The mandolin is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and it is usually plucked using a plectrum. It is a beautiful and unique instrument that you will enjoy playing.
The Mandolin has a great reputation as one of the major instruments of bluegrass music, not forgetting its place in other genres and it is also continuing to spread its popularity.
The Mandolin will also fit well with jazz and even rock. In better words, rock legends including Led Zeppelin have used this instrument. There are many different brands that come at a staggering amount of price range and they have their associated pros and cons.
If you are on the hunt for a mandolin that will satisfy your needs and under 1000 dollars, this is the right article for you. It gives you a detailed description of the top best mandolin.
The 8 Best Mandolins Under $1000 Dollars 2021:
1. Eastman Mandolin Model 515 F-style.
The Eastman Mandolin Model 515 was modeled after the classic instruments back in the 1920s. It is the instrument that re-shaped the mandolin market according to experts.
This beautifully handcrafted Model 515 F-style that has F-holes as well as a sunburst finish, has an aged spruce top. On top of that, it has maple back and sides.
The maple neck is finished using a solid ebony fingerboard and also an ebony fronted headstock.
The fittings are nickel-plated while the fretboard features dot inlays. All the Eastman strings mandolins designs are carved by hand and the construction material is aged tonewoods.
The experience, as well as the knowledge of Eastman strings luthier, have guaranteed that the instrument has the best materials and also the craftsmanship that is available anywhere.
Players will find everywhere and will not find a hand-made instrument that is easy to play and with tonal brilliance that can compare with the mandolin model 515.
Specifications.
– Body dimensions: 27 by 10 by 1.71875 inches.
– Top wood: carved solid spruce.
– Neck Wood: Maple.
– Strings: D’ Addario J74 strings.
– Inlays: White mother-of-pearl.
– Bridge: Fitted adjustable ebony.
– Tailpiece: Nickel cast.
– Tuners: Nickel Schaller.
– Finish: High-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer.
– Case: Shaped case included.
Pros.
– Elegant design.
– Adjustable ebony bridge.
– Durable construction.
Cons.
– No cons found.
2. Kentucky KM-150 A-Model Mandolin: Best Mandolin Under $500
The Kentucky KM-150 mandolin is the perfect musical instrument that is available in all-solid and is traditionally designed.
The A-style instrument boasts a sleek design that combines period-correct vintage specifications together with an amazingly affordable price.
When it comes to playability and tone the KM-150 is undisputed.
To get the best tone and also the best volume possible, select Alpine maple is applicable for the back and sides, while select solid German spruce is employed for the top.
A solid Alpine maple neck together with a tonewood fingerboard, as well as traditional snakehead, shaped peghead is joined to the body by an adjusted dovetail neck-body joint.
Not only does it add to its authentic look, but also it has a cozy shape that is easy to play and gives a lifetime of serviceability.
Top everything off with your set of precise open-geared tuners as well as an adjustable tonewood bridge that will make tuning easy, accurate, and with flawless intonation each time.
There is no other instrument in its class that can come close to its tone, value as well as dependability.
Specifications.
– Solid German top spruce for clean articulation and bright tone.
– Solid Alpine Maple sides and back for extra punch.
– Slim Alpine maple neck for easy action and comfortable.
– Traditional high-gloss and a sunburst finish for beauty and luster.
– Inlaid mother-of-pearl positional markers.
– Deluxe tuning machines.
– Adjustable truss rod.
– Multiple binding on top.
– The professional setup included.
– Inclusive of soft padded Gig-Bag.
– Nickel-plated hardware.
Pros.
– Great value for money.
– Elegant design.
– Comfortable shape, easy to play.
Cons.
– It needs an initial setup.
3. The Loar LM-590-MS Series F-Style Mandolin.
The LM-590-MS is designed for the musicians who want the rich sound of a hand-carved instrument and in a resonant thin satin finish together with ultra-clean aesthetics.
The LM-590 top is hand-carved using solid spruce, and the sides and back are hand-carved from solid maple.
The flat fretboard extension offers maximum picking clearance and hence the players can feel comfortable when going all the way up to your classic V-neck.
In spite of its stripped-down vibe, this product keeps the essentials of your great sounding mandolin and the hand-carved woods will open up under a thin satin finish.
The Classic F-Style LM-590 brings all the craftsmanship and the tone that you expect as a player.
Specifications.
– Top: Hand-carved spruce.
– Neck: Hard rock maple.
– Bridge: Adjustable Ebony.
– Headstock inlay: Mother-of-pearl.
– Back and sides: Hand-carved maple.
– Finish Type: Satin.
– Finish Options: Tobacco Sunburst.
– Product dimensions: 27 by 10 by 2.5 inches.
– Product weight: 3 pounds.
Pros.
– It is lightweight and portable.
– Delivers rich sound.
– Durable design.
Cons.
– It is not widely accessible.
4. Gretsch G9311 Guitars Acoustic-Electric Mandolin.
The G9311 Supreme Acoustic-Electric mandolin is the latest to the New Yorker mandolin family. This product is styled after the classic 1950sand the modern version provides a full-bodied tone.
On top of that, you enjoy the smooth playing performance as well as eye-stopping beauty that you get from none other than G9311.
The G9311 boasts supreme features that include all solid mahogany top sides and back, rosewood fingerboard that has pearl dot inlays, mahogany neck, and many more.
Its comfortable playability, as well as beautiful tone, is boosted by its cool vintage styling.
To make it better, it sports a Fishman M-300 mandolin pickup. You will be blown away by this kind of quality keeping in mind its reasonable price.
Specifications.
– Antique semi-gloss finish with mahogany.
– Rosewood fingerboard that has pearl dot inlays.
– Solid mahogany back, top, and sides.
– Grover machine heads.
– Nickel hardware.
– Accessories: Case Gig Bags, Truss rod wrench, Faux Tortoiseshell.
– Product dimensions: 29.5 by 15 by 5 inches.
– Product weight: 4.75 pounds.
– The number of strings: 8 strings.
Pros.
– A smooth playing performance.
– Modern-day version.
– Great value for money.
Cons.
– The neck is quite heavy when worn using a strap.
5. Rogue RM-100A Mandolin.
The Rogue RM-100A boasts a quality construction as well as a traditional A-model mandolin. The musical instrument features clean workmanship entirely and also projects a bright tone equipped with lots of bark.
With an easy to play next and also an adjustable bridge, this product is perfect for beginners with the desire to play any musical style including bluegrass.
The Rogue RM-100A constitutes a chrome finish touch tuner as well as nickel-plated frets. This musical instrument is also easy to own with its affordable price.
Specifications.
– Chrome tuning machines.
– High-gloss finish promoting its elegance.
– Rosewood fingerboard.
– Maple neck.
– Product dimensions: 27.75 by 13.2 by 3.9 inches.
– Product weight: 2.89 pounds.
Pros.
– Best for beginners.
– A gorgeous finish.
– Clean workmanship.
Cons.
– The case is sold separately.
6. The Loar LM-600-VS Professional F-Style Mandolin.
This is a professional musical instrument by The Loar, featuring classic design technologies. It consists of versatile features that make it one of the best mandolins in this article.
The Loar LM-600-VS features a unique nitrocellulose finish and an F-style design.
The F-Style Mandolin construction design, starting from the solid spruce top, hand-assembled, Marple sides, and bar, to abalone headstock, consists of a classic design.
The classic modern design resembles the golden age craftsmanship.
The Loar LM-600-VS is a hand-carved all-solid construction with high-end specs at a cheap and affordable price.
The F-Style Mandolin feature solid tonewoods where the mandolin is graduated from. For exclusive projection, the F-style Mandolin has a nitrocellulose lacquer finish.
The Loar LM-600-VS is designed to exactly represent the original 1920’s design for F5-Style mandolin.
The Loar LM-600-VS hand-buffed nitrocellulose finish, as well as the sunburst finish, gives an impressive vintage polish.
Also, the actual pre-war-style on the bark is designed to excite even the most enthusiastic vintage purist. The Loar LM-600-VS is a professional mandolin with most vintage features.
The fretboard, made of bound ebony, the mother-of-pearl, as well as the abalone design provide a custom headstock inlay with a modern flowerpot. The solid back and sides of the maple are hand-carved and extremely flamed.
The mandolin neck is made of a single-piece maple with a rounded V design. The product package also includes a case.
Specifications:
– Bound ebony fretboard.
– Hand-carved graduated top spruce.
– Solid maple sides.
– Mother-of-pearl and abalone headstock inlay.
– Hand-carved solid maple back.
– Figured maple neck.
– Neck profile: rounded V.
– Hand-buffed nitrocellulose lacquer type of finish.
– Vintage sunburst finish option.
– Two-way adjustable truss rod.
– Compensated adjustable ebony bridge.
– 29 frets.
– Gotoh reverse gear tuning with nickel plating.
– Ivory binding.
– Bout: upper 6-3/4″, lower 10″.
– Length: 27-1/4″.
Pros:
– Modern era golden age craftsmanship.
– Affordable price.
– Solid hand-carved design.
– Bound ebony fretboard with 29 frets.
Cons:
– None found.
7. Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin.
Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin is an 8-string mandolin with an A-Style by Ibanez, hence ideal for country and bluegrass artists.
Ibanez is a famous brand known for its great reputation and achievements in various fields in musical instruments. These include the mandolins, electric archtops, pointy metal guitars, among others.
Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin features fully laminated woods although this limits the response of the frequency, as well as the resonance.
The A-style Mandolin construction is also made of spruce and mahogany. However, this combination is not as ideal as the spruce and maple combination, but on the hand, more ideal than the cheap tonewoods.
Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin has the top made of spruce while the back and sides are made of mahogany.
Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin is an ideal mandolin compared to other cheap mandolins. This device features quality hardware than cheap mandolins. Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin has quality tuners that are capable of holding the strings better.
Again, another incredible feature in Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin is the compensated bridge. This ensures a well intonated musical instrument.
The compensated bridge is not comparable to the other bridges bought separately.
Another versatile feature in Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin is the competent sound. With the proper playing technique, Ibanez M510 will give you a very competent sound.
This device is affordable with a price ranging around 500 dollars. Ibanez M510 A-Style Mandolin also features a truss rod that allows you to adjust the neck for better playability.
Specifications:
– A-style body type.
– Mahogany neck, sides, and back.
– 8-string mandolin.
– Spruce top.
– Rosewood fretboard.
– Chrome hardware and tuners.
– 20 frets.
– Flat fretboard.
– High gloss finish.
– 30 mm nut width.
– Rosewood bridge.
Pros:
– Rosewood bridge and fretboard.
– Spruce top.
– Adjustable truss rod.
– Competent sound.
– Affordable.
Cons:
– Case sold separately.
– Improper nut setup.
8. J.Bovier F5V-AV-G Mandolin.
J.Bovier F5V-AV-G Mandolin is a great mandolin instrument featuring the famous J.Bovier F5 series by J.Bovier. This is a great addition to your musical instruments with an elegant abalone fretboard inlay.
The J.Bovier F5V-AV-G Mandolin features an elegant antique vintage gloss finish which is impressive even to any enthusiastic vintage purist.
The F-Style Mandolin by J.Bovier features fine tonewoods and comes at an affordable price.
J.Bovier F5V-AV-G Mandolin features a solid Englemann carved spruce top, which is a feature in most expensive mandolins.
The instrument also features a solid carved back made from the North American maple, as well as the solid sides. The solid neck of the mandolin is made of flamed maple from North America.
The elegant fretboard inlays consist of an abalone and mother-of-pearl headstock. The fretboard is made from ebony.
Specifications:
– Ebony fretboard.
– Top: Solid carved Englemann Spruce.
– Back: Solid carved North American Flamed Maple.
– Sides: Solid carved North American Flamed Maple.
– Neck: Solid carved North American Flamed Maple.
– Radiused Ebony fretboard.
– Abalone Vine inlay.
– Mother-of-Pearl headstock.
– Antique vintage gloss.
Pros:
– Cheap and affordable.
– Spruce and maple construction.
– Elegant vintage finish.
– High-quality.
– Easy to finger.
Cons:
– None found.
How to Choose The Best Mandolins Under $1000 When Purchasing a Mandolin.
Getting the best mandolin Under 1000 U.S. Dollars can be a tricky business considering the sheer volume of musical instruments that are available online and their scarcity at the music shop.
The major factors are affordability as well as quality. They are the key considerations for buying your mandolin.
1. Cost.
Definitely, you will find a number of mandolins that are under 100 U.S Dollars. However, most are meant for amateurs and they are not well built. Most experts have expressed their frustrations for instruments that fall under this group.
There are still mandolins that come under this price and will be very effective for beginners. The advice is that you try your best and save a good amount that will buy you a mandolin that is between the range of 200-500 U.S. Dollars.
There is a significant number that falls under this price and will keep you playing for a long time.
If you plan to play for an audience in the future, then you can consider a better mandolin. This article has majored on mandolins
that are under 1000 U.S. Dollars and they will make you together with your audience happy.
2. Components.
When buying your Mandolin, look for features such as an adjustable bridge, geared tuners, a truss rod as well as a solid wood top. Do not worry so much about the strings since they are easy to replace.
Actually, the low to mid-range mandolins will add value when you add a good set of strings.
3. Acoustic vs Electric.
Most music players will consider acoustic mandolins while others will go for the acoustic/electric models.
If you require amplification, consider an acoustic/electric for better results. This is because you need not worry about getting feedback from your microphone and you can move more freely on stage.
You can consult a professional luthier if you want to electrify your acoustic mandolin.
4. A- style vs F-style.
Most mandolin is designed with a slightly curved or flat back and they have arched tops. They also come in two main body styles that are A-style and F-style. The F-style mandolin has been modeled after the Gibson models and is favored by the bluegrass players. This is because of the nature of the sound they give.
The A-style mandolin has a milder tone that is good at home in just any genre and it features oval-shaped holes instead of the Violin-style F-holes that are found on the F-style mandolins.
The A-style is basically more affordable and suited for beginners. The choice between the two instruments is based on price and aesthetics.
5. Bowl back Options.
In contrast to the F-style and A-style model, there is the bowl back model also known as Neapolitan. This instrument demonstrates a different lineage and it is an older playing style compared to what modern players want. They have a lucrative low price but are not the best option for you.
6. Solid Wood Vs Laminate.
When it comes to mandolin construction, there is a fine margin between the laminate and solid wood. Mostly, the mandolins that have a solid wood construction will produce a better tone as well as overall quality. There are also a number of laminate-style mandolins that are affordable and will sound good when the modern construction technique is applied.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, mandolins are great instruments that will take your music to the next level. The good thing is that they are available for both amateurs as well as professionals.
This article has provided you with the top best mandolins that come at an affordable price as well as a buying guide for the same. You will, therefore, be in a position to make the correct choice in choosing one that will give you a great experience.
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