Maybe I’m nuts, but since I pick a banjo it probably fits - anyway, I’m looking at starting to play a mandolin. So, my question is, which one do ya’ll recommend for a beginner??
New Mandolin
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I think the Eastman’s are pretty great value. They are good enough that you wouldn’t be looking to upgrade as soon as you decide you like mandolin. They sound like instruments that cost much more. A friend has a Kentucky entry level model and it plays fine, but the tone is a bit thin. It was very inexpensive though so if you are just looking to start playing for a low entry cost, that is not a bad way to go. I am a fan of A style mandolins, but if you like F types, there’s nothing wrong with that.
I have called the General store multiple times (4 or 5 times) and asked them to send me something based on my desires (or the desires of the person I was looking for), and I have always been pleased with what they send. They setup every instrument, which is a big deal. I ordered one instrument, and it had issues they couldn’t reasonably resolve, so they sent it back and got me another one. Many stores would just pass it along so they could get their money.
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I have an Eastman 515 from the BBC General Store and can attest to it sounding good (it just does not have autocorrect for my hands)
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Man, just can’t hardly beat the Eastman for the price, and we actually have some inventory right now which is rare: https://store.banjobenclark.com/pages/search-results-page?q=eastman&page=1&rb_vendor=Eastman&rb_product_type=Mandolin&rb_stock_status=In+stock
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Well, doggonit, I bought this one: Eastman MD515 F-Style Mandolin With Case
Thanks for the input!
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Congrats on your new Eastman David, @Buckeye !
Its a beauty! And Welcome to the world of Mandolin, you’re gonna have some fun with the tiny lightweight !!! 
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You are gonna LOVE it.
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