Whether you’re buying your first mandolin or looking for that upgrade to take your playing to the next level, we have an instrument on this list for you.
We scoured the internet and researched the best mandolin offerings. We accounted for body styles, sound quality, materials, number of strings, and more while never forgetting to factor in affordability and the intended uses for each choice.
Let’s begin!
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Kentucky KM-150 Standard A-Style Mandolin – Best Overall
The Kentucky KM-150 A-style mandolin (compare price Amazon, Guitar Center) sits at the top of many lists of the best mandolins, but that wasn’t always the case.
The KM-150 started as a cheaper, pressed wood mandolin that provides less sound quality than the current models.
Thanks to the continued improvements in manufacturing and better material components, the KM-150 is now a near-perfect mid-range offering that suits beginners and professional musicians equally well.
This A-style mandolin has a solid body made of German spruce wood. The sides and back consist of hardy Alpine maple.
Kentucky also made the neck using maple, and while being wider than usual for a mandolin, it remains comfortable to hold and play.
The fingerboard is a rosewood that is quite smooth. It’s effortless to run your fingers across the strings comfortably, but the wood also provides a sturdy grip.
As far as the finishing details are concerned, the Kentucky KM-150 features inlaid mother-of-pearl position markers, a mother-of-pearl “Kentucky” script inlay, and Nickel-plated hardware.
The spruce top looks great with its sunburst finish and offers a sound quality that rivals much more expensive mandolins.
This Kentucky mandolin is solidly built and provides a reassuring weight when you hold it. The maple sides and backing enhance the KM-150’s overall durability while remaining lightweight.
The Kentucky KM-150 mandolin is our pick for overall best mandolin because it combines excellent craftsmanship, fantastic playability, and affordable pricing that crosses every boundary between budgets and skill levels.
Gibson F-5G Mandolin – Premium Option
The Gibson F-5G mandolin (compare price Guitar Center) is by far the most expensive mandolin on this list. Still, if you ever get the chance to play one, we think you’ll agree that this premium mandolin is one of the best instruments ever produced.
The modern F-5G model is an F-style mandolin based on the 1920s original. The F-5G looks simple at first glance, but it is deceptively gorgeous with high-quality material components and exquisite detail work.
For the body of the F-5G mandolin, Gibson used carved solid spruce for the top and carved maple for the back and sides. The top features two “F” holes and an appealing dark sunburst design.
Gibson constructed the neck with solid Madagascar ebony wood, the fretboard is rosewood, and the mandolin also features a tuned parallel tone bar.
Gibson added impeccable extra touches to the F-5G, including a triple top binding, lacquered finish, nickel-plated hardware, and a flowerpot headstock inlay. Additionally, there are mother-of-pearl dot markers and a mother-of-pearl Gibson-insignia on the head plate.
Overall, this mandolin produces a beautiful, rich sound and is remarkably comfortable to play even for long periods.
The Gibson F-5G might not be the best option for beginners based on the high price tag if nothing else, but established mandolin players will get great action from this instrument. The list of F-5G players includes many professional musicians, including John Teer of the band Chatham County Line.
Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin – Best Budget Option
You can’t beat the Rogue RM-100A A-style mandolin (compare price Amazon, Guitar Center) for a budget mandolin. Rogue has established a reputation for creating easy-to-play mandolins that feature surprisingly clean craftsmanship considering the wallet-friendly price tag.
The Rogue RM-100A is an a-style mandolin perfect for beginners and individuals looking to get into mandolin playing as a hobby while working on even the tightest of budgets.
This A-style mandolin has a spruce top with two “F” hole cutouts. It also features a rosewood fingerboard and a nice-looking simulated rosewood bridge. For the sides and back of the mandolin, Rogue used maple, and the neck is maple as well.
Details on the RM-100A include chrome tuning machines, nickel-plated frets, a 12th fret neck joint, and a glossy lacquered finish.
The Rogue RM-100A mandolin is not going to win any sound quality contests compared to more expensive models, but it is still one of the most popular choices for beginners for a reason. This mandolin provides a good sound for the price, and it is a comfortable instrument to play while learning mandolin.
Considering that the RM-100A mandolin from Rogue is less than one-tenth the price of other, more expensive mandolins and still gives you a worthwhile performance, we think it is the perfect budget buy option.
Loar LM-700 F-Style Mandolin
The Loar LM-700 F-style mandolin (compare price Sweetwater, Guitar Center) is another excellent option for the mid-range level of mandolins. The mandolin is an F-style mandolin well-suited to meet the needs of an advanced or professional mandolin player.
Loar is a famous brand of mandolins for a reason, and it is easy to see why the company enjoys so much success after you take this mandolin for a test drive. This mandolin’s sound production and tonal quality make it an excellent choice for playing on your own or with a full band.
The body of the LM-700 consists of a hand-carved body with a spruce wood top and flamed maple sides and back. The top features two “F” holes and a fantastic sunburst finish under an eye-catching but incredibly thin polyurethane finish.
The neck is made from a single piece of flamed maple and has an ebony fingerboard that lets your fingers glide across it effortlessly.
Additionally, the Loar built the LM-700 with many refined touches, including a bone nut, adjustable ebony bridge, vintage style Gotoh tuners with ivoroid buttons, and a Loar Fleur emblem on the headstock made from pearl and abalone.