Donner A Style Mandolin Instrument Sunburst Beginner Adult Acoustic Mandolin Musical Instrument Mahogany 8 String, Bundle With Tuner String Bag Guitar Picks,DML-1

Good quality, well finished.

I looked at a lot of Mandolins for a beginner. This was a perfect choice for me. I have a guitar, bass and banjo that I haven't played for awhile. Decided to start playing again to try and help my peripheral neuropathy. The small neck on the Mandolin helps me more easily get my fingers in playing shape which helps make it easier for me to play my other instruments. I really like this package which included a nice bag, picks, tuner, extra strings and a polishing cloth. Glad for the extra strings as I broke one while tuning the Mandolin. I'm a beginner, but I like the way this Mandolin plays and sounds. Seems to be built well. Nice looking. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to learn to play the Mandolin. It's a small investment to find out if you will like playing the Mandolin. The playability and sound won't discourage a beginner. I am thoroughly enjoying this instrument. Playing music again is so much fun and I believe playing is helping my peripheral neuropathy.

Always wanted to learn mandolin, so was pleasantly surprised I could buy one for so cheap, and with all the accessories. It arrived in a timely manner, and to my eyes and ears, looks and sounds good! I did have one of the high G strings break while tuning for the first time, and the other one broke a few days later, but I wasn't too surprised. Fortunately, you get a full set of replacement strings in the package, so it was easy enough to string up new ones. I've heard you should restring all the strings anyway, but for now, I'm enjoying it as is. So glad I bought it!

I ordered this mandolin as a "test drive" to see if I'd like the mandolin. For the price point, I wasn't expecting much more than functional, but the instrument had a surprisingly good tone out of the box. It also keeps is tuning extremely well. However, if you're going to get super serious you will eventually have to upgrade, as the action (distance between the string and fretboards) is set so high that you can't get it low enough even at the bridge's lowest position. The upper two courses also appear to have nylon strings which will get very bitey after more than 10-15 minutes of play, particularly while you're still developing your callouses.The cost at a luthier to address both of these items is more than the value of the mandolin, so if you get it and like it, be aware it will eventually need to be replaced instead of fixed up. But if you get it and discover you don't like mandolin, you're not out the cost of a nicer instrument. So it's a win, and if you're waffling I'd suggest going for it. At the very worst, it won't cost all that much for you to discover that the mandolin isn't your instrument after all.

Real b*tch to tune out of the box but that is not unexpected for a beginner instrument that's just been shipped in all kinds of temps and humidities. It was about an octave out of tune when I got it.If you're not experienced with tuning things, ask someone else to do it, or have a lot of patience and take it in stages.Pros: stays in tune OK once you get it there. You don't have to worry about damaging it because of the price point. The setup was decent to start with - so you can just start playing.Cons: you get what you pay for. the tuning pegs are sloppy & the sound is somewhere between 'ok' and 'maybe not' for quality. but if you just want to play quietly without a pick you probably won't notice. I don't regret the purchase - but if I end up playing much will certainly need one of better quality.

This thing is amazing. A couple quick internet searches will tell you the same thing I’m about to, but here goes. This is the optimal choice for new players at an entry price-point. The quality of this item is well above what I was expecting. It looks beautiful and appears to have no defects or flaws in its manufacture. I’m a mandolin beginner and this was the right choice. It isn’t rough on my fingers like I’ve read some cheap instruments can be. The tuner and gig bag are a pretty big bonus on top of everything.Two complaints: Amazon boxed it super loose so it probably took a few bumps on the way here. The included picks are too thin and the first one I tried cracked immediately.

Well made, sounds great, didn't break the bank. Nice bag and tuner also.

My daughter asked for a mandolin and I bought her this. When I received it, I checked it out. I was so excited to give it to her, really like good gum drops excited. On Christmas it made quite the splash. A whole room of people was very impressed with it's attractiveness and the completeness of the kit. Her grandmother looked it over, as she had played one in youth and thought it was nice. Then my daughter sheepishly said she had wanted a cooking mandolin! Derp derp. I'll tell you, I strongly wanted to keep it! So very pretty! I was shocked really at how nice the whole set was and the case was nice too.