CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?

Subject: CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?
From: GUEST,Mary V.
Date: 04 Jan 04 - 08:23 PM

I'm thinking about buying a crafter Mandolin?
Any one have advise ?

Subject: RE: CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Jan 04 - 09:14 PM

Only problem I can think of with Crafter Mandolins is getting a hard case to fit. For the price they seem a remarkably civilised and well priced instrument, but a bit big for most of the reasonably priced cases.And the electrics aint bad either.

Subject: RE: CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 04 Jan 04 - 09:15 PM

Try here

Subject: RE: CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?
From: GUEST,annwah
Date: 28 Mar 07 - 09:48 PM

I'm a guitar/bass player looking for something different to play, so I bought a Crafter a couple of years ago. I found it difficult to play action-wise, took it to my guitar tech, he lowered the action some but I still found it too hard to manage on bar chords and especially on the 1st fret next to the nut. I knew I was taking a chance for the price, but I'd probably be better off buying a $3000 Gibson (as if!)

Subject: RE: CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?
From: mandotim
Date: 29 Mar 07 - 04:36 AM

I asume you are talking about the wood-top composite (plastic) back Crafters? I've played a few; they all needed a good setup to play comfortably (for me). Tone is quite thin and they are not very loud unplugged;certainly not loud enough to cut through in an acoustic session or jam. Plugged in they are fine, although the cheap piezo pickup installed tends to have that 'quacking' sound, and needs a good preamp to make it work well. For not much more money you can start looking at carved top Far Eastern A and F style copies, some of which are genuinely good instruments. Look for all solid woods by Michael Kelly, Ozark (Chris Leslie of Fairport Convention plays one of their F models). For a bit more again you can have a bottom end Chinese Eastman, and they are seriously nice mandolins, even at the plain, A-style end of their range. It all depends on what you want to do with the instrument, and the rule is always 'play it and listen carefully before buying'. A rule I've broken several times, with widely varying results...:) OOPs; just seen the date on the original query...oh well, knee jerk reaction to seeing mandolin posts!
Tim

Subject: RE: CRAFTER Mandolin..is any one familiar ?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 10 - 04:13 PM

I own one and I think they're great. They're not top of the line by any means, but they get the job done if you put some nice strings on them. They will give you a good sound.