Here are the main factors you need to consider if you want to get a “good” mandolin. 

When you’re buying a mandolin for the first time, you have to decide which type of mandolin you want to use. Usually this depends a lot on the type of music you want to play. Each type of mandolin comes with its own special traits, so you can’t really say that one type is better than the other. It’s simply a matter of preference.

Still, you can check out several signs that indicate whether a mandolin is great or not. It’s not all about the appearance, as some “eye candy” models may not sound right or are too difficult to play properly. It’s not always about the price either. 

Discover the history of the mandolin, and know more about its place in today’s music world. 

If you play the mandolin, it can get a bit trying when people mistake it for something else. Don’t let it aggravate you, though. You just have to accept that people may often mistake it for a ukulele, popular in Hawaii, or a banjo. So what is a mandolin exactly?

Essentially, it’s a lute instrument which means it’s a stringed guitar-like instrument with a neck and you need to pluck the strings. It’s hollow like a guitar and it has 4 pairs of steel strings (wires). To strum it you’ll need a hard plastic pick. Nowadays, there are two kinds of mandolins: the more traditional Neapolitan style with the very rounded back, and the modern Orville Gibson archtop design that’s based on the violin design.

Origins of the Mandolin