A mandolin is a kind of lute that has 8 strings, a short neck, and the ability to create a range of impressive sounds. Mandolins and their similar predecessors have been around for a long time. As such, they’re good for learning many traditional types of music. Choosing the right beginner’s mandolin can be tricky. There are many brands out there that claim to offer the best option for the budding mandolinist.
Read on to discover the best starter mandolin for your needs.
 | 1. Best Starter Mandolin Editor’s choice – Donner A-Style Mandolin A great value starter mandolin that comes with everything you need to begin. Built with a mahogany body. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 2. Best Budget Starter Mandolin –Janerock A style Acoustic Mandolin Classic Sunburst An excellently crafted budget mandolin with an adjustable rosewood bridge and a good setup. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 3. Best Starter Mandolin A-Style – Ibanez M510DVS Mandolin Superb quality build, and outstanding value. Spruce top and mahogany back and sides. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 4. Best Affordable Starter Mandolin F-Style – Savannah SF-100 F-model Mandolin A Beautiful F-style mandolin with a solid maple body, a truss rod, and an adjustable ebony bridge. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 5. Best Starter Mandolin F-shaped – The Loar LM-310F A hand-carved body with a solid spruce top, and mahogany body. Offers authentic looks, sound, and unbeatable value. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 6. Best Starter Mandolin Electro-Acoustic – Vangoa Mandolin A-Style Acoustic-Electric An eye-catching red-stained appearance and a mahogany body. Comes with everything you need to begin. This electroacoustic mandolin is pretty eye-catching too! | Buy on Amazon |
Best Starter Mandolins Reviewed
Best Starter Mandolin Editor’s choice – Donner A-Style Mandolin
The Donner A-style mandolin has simplicity in mind. That’s not to say that it’s a low-quality instrument; far from it! You’ll also find everything you need to get started playing, including a case, a PVC pickguard, and tuner keys.
The craftsmanship on this instrument is surprising given the cost. Donner is keen to stress their rigorous process for selecting materials. This includes screening all the wood it uses, and a lengthy wood drying process. They also claim to use expert artisans to sculpt their products. Whether this applies to this particular model is unclear.
The action on this mandolin is good and the small neck makes it great for learners. The sound is good enough for you to get a real feel for the instrument. You can tell it’s an entry-level instrument in this regard. Don’t let this put you off though; the Donner A style is a good choice to see if the mandolin is the right instrument for you.
Pros:
- Excellent value.
- Comes with everything you need to get started; gig bag, strings, digital clip-on tuner, polishing cloth, and guitar picks.
- Mahogany body.
Cons:
- The sound isn’t the best.
Best Budget Starter Mandolin Janerock A style Acoustic Mandolin Classic Sunburst
The first thing you notice with Janerock A-Style mandolin is the classic tobacco sunburst appearance. It comes with an adjustable rosewood bridge that can each player can change to whatever feels right for them. The action is already low out the box, making it easy to play straight away. The workmanship and finish of the instrument are surprising given how affordable it is.
Included is a gig bag, a strap, picks and an extra set of strings, and an electronic tuner. The Janerock A-style mandolin is a good choice for anyone who wants to start learning the mandolin and doesn’t want to break the bank. Don’t expect the best mandolin out there; it’s very much an entry-level instrument.
If you find you like the mandolin and want to stick to it, you can always upgrade after a year or two once you’ve learned the basics.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly entry-level mandolin.
- Adjustable rosewood bridge.
- Good setup out the box.
- Decent workmanship.
Cons:
- The tonewoods aren’t as good as some of the other models.
Best Starter Mandolin A-Style – Ibanez M510DVS
The best thing about the Ibanez M510DVS is the quality of the build. Ibanez is known for its guitars and wanted to ensure that its breakthrough into the entry-level mandolin market was strong. The Ibanez M510DVS includes a spruce top, mahogany back and sides, chrome hardware, and pearl dot inlay.
The quality of the build of this mandolin leaves very little to fault. You can get some really good sounds out of it and it will provide an excellent starting instrument. The price to quality ratio is hard to argue with.
The main issue people have with this instrument out of the box is the quality of the strings. People complain that they lack responsiveness and any real musical tone. You can remedy this by changing the strings straight away. Beginners may not notice the poor quality of the string. I always think it’s best to give those starting a true feel of a quality instrument instead of a cheap toy.
Pros:
- Great quality build compared to others in its class.
- Spruce top and mahogany back and sides.
- Chrome hardware and pearl dot inlay.
- Includes a truss rod to stop the neck from morphing out of shape.
Cons:
- Poor strings. Try D’Addario EJ74 Phosphor Bronze Mandolin Strings instead.
Best Affordable F-Style Starter Mandolin – Savannah SF-100 F-Mandolin
The Savannah SF-100 F mandolin has a maple body, a laminate spruce top, and a bound rosewood fretboard. It also possesses the rare dual combination of durability and adjustability. The bridge is adjustable allowing you to mold the tone to suit your playing style and musical needs.
The setup isn’t great out the box, but provided you don’t mind a bit of work, it shouldn’t present too many problems. Here’s a tutorial on how to set up a mandolin Alternatively, you can always take it to a professional to set it up for you. There is an extended fretboard with 24 frets for the adventurous players out there who don’t want the risk of missing out on the higher registers. The bridge is ebony and offers a smooth, mellow and consistent tone.
Pros:
- Solid maple body.
- Rosewood fretboard and an ebony bridge.
- Adjustable bridge.
Cons:
- No gig-bag or any other extras come with it.
- Will need setup out the box
- Laminate spruce top.
Best Starter Mandolin F-Style – Loar LM-310F-BRB Honey Creek F-Style Mandolin
The Loar LM-310 F is a fantastic starter F-style mandolin. The back to the basics aesthetics lends an air of authenticity to this instrument. Hopefully it can help you channel the spirit of the greats of time gone by (if you want..)
The top of the mandolin is hand-carved solid spruce, which lends an unparalleled tone in relation to others in its class. The scroll on the top of the body of the instrument is hand-carved by a skilled craftsman. This process of hand carving allows the artisan to preserve the natural grain of the wood and fibers. It also lets the strings sing at their best.
The Loar LM-310F is the most affordable carved top mandolin on the market. It also offers a sonic profile to match its outward striking aesthetic.
Pros:
- Solid Spruce body.
- Authentic looks.
- Hand-carved wood preserves the wood’s natural grain.
- There are few other comparisons regarding the sound-to-price ratio
Cons:
- The setup could be better.
Best Starter Mandolin Electroacoustic Vangoa Mandolin A-Style
Vangoa is a company based in, erm, China that was founded in 2017. The fact that in such a short space of time they’ve managed to bring out quality starter instruments is remarkable. The first thing that strikes you about the Vangoa A-style mandolin is its appearance.
The eye-catching red-stained wood draws you in and will no doubt appeal to those who like their instrument to look good. The deep and rich colors and gloss make this instrument look more like a premium model than a beginners. The chrome knobs are also a surprising addition.
The Vangoa A-frame comes with a set of accessories to get you started. Included alongside the mandolin are picks, extra strings, a clip-on tuner, a strap, and a travel case, meaning you can play the mandolin straight out the box.
You also have the option of playing the Vangoa electrically, giving you the option of experimenting with different sounds, tones, and effects. All in all the Vangoa does offer a fantastic introduction to the world of mandolin and allows you to see if it’s something that gels with you musically.
Pros:
- Beautiful red-stained appearance.
- Chrome knobs.
- Electro-Acoustic.
- Mahogany body.
- Comes with all the accessories you need to begin playing.
Cons:
- The action is high and can be tricky to adjust.
- Some complain the sound can be slightly tinny.
Best Starter Mandolin Buying Guide
The history of Mandolin
The mandolin is a small string instrument in the lute family. It evolved in the 18th century in Italy and Germany, from the 16th-century mandora. The common modern incarnation of the mandolin is influenced by the maker Pasquale Vinaccia of Naples (1806–82.) Mandolin manufacturing and playing were popular in Europe and the Americas in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The mandolin has four double course strings tuned G D A E as a violin. It is tuned via a machine head, like a guitar, with the pegs at the back of the pegbox. The mandolin contains a vaulted, pear-shaped body with the frets (usually 17 of them) on the fretboard which is slightly raised. The bridge is set in such a way that it increases the pressure on the strings and produces bright sounds with enhanced carrying power.
The mandolin is played with a plectrum, and quick movement of this over the double course strings produces the characteristic tremolo of the instrument.
What are the different Body Styles in Mandolin?
There is more than one kind of body style for a mandolin. The A-Style is the most common and is good for beginners due to lower cost. F-Style bodied mandolins are usually hand-carved and so are more expensive. Bowl body mandolins are usually more affordable but less common nowadays.
A-Style
A-style mandolins are tear or pear-shaped with a flat back. Most new mandolin players will prefer either an A or F-style body. Both A and F styles owe their existence to Gibson. In the 1920s they commissioned Lloyd Loar to build a new style of mandolin without compromising on sound quality.
A-style mandolins have a flat back and are often referred to as ‘flat-backed mandolins,’ to distinguish between bowl-back mandolins. A-style mandolins can have either two ‘F’ shaped sound holes or a single round ‘0’ hole in the center.
A-style mandolins are easier to build than F-style models as they’re less ornate and need less intricate work. So, they’re often more affordable and as such, are the most beginner-friendly.
F-Style
The differences between A and F style mandolins are mainly cosmetic. An F-style mandolin will often have a more decorated and carved body than an A-style will. Most F-style mandolins have two ‘F’ soundholes as opposed to a single ‘0’ sound hole in the middle. F-style mandolins are popular if you want to play country and bluegrass music.
F-style mandolins are also more comfortable to play than the other types of mandolins.
Bowl-Back
Bowl-bodied instruments are less common nowadays, despite often having a more accessible price. They are the oldest type of mandolin body, and people tend to veer more towards the more modern design of the other types these days.
They are the oldest kind of mandolin, and as such are most suited to playing classical and folk styles of music.
Does Mandolin body shape impact mandolin’s sound?
It is debatable whether the body shape has an impact on the mandolin’s sound. Though people generally agree that factors such as tonewood, quality of build and soundholes are more important than the shape of mandolin in terms of impact on the sound of the mandolin.
What is the best wood for Mandolin?
Like with an acoustic guitar, the type of wood on your instrument will affect the sound quality. Spruce is the wood of choice for constructing mandolin tops, also known as the soundboard. It’s a dense tonewood that produces a bright and articulate sound. Spruce is renowned for its ability to reproduce every nuance of whoever is playing the strings.
Spruce, however, is relatively scarce and has a high cost, so many manufacturers choose to use mahogany or cedar instead. This produces a deeper and more resonant tone. Lower-quality mandolins will often have laminate wood tops. Laminate woods are several layers of wood pressed together. Sometimes they will have the veneer of attractive wood grain on the top.
As laminates are pressed into place by machine instead of being hand-carved, they’re much lower cost. Solid spruce tops are favored by professional mandolin players, but laminate top instruments can produce very satisfactory sounds if well made. The lower price can make them more attractive to new players who may be on a tight budget when learning.
Middle-of-the-range mandolins can have a solid spruce top and a laminate body and side, or vice versa. This can offer an alluring sound whilst still keeping the cost low.
Solid maple is the tonewood of choice for mandolin bodies. Koa, mahogany, or other types of hardwood are alternatives. More affordable models may even use other woods or even laminates.
Mandolin fretboards are usually made from ebony or rosewood, which offers a hardwood with a smooth surface that’s perfect for fast fingering.
Maple and mahogany are the woods of choice for the neck as they offer the greatest rigidity. Necks are often made with two or more woods glued together. Laminate necks are considered better than solid ones. Many necks contain an embedded truss rod to allow adjustments to tone and playability.
The bridge of the mandolin is held in place by the strings and is often made from either ebony or rosewood. The bridge can be adjusted to what’s comfortable for you and your playing. It may involve some tweaking to find what works best for you and your playing style in the beginning.
Should you Start with an acoustic or electric mandolin?
The chances are if you’re new to learning the mandolin you’re unlikely to need or want an electric instrument right away. Electric instruments tend to be more expensive due to accommodating the electrics during the manufacturing process. However, should you want the option of messing around with your tone, effects, or even a loop pedal, then an electroacoustic model could be your best bet.
For these reasons, I’ve only included one instrument with electrics on this list: the Vangoa Mandolin A-Style Acoustic-Electric.
Our verdict
The mandolin is a popular instrument that has been around for a while now. It’s stood the test of time around the globe and its popularity hasn’t waned. The process of learning the mandolin will be significantly easier if you choose the right model.
A starter instrument should be a proud ambassador of what the instrument is capable of and where it can take you musically. I’m not a fan of poor-quality starting instruments in the least. A poor quality instrument makes it less likely that whoever owns it will get a real feel for the instrument and fall in love with making music with it.
The Donner A-Style Mandolin is made with select material and a high level of craftsmanship that surpasses the expectations of an entry-level instrument. It has a small neck which is good news for beginners as it makes it that bit easy to get into the swing of things. You could definitely do a lot worse with your first mandolin.
Last update on 2023-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
