Thomann Europe Mandola M1088

I bought this mandola in an attempt to expand my repertoire as a musician and I, being mainly a guitar player, had very little knowledge of what to look for in a good mandolin/mandola, other than general build quality. I decided to take the risk and order Thomann's in house brand instrument since my other experiences with this brand had been good overall. Safe to say it payed off!

The build quality is good, especially considering the price, and other than some minor mistakes in the finish (slight glue residue beneath the lacquer and the tuning pegs being mounted a tad askew) the instrument functions, looks and plays even better than expected!

Sound wise this instrument sounds like you'd expect. It's not the warmest nor the most open sounding instrument but it still has that lovely lush resonance that you want from this kind of instrument. I've even used this on a couple of recordings to make the tracks sound fuller!

All and all I am very happy with my purchase and I would recommend this instrument to anyone just starting out or to anyone wanting to expand their skills as a working musician.

Pleasant suprise how good the instument is. The Mandola is made of fine massive material. The rather simple mechanics keep the tuning just enough for occasional playing at home or in a small company.

Mandola mě mile překvapila – za velmi mírnou cenu má solidní zpracování a i levně působící "klasická" mechanika drží ladění dost dobře na příležitostné hraní doma nebo v malé společnosti.

This octave mandolin has a satisfying tone, with good resonance and sustain. The finish is not perfect, but it's OK for this price point. The bridge isn't very good, and I've replaced mine with an ebony bridge, which is much better. I play mine tuned GDAD like an Irish bouzouki, and it's good for that style. Because it's a short-scale instrument it's very portable. It needs heavy strings to avoid any floppiness.