No comments about Johnson Electric Mandolin A-Style mando.

4 comments about Johnson MA100 Lynchburg Mandolin, Black.

1. I bought one of these for myself in 2004. Then, I took the strings off -- they're second-rate anyway -- so that I could fix it properly.
   
   The nut was misaligned, two millimetres too high, & stood off the fingerboard due to excess glue.
   
   The bridge was slightly bent, & had poor final shaping.
   
   I sat down with two pieces of sandpaper (Fine & Extra-Fine) &, while watching TV for two hours, did a few hundred dollars' worth of fixing. I shoved the nut loose, trimmed it, & removed the dried glue. Then I reshaped the bridge feet so they met the body perfectly, narrowed the saddles, & sanded the lands on either adjust-post. Then I put it back together & played it for hours.
   
   Don't get me wrong. This is a beautiful instrument, & you'll kick yourself the first time you scratch it. The deep gloss black works very well with the milk-white binding. The fitting is surprisingly good for a commercial instrument at any price. And the tone comes across as mature & well-seasoned right out of the box -- I'd compare it to that of a mando that's had a good home for ten years or more.
   
   For this price, if you're a working musician, get two or three & do the work. All it's missing is a pickup. The tone is satisfying, & the left-hand feel surprisingly good. If someone handed this to me (with the above repairs) blindfolded, & said it retailed at $600, I wouldn't doubt it based on playability.



2. I am a guitarist primarilly, and wanted to get started playing the mandolin without spending a fortune. I have not regretted purchasing the Johnson MA100. In fact, it has become my favourite instrument to play when I'm sitting around the house.
   
   Firstly, it's a beautiful instrument. The inlays on the headstock and fretboard are fabulous, and the white trim looks really sharp against the black finish. Even the pickguard looks good.
   
   The edges of the f-holes are a little rough, but no more so than on a Fender mandolin (which would be more than triple the price). I agree that the bridge feet don't quite sit perfectly on the body, but again, no more so than on a Fender. A little sanding would easily fix that - thanks for the tip.
   
   The strings should ABSOLUTELY be changed as soon as you get your mandolin. I'm not sure they even had the proper strings on the mandolin when they shipped it. I had two strings break when I was tuning it up, and I was a good 3 or 4 semitones below 'standard' GDAE tuning. I put on some d'Addario strings for about $10 and now it plays beautifully. Nice bright tone, and great sustain.
   
   I have limited experience with mandolins, but as a guitarist looking to increase my collection of fretted stringed instruments, I would say that this one is brilliant.



3. I think that this mandolin is an excellent buy but I do agree that some of the strings on the thing are not up to snuff. There is one other factor. This mandolin appears to be identical to the black mandolin sold under the Rogue name.
   
   I did not have a problem with this since I already have the black Rogue and the different name helps me keep them apart. I should be noted though that the black Rogue is cheaper and that you could get the Rogue starter kit with a gig bag, a book, etc. for just a few bucks more. Both are rather striking and attractive instruments and mine have a ringing, bell like sound that I rather like.
   
   This, the Rogue, the Dean mandolin, and the Ariena A mandolin all fit the Musician's Friend hardshell case which I highly reccomend.



4. if you have never picked up a mandolin before, do it. i've been playign piano for 7 years now and have become pretty good at it, and a great way to improve your dextarity it to pick this up. for $65, you get a very nice sounding instrument that eveyone will over-estimate the price of. the action isn't too high which makes for fast, easy playing. i would absolutly reccomend buying strings to go along with this as they will break when it's least convenient for you. also, don't bother with adds for a violin tuner (its the same as a mandolin tuner) as you will find out that its far easier to get the proper tunign off of a keyboard or piano (if it's in tune). Also, dont buy the set of 12 picks as well. It's not worth it. The picks cost about $2 and the shipping costs about $7 for some reason which is rediculous.
   
   overall, well worth $65.

4 comments about Rogue RM100F F-Style Mandolin.

1. I've had this mandolin for a couple of months. It is perfect for what I need (I haven't been playing. For the price the quality is great. So, let's see.... bad things.
   
   The finish around the neck is kind of shotty... kind of bothersome when I first got it but all and all I am not worries.
   There is some minor buzz, but for learning I can stand it.
   
   So, great for people just starting!
   
   oh, and it does have a trussrod



2. This is a great instrument, for the price, if you just beginning to learn mandolin. I have been playing this mando for about 2 months now and haven't had a problems. It stays in tune, haven't found a missing note. Happy playing



3. F mandolins seem to take time to break in. Have mine for about a month and it is starting to bark. As I received it it needed a bit of adjusting. I changed the strings, adjusted the bridge. I also replaced the tailpiece for a very solid one, my own preference. The mandolin sounds as good or better than many $1000 ones.
   
   The mandolin is solid, well built, case is nice. Good buy. I paid $140 for mine including shipping.



4. This is a superb instrument though I found out I don't care much for F style mandolins. It did have a blob of the clear finishing material down inside the scroll thing on the body but since you can't see it why worry.
   
   Mine came with a light and fairly nice but rather large, for my taste, squarish case. I remember being a little doubtful from reading the add as to whether I would actually get a case or not.
   
   All things said-- This is a fine instrument.

1 comments about Beginning Mandolin.

1. So far I have watched this video for the last two nights. I am a beginning mandolinist (I have been playing mediocre guitar for half my life) so I wanted to start from the beginning to try to "unlearn" bad habits from years of self taught guitar. This is a really good video for play along with and the songs are ordered in various levels of difficulty with each of them having a certain technique to focus on. The part I don't like (possibly will get more technical later on in the disc?) is that it feels more like mandolin play-along then actual instruction. The instructor (who is very articulate and skilled, otherwise) doesn't spend a lot of time talking technique, but spends a majority time showing you these songs that are on the disc. I do recommend the disc as supplementary material to your mandolin training, but don't expect this disc to be one stop shopping solution.

1 comments about Rogue FM-80E Acoustic-Electric Mandolin.

1. A Korean made clone of Fender and Ibanez models. It's an amazing value. The construction isn't perfect, but it plays real nice, and has a sound comparable to mandolins in the $350 price range. The pickup is a bit low on volume compared to a typical electric guitar, and it's a single coil (so you get a bit of hum), but other than that it's a great deal at the price.

1 comments about Oscar Schmidt Mandolin.

1. A wonderful instrument, whatever the price. No problems with the strings that came with it (they just needed a little tuning), the action, the bridge, anything. I would highly recommend this mandolin for beginners.

No comments about Folding Violin / Mandolin Stand.

1 comments about Saga Appalachian Mandolin.

1. Seems like a good beginner mandolin. I had to put better strings on it first thing, but other than that i've been very happy with it.

2 comments about Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin, Black.

1. I'm learning Mandolin after playing guitar for years, and this Mandolin is great to learn on. It stays in tune fairly well and has good sound quality - both of which are hard to find in such a cheap instrument. I would definitely recommend this to anybody wishing to learn Mandolin.



2. I received the product in a timely manner which fascinated me. I was a little worried about how it would be when I received it since the instrument didn't come in a case. It was bubble wrapped completely and packed in a bunch of newspapers! I was so excited to get it! It was exactly what I had expected it to be. And the all black body of the instrument makes it so much more pretty to me! I was very pleased!

5 comments about Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin, Sunburst.

1. Great product. The mandolin was beatufil. For a first time user it will be just what the user will use and enjoy.



2. I got this mandolin after i visited a friend who had recently purchased one. I tested his out for the weekend i was there and really liked the feel of it. I had never played mandolin before, but i have 9 years of experience on guitar and most of it translated over. As far as the action is concerned, both my mandolin, and the one my friend purchased, were fine. In fact its feel was fairly comparable to a $1500 mandolin i played at a music store, and im not missing a decimal point there. Obviously the expensive one had a slightly better feel to it, and a nicer sound, but for 30 times the cost, i would expect that. I rarely cheap out when it comes to instruments, i play a gibson les paul, but this one really holds up for the price.



3. I bought one of these for me to learn to play on. It was very easy to set up and tune. The sound is great! I've been enjoying picking on it daily for a few weeks now. Only thing is, in my research on this model I read that some of them have an issue with the "E" strings snapping. Well, I've been playing with 1 E string for over a week now. But at least the other one is holding.
   
   I like this mando so much, I bought one for my sister.



4. This item is a must buy for a beginner! I have not play mandolin before or have ever played, but I know that this mandolin has a very good sound, and I have not found any problems with this mandolin and i recommend to anyone!!! it is great great great!



5. I am new to the mandolin and haven't played any instrument for 30 years so I wouldn't comment on the musical aspects of this mandolin. There are a couple of manufacturing quality defect in the one I purchased. The plating on the tail piece peeled off in the first week. It seemed really thick which is probably what made it start cracking but the copper layer under the nickel is where it delaminated. The other item was that some of the tuning gears are not fully inserted into the headstock. So far neither of these defects has stopped it from functioning.