Thank you, Tim and Redsnapper. I'm in the US, so we don't run into a lot of Czech instruments around here. I looked up some info on Holoubek on the internet, but it's nice to have some independent confirmation that the glowing descriptions I'd read weren't just hype.

I'm a novice mandolin player, so there's a part of me that feels I don't "deserve" a really fine instrument yet. But I've played guitar for 30 years, long enough to have learned that a high-quality instrument can not only enhance one's performance but facilitate one's playing and also inspire one to improve (in order to try to give the instrument what it "deserves").

Right now I'm using a Musician's Friend "Rogue" A-style that someone gave me -- scraping the bottom of the barrel in quality -- and every time I touch it I want to smash it, it's so bad. I'd get a better tone if I were playing my cat. So it's time to upgrade... perhaps not so high "up" as a Holoubek but I'm not sure I can afford to pass up such a rare opportunity.

As you've both said, I will have to try it out to see if it's a match for me, and I for it. (... and to see whether it has the volume of which Tim speaks -- it would need to "cut through" the banjo and guitar in the trio in which I play.)

They want $3400 (US dollars) for it, and as I said it's used. What do you think -- does it seem reasonable?

Sharon