Vangoa Mandolin Instrument Mahogany Acoustic Electric A Style Mandolin Musical Instrument for Beginner Adults Teens Kids, Black

I've never played a mandolin and didn't know what to expect. I have no idea if this plays well or not compared to more expensive models. With that said, I have been playing guitar professionally for 40 years - and for just over $100, this seems like an insane value. I feel like it is easy to play and has pretty good action. Nearly as good as my $2200 acoustic 12-string. I think the Gig bag, strap and tuner are probably worth $50 of it. Mine came with a bad E string (bad loop that slipped), but it also came with a spare set. It arrived in good condition and sounds good both plugged in and not. The neck, fretwork and finish are way better than I expected (which admittedly was not much for the price). Intonation is off, but easy enough to fix. Electronics are quiet and pickup seems well balanced and clean. Nice range on the tone pot. Tuners are a little hyper-active (low ratio), but work smoothly. Bridge is compensated - but is bottomed out, so I can't lower the action (which doesn't seem bad - so not a big deal). So far it stays in tune much better than I expected for something that sat in a box in who knows what kind of environment. Finally, it looks great - I won't be embarrassed to whip it out on stage for the 2 or 3 songs I'll play on it. This will pay for itself in one gig!

This is probably not for professionals who make a living playing mandolin - then again, it doesn't cost a thousand dollars or more. It's absolutely great for someone who just wants to try it out or for someone who wants to learn another stringed instrument.It came in perfect condition and was easy to tune using the included tuner & battery. Strings did not come under tension, so stretching and retuning for a few days is normal and should be expected. The bridge (which is normally movable on mandolins) was in the right place on mine and intonation was spot on. Action was reasonable, but can be adjusted at the bridge,Vangoa packaged the instrument with everything you need to start out: A very nice "gig bag", the clip-on tuner, spare strings, owner's book, a two-sided sheet with common chords and note positions on the fret board. As it's an acoustic-electric, it came with a patch cord. Accessories were in an included red zippered bag,Although it's often used in bluegrass the mandolin is also featured in Country and Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin anyone?), so don't let and biases hold you back.All-in-all, it was a very worthwhile purchase for me as I play guitar and wanted to try mandolin.

I was curious if I would like Mandolin so I bought this low cost starter kit. Without having played another mandolin this was a great product but I really started practicing a lot and realized it was limited. After a number of youtube videos I decided the next step up was the Kentucky KM-150. I got one used for 300 dollars. After playing this unit I realized just how limited this mandolin is. First the action is way too high. Even if the bridge was lowered all the way, it still was much higher than the Kentucky. This makes it a bit hard to play which you don't realize until you step up. The second issue is there is really no resonance in the Vangoa. The Kentucky can hold a note for a couple measures. The Vangoa can only hold it for a quarter note or two. Hammering is impossible on the Vangoa. I am keeping it as a travel mandolin and it was a good unit to help me realize I wanted to continue this hobby. Overall if you are confident you want to play go with the Kentucky. The vangoa was like training for the high jump carrying bricks. How hard it was to play may have actually helper me once I had a real mandolin. You had to be very precise on the fret board and push very hard.

This is a beautiful instrument and appears to be well crafted. More of a reddish brown color. Had to lower the action significantly, and the stings are still in their stretching phase of tuning. Should hold tuning better in a couple days. Came with a high quality carry bag, tuner, strap, picks, extra strings, chord chart, and a 1/4” amp cable. No “owners manual” though. Highly recommended so far.

I purchased this for a stage show I'm in, but didn't want to pay a ton of $$. I also wanted a good sound, this fit both requirements.Having never played a mandolin before I didn't want to have a heavy investment. This is a very easy instrument to learn if you already know how to play guitar. Also the sound, electric or acoustic is good. I have a small Orange 12" amp I use. One thing I would recommend is change the strings for a higher quality. I had issues keeping it tuned with the strings provided, but after a restrung with a higher quality, tuning was not an issue.The shoulder bag that comes with it is fine and the extra strings are a plus for those unexpected string snaps. However, the stap is a bit cheap and I would recommend replacing. I purchased the black and is looks super sharp.I highly recommend for those who are just learning, or want a nice backup.