Buying a mandolin can also be as confusing as buying a banjo, I believe I can offer you some good advice.

Theres an old saying…

Start with a too-cheap mandolin and it will put you off playing the mandolin!

Mandolins are a common sight in musical instrument shops, but they’re also a little misuderstood! Simply search the web for a mandolin and you’ll be served with a minefield of pictures mandolins from cheap to expensive. Lets take a look at how to approach buying a mandolin that won’t end up in the attic!

What makes a good mandolin?

Obviously the amount of care that goes into making the instrument is going to make a big difference to the quality of the instrument. Mandolins are under a lot of tension and those small fingerboards don’t leave a lot of margin for error when you’re playing chords/tunes, so you need a nicely shaped, straight neck that can be adjusted correctly – The biggest complaint about cheap mandolins is that the necks are impossible to get into a shape that allows the instrument to be set up to play easily, and it’s as important for an absolute beginner as it is for an expert to be able to fret notes easily and cleanly. A good tell tale sign of a bad mandolin neck is if you lay a straight edge along it and see a banana shape to the fingerboard between the nut and body join, then a ‘ski jump’ – ie the fingerboard rises steadily upwards – from the body onwards.

F-style or A-style ?

The majority of commercially made mandolins fall under two different styles either A-style of F-style. In the examples below the Ibanez mandolin is an F-style while the Gibson and Capek are both A-Style. Although quite a lot of musicians play Irish Trad on the F-style it is more aimed at the bluegrass style of playing. This is due to the shorter sustain and ideal for playing chop chords. 

The quality of tonewood, level of craftsmanship, and type of soundhole are much more important in determining an instrument’s sound. If price is a significant consideration, you will usually find that A-style mandolins are less expensive than F-style mandolins of comparable quality, due to the extra work required to make the scroll and points.

Do the shape of sound holes matter?

When it comes to soundholes, most commercially available mandolins again fall into two categories: those with f-holes, like a violin, and those with round (usually oval-shaped) soundholes, similar to a guitar. Broadly speaking, f-holes provide bright, clear tone, while round soundholes provide warm, sustaining tone.

Mandolins with f-holes will almost always be louder than those with oval soundholes, so if you’re going to be playing in acoustic situations like a bluegrass jam where you need to compete with a banjo, an instrument with f-holes may be your best option. Because of these differences, bluegrass players tend to prefer mandolins with f-holes, while those who play old time or Celtic music tend to prefer round soundholes, but you will find plenty of exceptions on either side. Type of soundhole is an important consideration, but don’t be afraid to try out instruments with both types to find the sound you prefer.

Read on…