I went to get some strings for my D1A, and the guy at the shop told me in April they are expecting A and F style mandolins from Collings without the polish finish, that are supposed to be half the price. Exact same construction. Anyone else heard this?

Your dealer is only partially correct. The new mandolins are already available but in short supply. They are finished in a satin (non-shiny) lacquer and use simple appointments like no inlay on the headstock other than the Collings name, binding only on the front of the instrument and not on the back. The list prices for the F model is $4300 and $1990 for the A model. Most dealers will discount that price by 10%. I have played a A model and it sounded like the fancier model just cosmetically plainer. Right now Elderly Music says they have both in stock.

Hi All,

I received my Collings MF from Kim at Cotten Music last week. It is an awesome sounding instrument. I would describe it as warm, woody and mellow. Even new It has lots of volume. To think it’s only going to get better is almost scary. It plays / feels very smooth and even all the way up the neck. I’ve not played the MT2 or the MF5 so I can’t compare the sound but it’s my understanding the MT and MF are basically the same structurally. The MF is very plain as the previous post described. IMHO it’s subtle and beautifully understated. I’m really glad I pulled the trigger on this one. I haven’t had my Weber out of the case sense the MF arrived.

LaVonne