Mandolins

A mandolin is a small stringed instrument, tuned in fifths. It has four courses of doubled strings, turned in unison, giving it a total of eight strings. The mandolin sound is typically bright and cheerful. Mandolins can be strummed for a percussive sound, or can be plucked for emotional lead lines. Though it’s arguably most synonymous with American music, the mandolin origin is largely European, originating from the Italian lute.

Mandolin prices range from about $100 to many thousands of dollars. A mandolin price will vary based on the quality of construction, materials used, country of manufacture, brand, type of mandolin, and more.

In the battle of mandolin vs. guitar, there is no clear winner. It’s impossible to say if the mandolin is harder or easier than the guitar. They have many similarities, but they are typically tuned differently and used in different ways. The biggest difference in playability between the two is the size of the neck and fretboard. Though anyone should be able to play either, some players may prefer the smaller mandolin fretboard to a guitar, or vice versa.

The different types of mandolins and instruments in the mandolin family include:

• Soprano mandolin
• Piccolo mandolin
• Alto mandolin
• Tenor or octave mandolin
• Baritone mandolin, or mandocello
• Mando-bass

Though any construction difference between instruments will change the sound, there’s no specific sonic difference between an f-style mandolin (with a scroll on the upper bout) and an a-style mandolin without a scroll. The difference is largely visual and a matter of aesthetic preference.

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