6 String Mandolin Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I got this thing because I love the mandolin sound but never liked actually playing one. This tuned like a standard guitar has the bright plucky sound of a mandolin with a string spacing that I could actually play. I've been having a lot of fun with it so far. Once it was in my hands there were some fit and finish issues I have, for the price I feel like the finer details were lacking,but the function of the instrument is phenomenal. It's holding me over while I get a feel for a proper mandolin, but I think it will definitely live in the repertoire to pull out for a jam.Kevin

I have played one (And it had such a good sound and feel and also very cool) I ordered one.The other person reviewing this instrument blamed his Fat Fingers making it hard to play. He blamed the Instrument? I think he needs to get a Classical Guitar? :-)) I have large hands and sausages for fingers but I can still play it. Just take a few minutes to accustom your hand and brain to a different instrument. This instrument, like all Gold Tone instruments, is well built with attention to detail and the price point is Fantastic! Can't say enough about it, except, another quality instrument from Gold Tone. Oh, I am NOT a Gold Tone employee or owner. I own the GM6 Mando Guitar, Banjitar BT1000 and the Electric Banjo. I am writing through experience.misterbruce52

I got this thing because I love the mandolin sound but never liked actually playing one. This tuned like a standard guitar has the bright plucky sound of a mandolin with a string spacing that I could actually play. I've been having a lot of fun with it so far. Once it was in my hands there were some fit and finish issues I have, for the price I feel like the finer details were lacking,but the function of the instrument is phenomenal. It's holding me over while I get a feel for a proper mandolin, but I think it will definitely live in the repertoire to pull out for a jam.Kevin

I have played one (And it had such a good sound and feel and also very cool) I ordered one.The other person reviewing this instrument blamed his Fat Fingers making it hard to play. He blamed the Instrument? I think he needs to get a Classical Guitar? :-)) I have large hands and sausages for fingers but I can still play it. Just take a few minutes to accustom your hand and brain to a different instrument. This instrument, like all Gold Tone instruments, is well built with attention to detail and the price point is Fantastic! Can't say enough about it, except, another quality instrument from Gold Tone. Oh, I am NOT a Gold Tone employee or owner. I own the GM6 Mando Guitar, Banjitar BT1000 and the Electric Banjo. I am writing through experience.misterbruce52

While the instrument is ok. I find that about half of the screws on the pickguard are stripped out and one on the output jack is also stripped. The action at the first fret was very high but I come to expect that. As far as the neck and frets they are very good. A little work, but in the end a playable instrument.jwingard60

I bought this mandolin here almost five years ago now, and I never regretted it. It needed a set up when I got it. The frets were good, but not perfect, and there was a buzzing in the neck. The buzz turned out to be a loose nut in the coordinator rod. Once everything was set, the instrument played beautifully and easily. It was a great first mandolin. The best thing about it , though, is that it's gotten better over time. I have two other mandolins, and have played several others. For the price, you simply can't beat this model. The tone just keeps getting deeper the older it gets. I may need to get another.Kit

I was drawn to this mandolin just by the looks alone. The gold accents pop out in a awesome antique like finishing. After I played around on it I could tell it was a keeper. A few friends have very high end mandolins and I think the playing action on this is quite close to those for the price. I have always been interested but found lower cost mandolins usually sound tinny, gladly pay extra for quality of sound and cool look!?STEPHEN

A nice starter for the price. It does need a pro setup to soften the action. I found the plastic nut too high and replaced it with a bone one that lowered tge action I also gently adjusted the truss rod set intonation and it was good to go.grawea-5

This was an upgrade for me from an inexpensive mandolin in a frustrating ordering process. Musician's Friend saved the day by providing me with a great deal on this much higher quality instrument. I couldn't be more pleased with it. The factory set up is sufficient for now and I've been playing it for several weeks. I'll get a professional set up at some point but I'm not proficient enough a player for that to matter much just yet. It has a good action, the neck provides a comfortable center position and action was fine right out of the box. Intonation is right on the money. This instrument is loud if you strum it hard and this leads to some great chops-especially as you develop your ability with four finger chords. However, it has great tone even at lower volume for single note leads or transition runs. I'm primarily a guitar player and got this as a new toy. However, I find myself playing it as much as my guitars because it's so fun.Lee

Fair notice, I'm not a thoroughly experienced mandolin player. I primarily play guitar, and also dabble with ukuleles. The only other mandolin I've played besides my new LM-520 is a $50 Rogue that I've had for a year and a half (I put a ton of work into properly fitting the bridge and lowering the action at the nut to make the Rogue playable, but when set up properly, it's surprisingly decent for the price). With that said, I do own numerous acustic instruments, and know quality when I see and hear it. When I recently decided that I wanted to upgrade to a quality mandolin, I read a ton of reviews and articles about their construction and setup. I decided to go with the Loar 520 because it got great reviews from buyers, and it appeared to be a great value (it was the only solid wood, carved-top mandolin I saw anywhere near this price range). I have no problem with the "stripped down appointments" The Loar says justifies the low price. I'll trade inlays for solid wood construction all day. Upon its arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the online images of the LM-520 don't do it justice. The finish looked dark and plain in photographs. In person, it's a very beautiful instrument, with nice wood grain visible on the top, back and sides. The sides of mine are even flamed maple. The back is straight grained, as is the spruce top. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the instrument was set up perfectly out of the box. The bridge fits the top seamlessly, the intonation was perfect, and the action was set comfortably low. The neck required no adjustment of the truss rod. The overall construction quality is excellent. For sound quality, I have only my Rogue to compare with. I was a little surprised to find that right out of the box the Loar didn't completely blow away the Rogue in terms of tone and projection. The Rogue has a larger oval body than the F-model Loar, which probably accounts for the projection. After playing the LM-520 for only two weeks, I'd swear I can hear a dramatic improvement in the tone, resonance and volume of the instrument. The Rogue now sounds brassy and harsh in comparison. Bottom line: I've very pleased with my purchase, and I think I got an outstanding value for my money.John

I really wanted to love this mandolin. I read reviews of sub $1k mandolins for weeks before I purchased the Loar LM-520 over the Michael Kelly Legacy Dragonfly. When it arrived it was beautiful and had good tone but of course the action was terrible. I expected poor action so that was no big deal as I hear all mandolins need setup. But, while bringing the mandolin up to pitch, one of the tuning keys came out of the worm gear and dropped little parts in my lap. I believe the tuners on this mandolin are poor quality. MF was great about returning it and I now have a Michael Kelly Legacy Elegante on order. Hopefully that one will be a keeper.Barry

Finest mandolin I have ever played. It was not set up before shipping, had to do that myself, but after settling the strings a little lower and checking the intonation, it plays so sweet. Almost afraid to touch it, it's that pretty.junkyrd8mua

I received my mandolin, well packaged & earlier than expected. The mandolin is beautifully made with a lovely tone. I am thrilled to bits with it.Ann B.

These are top notch handmade instruments, great play-ability and sound for a reasonable price. Excellent electronics and sound plugged or un-plugged. Very pleased with this purchase.gmajor99

While the instrument is ok. I find that about half of the screws on the pickguard are stripped out and one on the output jack is also stripped. The action at the first fret was very high but I come to expect that. As far as the neck and frets they are very good. A little work, but in the end a playable instrument.jwingard60

I got this thing because I love the mandolin sound but never liked actually playing one. This tuned like a standard guitar has the bright plucky sound of a mandolin with a string spacing that I could actually play. I've been having a lot of fun with it so far. Once it was in my hands there were some fit and finish issues I have, for the price I feel like the finer details were lacking,but the function of the instrument is phenomenal. It's holding me over while I get a feel for a proper mandolin, but I think it will definitely live in the repertoire to pull out for a jam.Kevin

I have played one (And it had such a good sound and feel and also very cool) I ordered one.The other person reviewing this instrument blamed his Fat Fingers making it hard to play. He blamed the Instrument? I think he needs to get a Classical Guitar? :-)) I have large hands and sausages for fingers but I can still play it. Just take a few minutes to accustom your hand and brain to a different instrument. This instrument, like all Gold Tone instruments, is well built with attention to detail and the price point is Fantastic! Can't say enough about it, except, another quality instrument from Gold Tone. Oh, I am NOT a Gold Tone employee or owner. I own the GM6 Mando Guitar, Banjitar BT1000 and the Electric Banjo. I am writing through experience.misterbruce52

I purchased this as a start instrument since I am just learning and the reviews seemed fairly good. It was awful! Even after getting professional help in setting this up, it was nearly impossible to tune and fix the intonation. The tail piece was not centered from the get go when manufactured which would make this nearly impossible to even tune correctly. This makes notes inconsistent and intonation correction impossible. F holes are not even centered correctly. This needs to be sent back the manufacturer as a lesson on how NOT to make a mandolin. The quality control on this one when out the window. In order to make this even playable, it would take more money than the thing costs to correct. Not worth it and returned.Anni

Excellent value for money. I play other instruments so did not expect miracles but this is a very good mandolin. Tunes up easily and stays in tune. Good volume when playing (but not harsh) with a lovely sweet resonance. Nice to handle and good to look at. All in all it would be hard to get a better mandolin especially for a beginner but truthfully there is nothing "beginner" about this. I can see myself playing this for many years to come. Expensive instruments do not ALWAYS necessarily mean better instruments! Go for this…you won't be disappointedwhiteheather43

This my second one of these and it's even better than the first one which didn't have the best machine heads. I've got an Ibanez electric, Fender electric mandolin and a Loar acoustic and despite being the cheapest of the lot still my favourite. Good action, obviously ready to play out of the box and amplied has a good tone and pretty even sound levels for all the strings (some mandolins have very uneven output from the pick-up) There were no flaws in the finish of either of mine and the only reason I had to get a second one is so that I could leave one at a mate's place in Sydney rather than carting it back and forwards all the time. I rarely get that excited about an instrument but this one is definitely more than value for money. Stefangreensladetrams

Used a friends non electric model and decided to try one of my own. Glad I did. Makes a great companion with my violins.Big Kahuna

This instrument is very travel sized and easy to learn. Its great for jamming or just about anything. Very beautiful finish. Overall, I thought it was worth it to purchase.AvatarAndy

This my first mandolin after decades of playing guitar & bass. Not a mandolin aficionado but this is well built, decent sound and the single coil pickup is transparent & responsive. It was not set up correctly fresh out of the box. Some fret buzz & intonation issues. Easily fixed but might discourage the new user.Shopwright

Used a friends non electric model and decided to try one of my own. Glad I did. Makes a great companion with my violins.Big Kahuna

This instrument is very travel sized and easy to learn. Its great for jamming or just about anything. Very beautiful finish. Overall, I thought it was worth it to purchase.AvatarAndy

This my first mandolin after decades of playing guitar & bass. Not a mandolin aficionado but this is well built, decent sound and the single coil pickup is transparent & responsive. It was not set up correctly fresh out of the box. Some fret buzz & intonation issues. Easily fixed but might discourage the new user.Shopwright

I've been playing mandolin for about 20 years, and have never been in the position to afford one of the high end Gibsons. This instrument is such a great addition to their line of mandolins. Tone is great, especially at low end; E string notes 12th fret and above are a bit thin, but not too bad–no doubt an effect of the satin finish. Overall great sound, no frills, and a great value. I put 4.0 for the features because of the absence of pick guard, but that is worth living with.Matt-MeNhQ

The gibson F9 is the real deal! All solid wood, maple top and sides, ebony fretboard, tuned parallel tone bars, Grover tuners, and: that unmistakable Gibson tone! This mando really has that bluegrass chop. Ringing highs, deep tone, plays like a dream. Comes with a hardshelled case. The finish is satin, and thin. That's what helps give it such nice tone. But you do have to be careful with it. But to have a real Gibson mandolin for this price, well it's a deal.mmukav

I traded up to to a Gibson F-9 from a really nice Michael Kelly. When you're ready to move up to the next level, this is the mandolin for you. Without all the frills, the F-9 has the tone and feel of a F-5. If you want to get serious about your mandolin playing, buy a F-9Crusty Old Guitar Player

This is a beautiful instrument that was more than reasonably priced. Fine tone. Excellent playability. Flawless finish and details. Would recommend this without reservation.Snowcloud

A fantastic mandolin. Not just for the price. This mandolin will out bark a banjo. It has a distinct Lloyd Loar sound and incredible playability. Perfect bluegrass tone, and not to mention a beautiful finish. Get it, you will not regret it. Is better than a Gibson, trust me. I own both!CaptainMcAwesome

The mandolin is what I expected. The sound is typical oval hole mandolin. It has rich mid range and perfect for Celtic music. Of course, it suits for Classical as well. But it doesn’t have crispy cutting sound. If you want to play bluegrass, you should buy the other f-hole type mandolin.Reviewed by Project Music custom

Probably the best mandolin i have ever owned, the set up from Richards guitars was superb. It plays like a dream. A real quality instrument. The only hiccup is I have asked for an invoice for the purchase , which despite a reminder, it has never arrived.Mike P.

The M1 is a great starting point for the new mandolin player, or a decent backup for the live player. Pretty good puch although not as sweet as some I've played. The gold appointments are cool. -this is a staff review by skern at Sam Ash 57skern

This is a great mandolin. I would recommend this to anyone whether they are on a budget or not. It’s as good as any new really expensive mandolin that I’ve played. I was interested in getting this because in the 80s Bill Monroe was an endorser of Ibanez mandolins and now I can see why because they are great mandolins!Jamie

I after I had read reviews (mostly positive but some negative) I was interested in the quality of what I would receive. I’m not a accomplished mandolin player but dabble in learning. On the other hand I’ve owned several over the years and have played guitars both electric and acoustic for 50 years or so. This instrument surprised me at the craftsmanship, playability and sound. In my opinion this instrument could easily be used for beginners or accomplished musicians. If you don’t want to spend a grand on a mandolin this one is the one for you.Bob

When I received it, I took it to my luthier and he set it up for me. Hem when over everything and was sort of impressed for an inexpensive instrument, but for learning it, it was alright. He measured the action, put some really good strings on, adjusted what needed to tightened up and set the bridge in the proper place. It looks great and has a pretty good sound and for a learning instrument. I wanted it to learn about playing the mandolin and it's a fun instrument to play. However, after playing it for almost a month, the frets began coming up, making the strings buzz and in some cases, the frets come up so far that the note I'm playing doesn't sound, but buzz really bad. I cannot in good conscience recommend this instrument. It seems to a wast of money. for $300 bucks, I would have expected and did expect I would receive a half decent mandolin. When they placed the frets, it wouldn't have hurt to apply a better holding glue.dvb_music_things_plus

The specs of this mando and build are awesome but it sounds like a tin can. Solid wood maple on the front and back and a beautiful finish make this F5 mandolin a real eye catcher. Unfortunately, the one I got has a tinny sound with no bass and lacks the "bluegrass chomp." If you are a professional player, this instrument is OK as a backup mandolin but you won't be happy with the sound as a primary instrument. I ordered a solid brass tailpiece and a new bridge to see if the sound can be improved. I *think* thinning a lot of the mass in the bridge will help some. The instrument sounds OK thru a microphone where you can apply EQ and effects.mwl100

Unit was received with poor intonation. I had to relocate the bridge to fix. So much for Sweeetwaters 55 point inspection! Tuners are almost impossible to use. Other than that, its sounds good and is a beautiful instrument.eee1997

Excellent quality,sounds great, very reasonable price. I love the sounds I can get from this electric mandolin and I'm glad I purchased it. Thanksrettt48

Very nice first one ever never played mandolin played guitar my whole life wanted to learn mandolin the intonation was perfect on open tune and 12th fret and nice price for first timer in case I don't like it but hey learned 6 chords and 2 songs first night would recommend very nice.randycatman

I got this thing because I love the mandolin sound but never liked actually playing one. This tuned like a standard guitar has the bright plucky sound of a mandolin with a string spacing that I could actually play. I've been having a lot of fun with it so far. Once it was in my hands there were some fit and finish issues I have, for the price I feel like the finer details were lacking,but the function of the instrument is phenomenal. It's holding me over while I get a feel for a proper mandolin, but I think it will definitely live in the repertoire to pull out for a jam.Kevin

I have played one (And it had such a good sound and feel and also very cool) I ordered one.The other person reviewing this instrument blamed his Fat Fingers making it hard to play. He blamed the Instrument? I think he needs to get a Classical Guitar? :-)) I have large hands and sausages for fingers but I can still play it. Just take a few minutes to accustom your hand and brain to a different instrument. This instrument, like all Gold Tone instruments, is well built with attention to detail and the price point is Fantastic! Can't say enough about it, except, another quality instrument from Gold Tone. Oh, I am NOT a Gold Tone employee or owner. I own the GM6 Mando Guitar, Banjitar BT1000 and the Electric Banjo. I am writing through experience.misterbruce52

Played this mandolin at a local music store.First off this review is writtin with the price of the instrument in mind and in comparison to other mandolins of simular price and materials. Very handsome look and well made mandolin. The trinity sound hole is uniques and I assure you that if you are a rocker looking to add a manolin for a few tunes or in an Irish/Celtic band this will give you a great stage presence without sacrificing quality. Sound is nice a clear with a good ring from the solid wood top and sides. Fingering was good and the higher notes stood out with good clean tone and volume. You can get a mandolin of equal craftsmanship and materials for less on this site (reason for the 3.5 on value)but if you are wanting a good mandolin with a very distintive look you would not be making a mistake by purchasing this instrument.Ibanezae