Eastman MD315 F-Style Mandolin with F-Holes

Overview

A country player gets a hand-carved F-shaped body with ivoroid binding, white mother-of-pearl inlays and a rosewood fingerboard. Carved spruce on top and maple underneath form the shell.

The reason to buy is the traditional hand-carved construction, with rosewood under the strings and an adjustable ebony bridge, in a ready-to-carry package. The limit is a messy listing, with garbled dimensions and a string count that reads as four.

Who it's for

Someone moving into traditional bluegrass playing who wants a classically built instrument. Buyers who need clean dimensions or a standard string count should confirm those with the seller first.

Pros and cons

Performance notes

The F-holes and the carved spruce top project the sound outward, while the maple underneath adds resonance. A bridge that adjusts allows action and setup changes without swapping parts. The listing describes the sound as balanced, warm and resonant.

Where it stands among mandolins

• #2 most-searched brand and model of the 8 mandolins lines we track (by search demand, not sales).

From the specs of the 15 mandolins we list; not a test result.

Specifications