Hi, all:

Someone in my area has a used mandolin for sale. It's made by the Czech luthier Ondrej Holoubek (I've also seen his first name spelled "Ondra"). It's an F model, and is described as having been "built based on Chris Thile's mandolin". I've only seen photos of it so far, and it looks like Holoubek's F-5 Fern model which can be seen here and also here.

But this instrument has a darker finish and "several upgrades" (again from the description provided). Among the upgrades, it was set up by Holoubek "for someone with a lighter touch" -- which describes my playing style perfectly! With my arthritic symptoms, I need an instrument that doesn't require a lot of brute strength.

I plan to go take a look at this instrument, but even the "used" price is quite hefty for my budget. I'm wondering if it would be a wise investment, so if anyone out there is familiar with Holoubek's workmanship and can give me some input and guidance, I would really appreciate it!

Thanks,
SharonA