Mandolin Online Buyer's Guide: Top 6 Things to Know Before You Buy!

#mandolin #bluegrass #monroe #techtip #howto #hack
Buying a mandolin online can be a scary process, but there are ways to make it less scary. Here are 6 things to make sure your online retailer inspects and addresses before shipping your mandolin. If they don't, find somewhere that does...it will save you a lot of heartache at the end of the day.
If you're looking for someone who has your best interests in mind, I'd be honored to have your business at Banjo Ben's General Store! Give us a call at 833-226-5623 or anytime online at store.banjobenclark.com/

[@dalejohnson5095]

I think that once you have checked all the boxes presented in this video you need to consider the neck profile. I’ve played a number of different mandolins and I found some of the profiles to be detrimental to my playing style. While some may prefer a fatter neck profile I personally like it to be a bit thinner. The point is get it in your hands and try it out.

[@catgordon603]

You made a new customer out of me! I’m so excited for my new mandolin!

[@rickymoore9096]

Great video ,well explained with no unnecessary boring chat

[@TysonFroment2]

This was great info!!

[@charlesbernard9198]

I bought a Northfield from Banjo Ben's about a year and a half ago and was very pleased with the way it arrived, and Jake was very helpful and great to work with. I've been playing it so much that there are already fret grooves, and the satin finish is wearing off the neck. The neck finish wear seems like a plus and makes it more "slidable." However, for the fret grooves, good mandolin luthiers are few in these parts (NYC area), so I'm not sure how soon I should give that some attention.

[@calebellismando]

Thanks! That was very helpful

[@RonMeleScubaNut]

I enjoyed this video, even though your guys gave my mandolin a checkup at the April Cabin Camp. Despite what my wife says the Fender (Korea) mando she bought me about 20 years old is, well, a Fender and I’m looking to upgrade. I’d love to support your shop and buy one there…maybe a visit is in order sometime soon!

[@clydeortego8332]

Thanks for the tips , I am interested in getting into playing Mandolin. In play Guitars and Ukulele now.

[@user-ux7oj9jb5q]

Thanks, very informative.😊

[@tonyalewis9053]

Good stuff!

[@timmygeem398]

I am wondering if you might have a KZbin on what to look for in an ELECTRIC mandolin. There are different pickup companies that will work with a manufacturer and install a pickup and electronics (volume/tone control, etc)

[@artsie8282]

Thank you

[@leannasummerlin9785]

You know Mr. Ben one thing I didn’t think about as a newbie is I wish I had checked the straightness of my frets in orientation to the rest of the fretboard and nut on my Eastman 615 before I purchased it. It really is an issue now that my first 5 frets are crooked. I will buy my Northfield new from you so I won’t have to worry about things like this!

[@BanjoBen]

Wow, that is crazy! Yes, we would not have sent that mandolin out. I'm sorry to hear about that.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Great video and it came at a great time. I've been planning to get an F Style soon so I'll keep these tips in mind!

[@BanjoBen]

Yes, when you get ready to buy please reach out to me. We need to get you a good mando.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

@@BanjoBen I will for sure. I've only got about $300 saved for it right now but hopefully soon!

[@howardwickens9391]

Carved top/ back !

[@musicianm0mmy]

wish i had watched these videos before i purchased one

[@robertshorthill6836]

Believe or not, guys, I have heard of new to the mando people who would like to change strings for the first time and are thinking the bridge was forgotten to be glued at the factory, so they grab a bottle of some kind of glue and wonder why their mandolin intonation is out of tune and the bridge can not be moved. Never glue a bridge , EVER, people !! Listen to anybody that has ever changed strings. Yeah, there are 8 strings and it can be a daunting undertaking at first, but it is worth learning how to do it without gluing the bridge. Happy trails, fellow mando geeks. Bob

[@kenz5469]

When replacing a tailpiece, is there guage on the height of the tailpiece, to the top surface of the mandolin?

[@damien1352]

Great video, but as a beginner wondered what you were talking about when you were on no. 2 and started talking about "tuning machines". Same with the next one 3. Nuts & Slots. It would have been helpful to me, as a beginner, if you had said something like "all these 8 turning screws and the plate is the tuning machines and actually pointed at them. When you started talking about the nut and slots I thought where is the nut? Again, pointing at them first and saying this is the Nut and slot would have been helpful to me. Otherwise a cracking high definition video. 39072

[@strangsnsuch4765]

This has nothing to do with the video but... Today I'll be in Mt View, Ark. with my family. Dad bought us front row seats. From my understanding The Purple Hulls will be there. I'm pumped!

[@BanjoBen]

Yep! I wish I was there!

[@strangsnsuch4765]

Believe me, I wish you were there too 😂

[@gwendolynkaren5933]

Let me check the cookie jar

[@millerjeff]

I've noticed a difference in distance between the strings. Like the space between the E and the A. It's fine for vamping but when you crosspick and want the strings to ring. It won't because the space is too narrow. I bought an Eastman, not from BanjoBen, and I wish I would've looked at the Loar instead. The Loar has a nice ringing sound. The Eastman not so much. Play 'em before you buy 'em.

[@BanjoBen]

I hate to hear that, Jeff! We inspect every instrument that goes out and it's very common that we have to refile the nut and bridge slots on both Eastman and Loar before we send them to our customers. Don't give up on Eastman, though I would consider buying from someone else in the future ;)

[@millerjeff]

@@BanjoBen Thanks Ben. I appreciate all you're doing to provide an excellent end product for the customer. I got it from a store, don't want to say the name, about a hundred miles from me. They set it up nice. But I've never gotten the ringing tone I got from a Mitchell for about $100 dollars. I should've gone there and played it before I bought it. My fault. The company has a good reputation. I learned my lesson the hard way. It pays to go play it first.

[@bobtrussell6552]

should there be any clearance between mandolin top and tailpiece. What f the tailpiece is touching he top. Will hat effect the sound?

[@BanjoBen]

There should be clearance, yes. Anything touching the top of the mandolin will affect the sound.

[@Benjels480]

I went to my store and asked them to inspect deez. As you guessed it I got thrown out haha

[@donaldmusic6274]

If I were to order an inexpensive mandolin from your store,would it come with the same attention to detail in the professional setup process as a more expensive mandolin?

[@BanjoBen]

You bet. In fact, we typically have to spend 3-4x the amount of time on setup for inexpensive mandolins because they're often not very good from the factory. In general, the more expensive the mandolin, the better the factory setup. Also, the more inexpensive mandos can often not be able to be set up as fine as the expensive mandolins, for obvious reasons. However, we do our very best!

[@BanjoBen]

Oh, so your question was a setup 😂 We do what we can, but of course there's a limit to the setup on an instrument of that quality. After paying shipping to you, I net less than $50 on that mandolin, and I still have to pay my guys to set it up. Yes, a $200 instrument is going to have quality issues that even a $400 mandolin would not have. Your mandolin is almost literally the cheapest made mandolin in the world. I'd go out of business if my team tried to fix every defect on a $200 instrument. You should see them when they come from the factory. Bottomline, you generally get what you pay for no matter where you shop, but when you shop with us, we maximize your investment with the setup work we do.

[@BanjoBen]

@@donaldmusic6274 If you get a chance, go find another one of those mandos in a big box store or any other music store and compare how they play/feel with the one we sent you. The difference will be magnified.

[@jrlopez4341]

You forgot the top and the back and sides of the mandolin I would like my mandolin to be maple which is a cleaner sound

[@BanjoBen]

Yep, wood selection is definitely the biggest option! In this video we're mainly talking about a quality control checklist when purchasing an instrument we've never played. I would definitely want to see pictures of the actual instrument!

[@reckonimokie123]

Do you sell instruments?

[@BanjoBen]

A few 🙃 store.banjobenclark.com/

[@jakeskate1998]

im just getting into mandolins and im thinking of getting the eastman md304a for slow, warm lyrical playing like you can hear here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqu3gIGgqNiCp8U Do you think this is the best choice for the sound and for the price point?

[@BanjoBen]

If that's the body style you want, you can't hardly go wrong with Eastman.

[@jakeskate1998]

@@BanjoBen would you say the oval hole is more suited for that mellow and warm classical sound? Ive heard alot of people say that but im just going off what people are saying