Or if there's something else out there, a lot of custom guitar builders make these all gold-plated, quilty sunburst etc., I just want one that's built well - better than the Epiphone Mandobird, but five strings, and (surely) under a grand.
here's blurbs, but I 'm hoping for satisfied (or not) user input.
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/ ... --BSMB.htm
http://jazzmando.com/jbovier_emc_series_e-mando.shtml