Ranking The Best Mandolin Builders in the World - You Won't Believe #1!

We took a look at the best mandolin builders in the whole world & we ranked them! Who did we leave out & who is your number one pick?
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00:00 - Intro
00:28 - 10
02:58 - 9
04:28 - 8
06:29 - 7
07:51 - 6
09:14 - 5
11:28 - 4
12:23 - 3
13:38 - 2
14:47 - 1
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#bestmandolinbrands #theacousticshoppe #custommandolins #bestmandolinbuildersintheworld #gibsonmandolins Red Diamond mandolins Gilchrist Ellis Weber Paganoni

[@danstune]

Thank you for your list. You have been fair and informative. Helped me get some increased awareness of the names that are so expensive that I rarely have seen one for resale. I learned a lot.

[@jbanjo056]

Awesome video guys! Love the attention to detail

[@Nester336]

My man done spelled it Gilchirst. 😂 you guys are awesome! Great video as always!

[@ruffner959]

I would love to see a ranking like this where an example of each builder is played live. Or if not live, show an excerpt of a video of one of that builder's mandolins being played.

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

just go to a mandolin store and play them all record it and upload it in youtube app

[@joeprevitera1048]

Thanks for including my Dudenbostel #2 and Loar headstocks at the 5:00 mark. I miss the Loar but the Dude gets it done.

[@bkreed27]

Dudes are good mandolins and way overpriced. No way is a Dude worth more than a Gil.

[@50fitnessdoc]

Where do Collings, Girouard, Summit, Nugget, Kimble rank? Waybe Henderson? Apitius? How about Skip Kelley? (I didn't get Weber ranked above Dudenbostel.) Cheers!

[@JakeHoward]

I have to say Nugget is one of the most knowledgeable builders out there. Easily on my Mount Rushmore of builders. He’s a treasure trove of the mandolin goods.

[@daveyharrison9627]

Absolutely agree. My Nugget A style is my lifetime mandolin

[@tdkrei]

Jeremy, with your experience and talent with mandolins, who the hell can argue with you. Keep on smiling.

[@talon1623]

I had a long chat with David Harvey at a workshop in Canada. I came away thinking "wow, there simply couldn't be anyone who knows more about Gibson mandolins". This was well before his tenure at Gibson. I knew only good things could come after I heard he'd become the head of the Gibson mandolin dept.

[@lenwest7734]

Collings deserves a spot amongst the "best"... especially considering Gibson is on there.

[@quigley4440]

Agreed. Difficult list or impossible to do really. So many inredible luthiers dedicated to the mandolin. I asked the Santa Cruz people why they were not building mandolins, with it being so close to Richard Hoover's heart. Just don't have the time or resouces. Dang guitars.

[@mintonmiller]

I have just got to put in a plug for a local guy now retired from instrument making. LLoyd Laplant lives here in northers Minnesota. He built guitars based of the Martin Dreadnought and also Mandolins. Back in the day, I remember seeing a lot of his stuff being played by musicians performing in Nashville on TNN. Although I will never be able to afford one, I am proud to have had the pleasure of picking with him on many occasions. A true gentleman and one of the most humble peopl on the planet. I am always envious when I see someone with one of his guitars or mandolins. I know the guy who has the first mandolin LLoyd made (LLoyd cringes every time he sees it) and I have got to play LLoyd's personal Laplant Mandolin. What a Delight that is.

[@andyorr1597]

With Red Diamond’s and Gilchrist’s being veritable unicorns, Gibson moves to the top of the list because you can actually own one today. As a 30 year player owning several Weber, Northfield, Collings and Flatiron, I agree that Gibson’s are consistently the best. That dry Gibson tone just does it for me. Dave Harvey and crew are building future classics today.

[@jordanbyates]

There’s a translucent green Paganoni on Reverb that I’ve been drooling over for a while. For some reason those green burst mandolins really do it for me.

[@thefreese1]

I haven't play as many mandolins as these guys ... but the best one I ever got a hold of was a Gilchrist that Dave Wilson of the undergrass boys had . I remember that thin neck and that loud crisp even tone . Funny thing was , He liked my Fish because of the wider neck .. I liked thinner necks at the time.

[@Eeklex]

There’s nobody I’d kick off your list, but some more adds (besides a bunch of other good’uns already mentioned): Rolfe Gerhardt - Phoenix (I’ve loved mine for 25 years.) Skip Peyre- Grey Eagle (Beautifully made-fit & finish and very responsive.) John Hutto - Never played one, but I fell in love with the sound of one or two I heard, and should have gotten on the waiting list.) - Paul

[@AcousticShoppe]

I always loved the tone of Dempsy Young's Hutto mandolin. -Jeremy

[@oregonoutback7779]

Surprised McClanahan and Monteleone didn't make the list. Thanks for the video and discussion.

[@bkreed27]

I think McClanahan is more smoke than fire. He is a great self promoter but there are some amateurish shortcomings in his building process.

[@Eeklex]

Very surprised about Monteleone.

[@tomspahr9659]

It depends on how you view the list. If it's a list of current builders, Monteleone doesn't really build mandolins any more. If it's a list of the 10 best all time builders, then yep, I'd put him on there.

[@Banner279]

Jerry Rosa. He doesn't built them anymore but they have a sound like no other.

[@editorjuno]

He's stopped making guitars, but I don't think he's completely ruled out building more mandos.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

There's dozens of mandolin builders' there's no 2 instruments that sounds the same.

[@acadianflatpicker]

The Canadian maritimes have two top notch luthiers that makes an awesome mandoline. Leblanc and Josee. Thought I would just give them a holler!

[@CBGypsy03]

How do you find any of there work or mandos for sale?? Thanks

[@darlenearseneault3356]

And its dad that Elmo is gone

[@darlenearseneault3356]

Sad

[@JasonGavel]

Have you guys ever tried Crosby mandolins ? he’s a builder here in Nova Scotia he also builds guitars I see Josh Williams playing a Crosby guitar

[@jordancherkinsky4788]

Anticipation ❤

[@Katerina9256]

Any thoughts on the Anton Krutz mandolin?

[@claughaun1]

Steve Sorensen in So. Cal. Builds some dream instruments.

[@oldcrackadated]

I watched Randy Woods build a custom made mandolin for Bill Monroe ,that build got him a position at Gibson in their custom shop and eventually his own shop , I was the only one he allowed watch him work

[@jeddhaberstro9922]

My top 5: 1. Heiden 2. Gilchrist 3. Dudenbostel 4. Monteleone 5. Red Diamond (or Ellis! hard to pick!)

[@AcousticShoppe]

Nice list!

[@larryowens9508]

As a acoustic guitar player mandolins look like so much fun. Perhaps I'm due for a new skill set. The wife over my shoulder like was the Martin not enough.

[@luthiermatt]

I started on the guitar first but tried the mandolin in my late 40's. It is such an amazing instrument. The layout of the scale is much more logical for my brain. I got further faster on the mandolin than I ever did on the guitar. It is in a different sonic space though so not a substitute for guitar at all.

[@rzh3443]

Wondered about Collings also. Are they still building them , though? They also seemed to have dropped the Waterloo guitar line as well. COVID was a killer of business for sure.

[@charlesbolton8471]

I don’t think Waterloo has been discontinued since their website is still current. I have heard that they were just putting more focus on the Collings brand.

[@bkpeary]

I live half a mile from Collings. They do still make incredible mandolins

[@Jack-OLantern]

@@bkpeary I would be so wantonly miserable living so close to such masterful instruments and can't afford anything inside!! LOL!!!but I hope you can!

[@bronwynsinclair1646]

Way to go, Gilchrist! (we put prawns on the Barbie here !)

[@matthewmcclure3181]

Curious to hear your thoughts on vintage (prewar) vs. high end modern mandolins. To contextualize my question, I'm a guitar player and occasionally dabble with other stringed instruments. Stumbled onto a good deal about 10 years ago and purchased a 1925 Maurer (Larson Bros) flatback. I enjoy playing it, but unlike vintage guitars, I don't have enough background to comparatively judge the quality of this instrument (note: it's in really good condition).

[@AcousticShoppe]

Honestly that would be really hard to compare to a hand-carved mandolin from any era. We say that if you're enjoying playing it, that's really all that matters!

[@walterthegoat9070]

Northfield blows so many of these brands out the water. They are consistent great examples out there and their price point isn't insane. I'll take my 4th Gen Northfield pretty over anything.

[@petermazur2520]

I came here to write this. Love my big mon

[@tothepoint7258]

Great list. McClanahan should probably be in there somewhere.

[@TedToob]

I dig your attention to the mandolin details - but you spelled Gilchrist incorrectly when the slide for #1 surfaced.....

[@amyferebee]

Love my Pava....very good and affordable.......a deeper dive into her story might be interesting ;^ )

[@andyorr1597]

Affordable? Her satin F5 is $8K

[@amyferebee]

@@andyorr1597 I got mine a few years ago, before the pandemic, and it is a simple A style, no bells or whistles.......

[@deblane401]

I am a little biased as Bruce Weber is a friend and I have two of his builds. I agree there are many great builders out there. Too many great mandolins and way too little money. George in Montana

[@cfmartin568]

You guys have to check out Ratliff mandolins. Audie builds them in Churchhill, Tennessee in batches of 10 and they’re affordable by the average, hard-working broke Americans

[@AcousticShoppe]

We'll have to check him out!

[@dscdrkel5546]

@@AcousticShoppe YOU HAVE MADE THAT STATMENT BEFORE **BUT NO ACTION***DR KEL

[@AcousticShoppe]

With all the brands in the world, it can be hard for us to get our hands on all of them, especially if they haven’t made their way through our store. One day we hope to check them out!

[@BulldoggerJK]

I’d say Nugget, Anton Krutz, and Triggs as well.

[@shineoncoffee4772]

Collings, Nugget, Daley :)

[@texhaines9957]

Guess I'll wait for Jeremy's mandolin book before I decide. Thank

[@joshpowerhour5203]

Thanks for the props, boys!

[@joshuarubin1858]

What stores can you go to to sample mandolins?

[@AcousticShoppe]

When it comes to boutique mandolins, it can be hard to find a place that has more than just a few. We have many on order from companies featured in this video so we're definitely on the way to being a store that folks can sample a wide variety from: www.theacousticshoppe.com/shop/Instruments/Mandolins.htm That said, you can try to sample mandolins at bluegrass festivals or jams in your area. That honestly can be a great way to try all kinds of brands and varieties, that is where we've tried most of the brands mentioned in this video 😅 Hope this helps!

[@davidscotbrown3241]

You've got to have a look at Capek mandolins out of the Czech Republic.

[@kevinfox6334]

Love the vid; interesting typo

[@jeffreyjkkelly2520]

Washburn/Lyon & Healy are amazing. Lots of Italian boutique builders as good as these.

[@tomehCanada]

More Canadian input. Apitius Mandolin Co, Mulmur, Ontario. Sohn Stringed Instruments, British Columbia, Ian Pattison Instruments, Wellington County Ontario.

[@bkreed27]

Larry Muth in Regina! Muth mandos are excellent and very reasonably priced.

[@russsmith488]

Nugget Ratcliff Collings ?

[@markschack9587]

Not sure why you both decided to hold two Pac Rim mandolins that probably wouldn’t be seen on anyone’s Top 20 mandolin list while discussing top-tier world class mandolins. It was like watching two guys holding a Bud and a Miller while discussing top-tier craft beers. That said, it’s a given that a list like this is going to be subjective, and I think that you succeeded in showing what a golden age of mandolin building we’re in, given all the other builders (e.g., Heiden, Apitius, Duff, Smart, Austin Clark, Kremnitzer (Nugget), Sobell, Ruhland) in addition to your ten who also could be named to a Top 10 list.

[@danamoyers6065]

Triggs deserves a mention in my opinion

[@SaltShack]

Clark Mandolins. Boise ID. I know he made an octave for Sierra Hull and his French varnish finish is outstanding.

[@BPTrack]

Northfield Artist top five at least. I played a Gilchrist for over half an hour. My Northfield very close and 6k not 30k

[@bkreed27]

Let's face it. Given a proper set up they're all pretty close.

[@philkahn2989]

How about Northfield Instruments?

[@peterrahill9263]

Will this 4,470 desktop studio view warrant the 182nd subscriber LIKE? The suspenders are killin' me... nah - didn't hear you mention The Rosa... maybe even Arlen.

[@RSNflatpickn]

Ok I agree on number 1 lol

[@f5mando]

A lot of us agree that outside of a Loar, a Gil is the Holy Grail of F5 mandolins. Also, "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's hard to read". - Groucho Marx

[@dscdrkel5546]

THE BEST MANDOLIN BUILDER IN THE WORLD IS AUDREY RATTIFF CHECK HIM OUT*-*HE BUILDS 12 MANDOLINS AT A TIME ****DR KEL

[@RSNflatpickn]

@@f5mando funny story i went to Rosine ky to the barn for the first time and i was standing outside listening ,and i kept hearing a mandolin chopping and it sounded out of time ,finally turning to notice someone clear across the parking lot behind the store playing by himself i introduced my self and he did i ask what are you playing and it was a Gil one of the best ithink i ever heard 3 years later i was in nashville at afrinds playing and Aubrey Hauney pulled out a mandolin and started playing it i was blown away i i told him i have only heard 1 other mandolin that sounds that good and told him this tory of the other guy and he said i just bought this from him! true story

[@jstout1947]

You nailed # 1 and 2 The best of the best......................joe

[@jeffhildreth9244]

At :23 seconds b "O" tique.

[@Boysenberr]

Have you never tried Hinde mandoliins????????

[@AcousticShoppe]

Yes, we have carried a few of them before!

[@mandolin8297]

You guys have great "ears" and you think through your opinions. You rightly included Gibson and placed it toward the top in terms of sound production. On those grounds Gilchrist definitely tops the list. But I know of one professional player who dumped his Gilchrist claiming that the sound production had degraded rather than improved with time and playing. Steve Hinde confirmed that sound production does NOT automatically improve with time and playing but can degrade. As you guys know not all Loars have equally impressive sound production and some are dead in the water. Time and playing have not and cannot improve the sound production of a wooden box. Red Diamond is another absolutely outstanding copy of Gibson. BUT I cannot fathom including Weber anywhere on this list. Maybe I'm missing something but I've never heard much depth of tone in a Weber compared to other boutique or independent builders. I was surprised that Kimble didn't make the cut - I've played / heard several Fs but even an A that had a remarkably rich tone with volume to match. Did you factor into your list CONSISTENCY of sound production? I played a Dudenbostel at Carters and was shocked by the underwhelming tone quality. No, strings wouldn't make any difference. I'd like to hear another rating of the rest of the independent / boutique mandolins not included in this first list. Steve Hinde has taken the bold move of making the bodies of his mandolins 1/8" deeper than the original Gibson which everyone else copies. Thanks for your videos!

[@AcousticShoppe]

Thanks for the feedback, it's nice to read through your thoughts! We definitely agree that we left out a couple names that couldn't quite fit, but hey we may have to make a top 15 or top 20 video to fit them all 😅. We did try to factor in consistency but we were mostly going off of our experience with each model. I can say we have been huge fans recently of Weber, their quality has really stepped up. Thanks again for the reply, it's great to hear what community members have to say!

[@chadeller6518]

Steve Hinde, Pava, Apitius

[@lowtone9]

Hinde is second to none. I’ve played a lot of mandolins, including a Gilchrist.

[@tonyhunter7760]

" Gilchirst" is No 1 of course.......classic typo guys. Google set me straight though..phew!

[@endoalley680]

I have an old Rigel G110 that is pretty unique. (OK, by unique, I mean funny looking) Also, a Ratliff F style, Which doesn't look unique. Although maybe the name is.

[@ericrickert3045]

Red Diamond is what I think of as tops

[@doghouse010]

Is it Gilchrist or Gilchirst?

[@AcousticShoppe]

It is Gilchrist

[@thomasmoore6450]

I would have Dudes in top 3

[@TheJacoop]

What about Eastman

[@braydenbennett8063]

10. Krishot 9. Paganoni 8. Dudenbostel 7. Randy Wood 6. Aleyas 5. Weber 4. Ellis 3. Gibson 2. Red Diamond 1. Gilchrist

[@dividedbytimestudios]

My guess before I watch is Eastman?

[@charlesbolton8471]

You would think that would be it as much focus as they put on that brand.

[@AcousticShoppe]

We decided to stick with smaller team, specialty mandolin builders as opposed to mass produced ones for this list!

[@jeremychapman7243]

We consider Eastman probably the best option in its price range, but they wouldn't fit my definition of a top 10 builder. In fact we only carry two out of this Top 10 list, as they are mostly building in such small quantities that they are selling direct, or not opening new dealers. I still love what they are doing. That said, Eastman averages $1200 - $1800, whereas most of these mandolins in this list are in the $9,000-$25,000 range.

[@dscdrkel5546]

HOW DID YOU MISS THE BEST OF THE BEST BUILDERS***AUDREY RATTIFF***DR KEL

[@RantzBizGroup]

All of we guitar players need left handed units. Dang chords are upside down and backward guitar chords.

[@JJ_TheGreat]

18:03 Really? I thought you could fit more onto a top 10 list?! :-

[@jimzartman]

Yeah, where is Kimble?

[@pmscalisi]

Are there any decent mandos under $500? Mandos are so expensive.

[@AcousticShoppe]

Honestly it can be hard to find especially for an F-Style because of all the labor that goes into the carving

[@peterrahill9263]

When I was first looking and limited with a budget like that, I got a Rover RM-75; had the saddle upgraded to a deer antler by Rosa String Works. It's a very satisfactory instrument. Take a look. Even came with a very nice hardshell case. Disregard any talk of it being 'good for beginners'... it's not a toy.

[@pmscalisi]

@@peterrahill9263 thanks.

[@peterrahill9263]

@@pmscalisi You're welcome - you can even find them used: watch for the shape of the headstock, not all have the classic Gibson-like "Florentine" F-style cut. Good luck, hope you end up with something you really like.

[@bkreed27]

People poo-poo "The Loar" mandos because the name is pretentious. But they make decent mando for about $500.

[@terrymiller9795]

Mr. Oliver Apitius. Shelburne, Ontario.

[@lowtone9]

You guys know better than to not mention Hinde.

[@larrygregerson5160]

Paul Duff...the "other" Australian builder. None better.

[@bkreed27]

Agree, he built two for me. One is an F4 copy. Love it so much.

[@boco1951]

Robert L Givens.

[@guitartec]

I'll go with whatever Sierra is playing.... that's #1

[@fredhonaker5865]

None of this matters is what he said at the end lol…truth at last , Gibson is there , but not Apitius , Collings , Hieden !! 😂

[@Gman1044]

Hieden

[@lnovy]

Rick Hayes mandolins.

[@jeffreyjkkelly2520]

They all learned from Gibson and Lloyd Loar.

[@patrickhanly7458]

Hmm...Collings and Nugget were big misses.

[@thirdactwarrior317]

Yep. I did an thorough A-B comparison between a well-played Gilchrist and a brand new Collings MF-5 and I preferred the Collings, no question. Every Collings I've played has stood out. Three other builders I think they missed are Stiver, Old Wave (Bill Bussman) and Apitius.

[@TJR-CO]

I have krishot #201 from 1999, it's awesome, needed some quality setup...but after it's great

[@stevenb_space6808]

No Heiden? No Nugget? So many other great luthiers missing, too numerous to mention t,t easily could be considered "top ten" builders. But Heiden and Nugget most egregious omissions.

[@mikesutterfield5901]

Haha you spelled "Gilchrist" wrong.

[@mandolinic]

Perhaps you need to tell whoever types your captions to pay MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL! "botique"? "Gilchirst"? Give us a break!

[@AcousticShoppe]

OK, you can take a break anytime 😊

[@mandolinic]

@@AcousticShoppe Thanks. I needed that! 😎

[@SillyMoustache]

why does the guy on the left with the squeaky voice always talk over the other one. it is uncomfortable to watch.

[@f5mando]

Ha! You win for the funniest comment, sir!

[@SeaDrive300]

The reason is that "the guy on the left", although he's playing a mandolin here, is actually a guitar player, which means that he's naturally inclined to "talk over" *real* musicians... 🙂

[@jamesakers1175]

My guess is that some things in life size matters. Especially with brothers.

[@bkreed27]

That's unkind.

[@jamesakers1175]

@@bkreed27 Why? My big brother was always pounding on me and I would get caught retaliating. He would just laugh and make me even madder.

[@bkreed27]

Spare us the clickbait title. Everyone will believe #1. Fun video tho.

[@walterthegoat9070]

Weber was too inconsistent.

[@folkrock4u]

Who cares about so-called "boutique builders"?! I'm interested (we're interested) in how Collings, compares to Bourgeois, compares to Gibson.

[@walterthegoat9070]

Two Old hippies destroyed brands

[@Phwap]

Putting current new Gibson above Ellis is laughable! I guess you need to sell those, lol… Shills… If #1,2,3 is not in no particular order Gilchrist, Dude, Ellis get back in the wood shed! ASAP! What a joke…

[@Phwap]

And as mentioned no Kimble but Weber, lol…. Jokers, please get a clue before spewing your nonsense

[@Phwap]

And no Collings?!?! Lol, god I hope no one listens to this!