a limited selection of mandolins/ukuleles, etc. and would not care for them that well. They would get dusty being on the shelf and wouldn’t be touched until the next time someone comes in - specifically asking about them; in addition, if you were to buy one from them, they wouldn’t know what to do with it - how to set it up - like a mandolin/ukulele, etc.)
Are there shops which specialize in mandolins which you could recommend, for someone like me who wants to get started learning mandolin, as I really enjoy their sound (I started learning guitar, taking lessons for 2 months - but I just had no motivation to continue with it). For example, in England, there is the Southern Ukulele Shop, which specializes specifically in ukuleles (that’s one thing I happened upon in the video).
Thanks!
When you know you made the right choice of instrument to learn how to play because even the lower quality instruments sound nice. The Eastman sounds amazing.
I also didn't know the bridge was adjustable, I have a blue ADM Mandolin I got off Amazon using some birthday money and it sounds decent for a beginner mandolin (Very close of the Recording King in sound) but some of the strings don't hold their tuning well. I'll see if adjusting the bridge helps with that since the keys seem fine, thank you for pointing that out.
Many thanks from a bass and uke player - with a violent and sudden craving for the Irish Bouzouki and mandolin…
Hi I love your review. I have a question, what do you think of the Mitchell Mandolin?
I bought the Ibanez 510 about a year ago and the plastic nut at the top of the fretboard just gave out. One of the E strings cut through it. Im getting a bone nut put on it for an additional $70. Overall, the tuners aren't great, but the mandolin has served me very well especially for the price. Ive even gotten compliments from professionals about it.
OMG, I was about to walk out the door to buy a Washburn M1K (rather than M1S). But, yeah, If my first mandolin isn't right, there won't be a second. I have got to be able to the best I can on a beginners instrument. And honestly & truly, I was picking the KM150, before you did. So spending $500+ on one is better value than spending $100-$200 on something I won't/can't play.
I bought my first Anglo Concertina for $550 and my first Irish Flute for $750 (although I overpaid on that). Whistles - I found quality in the $100-$200 range for what is just a tube, with a mouthpiece :) So the Kentucky KM150 $540 from Guitar Center looks a comfortable pick.
1. I would never buy anything serious on Amazon.
2. Plywood is useful in music, only for packing cases.
3. Laminate is trying to make something bad look good.
4. (not relevant here). But no instrument should be made of carbon fiber.
I got an Ibanez for a steal and quite like it. Im by no means a dedicated mandolin player, but it works just fine when guitar is getting stale and I need some inspiration.
If you were to look at a Lyon and Healy style C, you'll see what they were trying to go for, aside from the F- holes instead of an oval hole. But the headstock is kinda Eastlake furniture style, in my opinion. I had hoped it would make it higher up on the list, but I'm not surprised.
My ranking from my hands' own experience is #1 Kentucky, #2 Loar, #3 Eastman. In the examples I've played, the Kentucky and Loar sounded almost identical, but the Kentucky was much more playable with a nicer finish. The Eastman was the best playing, but was too bright for my taste.
Nice. I guess I got a great deal on my Kentucky KM150. Found it on OfferUp for $50! It’s definitely a keeper.
That definitely was a great deal, good for you!
I got my old schutz marke for 20 bucks at a second hand shop. Yeah, the back was falling off, so I had to remove it, straighten out the bracing so the curve wasn't so extreme, glue it back on, fill the cracks with sawdust and reattach the seam in the front, aside from the normal revival stuff like relacquering and polishing the metal bits.
Thanks David.... 🤙
great video
I played a less expensive Inanez Mando with a P/u in a band 6 nights a week, served me well, easy to play and sounded ok e with a good eq.
Awesome and fun video to watch! Thanks for making it.
I agree with what you have said, although price being a consideration, I would probably go for the Loar. Plus my fingers are too big for Mandolin and I'm hoping that the wider finger board might be able to accommodate me. Plus I love the look. Volume wise, it sounds loud enough for us students. I have a $99 model which my fingers are too big for so any of these instruments would be a big upgrade, if I could play it and the Loar is the most likely because of the finger board.
Like another comment.... I wish that this video was available when I purchased my second mandolin on CZcams.
My first mandolin was a second hand Hoffner from Germany. It was not a fancy instrument, but was very easy to play, and it sounded great.
I sold it to a girl that I met at the Kerrville Music festival. She was playing a budget instrument, and commented on how much better my mandolin sounded than hers. She asked to play mine, and again commented how much easier it was to play my instrument.
After about 25 years I was retired, and had plenty of free time, and decided to get another mandolin. I think must have bought one just like the girl had that bought my first mandolin. I gave it to my grandson. Now he has it hanging on the wall of his bedroom as a decoration!
Yeah, I bought an Ibanez electric acoustic mandolin and it needs lots of work. I'll look into your other video about it to get it done!
When I first started, I ended up getting a The Loar LM-310F, which is an F-style. And you always pay a premium for an F body versus and A body. The LM-310F is much more expensive than the LM-110 but similar in price to the Kentucky KM-150 which it compares favorably with but perhaps a little below it in build quality but still excellent. The LM-310F projects well with chops and chords, it's a bit quiet when picking and can be difficult to hear when doing melody lines against a full size acoustic guitar doing rhythm chords. Needs more volume.
My first mandolin was the absolute cheapest thing I could find. I struggled for months to learn to play on an instrument that was not really set up well. I worked on it myself and got it sort of playable but the difference between a $80 mandolin and a $200 mandolin is massive. And I recommend not going too cheap even if you're just learning. If you are fortunate enough to have a music store that can setup a new mandolin that will be worth it if you're a beginner. A lot of the guitar shops in my area are pretty comfortable with mandolins, and if you bring your own strings they'll help you set it up. Guitar center even managed to put together a set of strings from their store brand stock, as long as they know the diameter of each string they can figure it out.
would love to hear about the flat iron
I love my Harley Benton! 49 €. It took a bit of set up but it works and sounds surprisingly good.
started with a HB too, the slightly more expensive option, but still a good but about €125
Love mine too. Paid UK£50.
Bump, good quality content
The Loar is great for the price and for starting out. But I upgraded to an MD315 and the jump in sound to me was huge.
Loar is fantastic for the money though.
I think the cheap one is branded Rocket in the uk. Definitely sounds like. Had it ages , just tune the best i can and go with it. Hurts my fingers though, unlike my guitars, banjo and uke.
Thamk you
Unless I find a good deal on a used Kentucky or Eastman, I believe I will go with the Loar. I've seen other reviewers talk about what a value it is. Volume aside, the tone was on par with the more expensive ones.
I’m a lefty so I had 3 choices lmao. Stag M20 ain’t bad love that little thing.