No one will write home about the beautiful tone quality of your RM-100A, but it offers an excellent entry point and a good mandolin for beginners. The best shape for you will depend on the style of music you want to play, the appearance you prefer, and your budget. The best mandolins generally have a soundboard made from solid spruce, a wood that is lightweight but strong. Kentucky mandolins are known for their affordability and quality. However, acoustic instruments made electric often do not have has good sound as purely electric mandolins. Features: A-style body; German spruce, Alpine maple, and Santos rosewood wood used; and weighs five pounds. The sound holes on A-style mandolins are oval. Rogue RM-100 Mandolin is an A … The RM-100A is made of maple and rosewood. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Ibanez Guitars has a long and complicated history. The PVC pickguard is durable. If the look of your mandolin is important to you, then you should try The Loar’s LM-520-VS. Note: If you click a link on this page, then go on to make a purchase, we may receive a commission but at no extra cost to you. Donner creates one mandolin, the A-style Mandolin. However, in the mid-1970s, the Japanese company began distributing their Ibanez guitars in the United States. The M510 offers a solid balance between quality and affordability. Generally speaking, they are easier to build than F-style mandolins and are typically less expensive than F-style mandolins of similar quality. This guitar-like instrument has travelled a long way from Italy to the United States. They have a very affordable bluegrass package that can help you learn the folk style of mandolin and become an expert in a very short amount of time.. For just $21.99, you get a comprehensive course that will help you learn everything from the basics to the most advanced music … In this review we discuss everything you need to know about mandolins. This compromise keeps the price down without harming the tone too significantly, since the sides and the back are much less critical to tone production than the soundboard. It has f-shaped sound holes—these will look like the sound holes on stringed instruments like the violin. Regardless of where you intend to purchase your mandolin, it is important to try out different instruments first and to see for yourself what the differences in quality and sound mean. The Loar is a guitar and mandolin manufacturer that emulates famous instruments form the Golden Age. Its vintage style, unique tone, and more make this an intriguing option for many starting mandolinists who want to set themselves apart from the pack. Additionally, acoustic mandolins can be made electric. The main difference between A-style and F-style mandolins is that F-style mandolins have a much more ornately carved body. Plus, the adjustable compensated bridge allows you to fit the instrument to you. If you will be plugging in nearly all the time, you might also look into semi-hollow electric mandolins. An F-style mandolin with, atypically, a single round sound hole, Gretsch’s G9350 has great sound and packs quite a punch. But, F-style mandolins are often preferred by bluegrass players. With some of the lowest prices available, Rogue is often the entry point for people hoping to try a new instrument on a budget. If you want a traditional-looking mandolin, the KM-270 is the product for you. Ibanez Guitars has been around since 1908. Maybe you’re looking for the best inexpensive mandolin you can find, or maybe you’re looking for a top-quality, handmade instrument. Therefore, if you are a beginner, plan on finding the most standard instrument in terms of tuning and number of strings. The company aims to create instruments that are beautiful, traditional, and sound great. DonnerDeal was founded in 2012. Plus, the instrument is hand-crafted, and shop adjusted. With ultra-low budget models of guitars, banjos, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, and everything in between, Rogue specializes in taking tried and true designs and developing low cost means of manufacturing the instruments. For one thing, you can always get your bridge replaced with a bridge containing a piezo electric pickup. A classic A-style mandolin with a unique dark violin sunburst color, the M510’s eye-catching finish is far from its only attractive quality for beginning players. It has an all-wood design. The mandolin’s neck is susceptible to bending, which can cause major problems in playability and tuning. If you are looking for an instrument that you can stick with for a longer time, however, the Kentucky KM-150 is the best mandolin for the money for the average beginning player. Both of the styles were developed by the Gibson Company and its sound engineer Lloyd Loar in the 1920s. Therefore, you receive the sound benefits of both A-style and F-style mandolins in one instrument. Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin Sunburst – Best Overall. With a price of around $150, Ibanez’s entry-level model has much to offer. To differentiate them from bowl-backed mandolins, they are often called flat-backed mandolins, although they will typically still have a slightly rounded back. If the answer is yes, you should continue reading. Why does shape matter, you ask? And, the classic design is accentuated by the single layer of ivoroid binding. The long history of this instrument has meant that comes in a wealth of styles and types. Also, all of Savannah’s instruments are designed to be cost-effective with great workmanship. This A-style mandolin, with a vintage mahogany finish, two F holes, and Gretsch’s typical aesthetic quality, can stack up with any model in its price range. Folk, Celtic, and classical musicians often prefer them over F-style mandolins. But, they actually evolved from the lute in Italy in the 17th century. Many of the differences between A and F-style mandolins are purely cosmetic. Back in the 1950s, however, Gretsch had a notable line of mandolins and other acoustic instruments that they have recently resurrected. (Includes big bag, guitar strings, DT-2 tuner, polishing cloth, and two picks.). Priced at around $250, this elegant throwback is also available in an acoustic/electric version. While it may not have a cutting-edge design or visuals, this solid top mandolin is nice on the ears and highly playable. Choosing The Best Beginner Mandolin In 2020, Roots Collection G9310 New Yorker Supreme. It has great-looking and sounding construction and it sets-ups easily. Like guitars, mandolins can be electric or acoustic. Today, the mandolin looks like a cross between a guitar and a lute. Ibanez’s M522SBS F-Style Mandolin is a high-quality and easy to play instrument. Actually produced by Saga Music, based out of California with factories overseas, Kentucky’s specialization in mandolins and other acoustic instruments makes them a go-to brand for beginning mandolin players. The most inexpensive mandolins typically have a top made from laminate, in which several layers of wood are pressed together rather than carved into shape. In either case you can narrow your decision down by considering a few major subjects. Most necks are thus made from two or more pieces of wood laminated together. Required fields are marked *. With its distinctive round back and its roots in 18th-century Italy, the bowl-backed mandolin has a dark tone that is suitable for traditional folk music, mandolin orchestras, and classical music. Learn more. They have united the oval holes found on traditional A-style bodies with F-holes as well. A final wooden piece to consider when selecting a mandolin is the bridge. The Loar-built F-5 mandolin Monroe bought in 1943 at a Florida barbershop would become the quintessential bluegrass mandolin, and Monroe’s playing style that combined fiddle-type leads with strong, percussive chording would become the gold standard for American country, bluegrass, and roots-music mandolinists. In fact, for the price, this mandolin is a steal. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means that many intermediate and budget level mandolins use mahogany or cedar instead, which give the instrument a deeper tone and may make it harder to cut through the sound of a full band. Modern mandolins typically have one of three body shapes: bowl-backed, A-style, and F-style. Even if you don’t know how to play anything yet, you can listen to the instruments and see which one sounds better, feels better, and looks better. While more and more options are available all the time, these mandolin reviews will help you identify some of the good mandolin brands, the top rated mandolins for each brand, and what is the best mandolin for your needs. It is designed to be affordable as well as professional. Ebony fretboards are preferred by many makers, but rosewood is also quite common. The M522 has a lot to recommend it. Founded all the way back in 1883 by a 27-year-old German immigrant, Gretsch is known today for its quality range of mid-level electric guitars and drums. While some hardcore bluegrass aficionados may want a sharper bite from its tone, the G9310 is an ideal instrument to learn on. It has low-key appointments and an all-solid wood design. 20 Best Mandolin Reviews and the Best Mandolin Brands 1) Gretsch G9350 Park Avenue F-Mandolin A/E.