SouthPawPicker828 - Posted - 10/20/2013:  09:31:57

Hi, all, just discovered and joined this very cool site! I am a beginner on the mandolin and I play left handed, with the strings reversed from standard right hand string placement. Suitable lefty instruments are hard to come by in my small town. I bought a starter level lefty F style Santini brand mandolin online for about $135 to learn on, until a get proficient  and rich enough to be able to afford a better quality instrument. Does anyone on this forum know anything about Santini brand mandolins and what parent company actually made my lefty Santini F style yellow high gloss finished mandolin? I bought it maybe 3-4 years ago when I saw lefties offered online in a choice of either tobacco brown or yellow, but then, didn't play it right away. Is the top laminated or solid? What woods were used for the back and sides? Is the scroll hand carved or machined? I would research it myself, online, but for some reason, I don't currently see this brand being sold on ebay, where I got this one?? I have broken both the high, thin strings, separately, at different times, without playing hard or very much on them, just wondering if this is normal, as on acoustic guitar, I rarely break strings, ever., Thanks for any input anyone can provide. I LOVE this website! SouthPawPicker828 

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 10/20/2013:  12:09:33

I haver never seen or heard of a Santini mandolin. After an internet in which I found only a picture of one on somebodys site I can add nothing insofar as materials are concerned.. THe one I found was an "A" model with a magnetic pickup and a very blue stain. If the strings are four years old I can say it is time to replace all of them. Buy a set and change them. If you are concerned about how to do it there are several "how to" video recordings on YouTube. Breaking "E" strings isn't a rare experience but isn't common either. You may have a sharp angle on the bridge or a pinching slot on the nut. The way to tell that is to replace the old strings and see if it happens again. Where the string breaks will indicate where the problem is if it is that. Also are you tuning the instrument to concert pitch? If you are a step or two sharp that can cause string breakage.
I will tell you that most new mandolins in the price range you indicated are of plywood construction.... Luck R/

Ben Venuti - Posted - 10/20/2013:  20:40:44

I tried looking up Santini as well. It appears they may be also sold branded "Mirelli" and handled by what may be the same distributor. Post a picture but my guess it's from China and branded by (or for) the distributor. This is commonly done. I wouldn't be surprised if it is pretty much the same thing as a Savannah or Johnson. It could be a laminated top or possibly a pressed top. Not likely carved. Honestly I have no idea how a mandolin could be sold for $135. The materials. then the manufacturing, the shipping and duties and then someone wants to make a profit on the sale. The thing must have wholesaled for 20 bucks or something. I'd get a set up if I were you but my experience has been having had students that show up with impossible to play, or nearly so, instruments that they didn't do themselves any favors by buying something dirt cheap to "learn" on. It's difficult enough to learn to play an instrument and to add to that the frustration that a poorly built instrument give you.--Tuners that won't hold, strings that break, too high action or too low action or the one that I find to be really a problem on a great many "starter" instruments -intonation problems from incorrect fret placement. The only really cheap instruments that I have found to be of consistent and reasonable quality are the Kentucky's. They have some $200ish mandolins that are pretty good. I'd take yours to a good shop and see what they think.