Best Mandolins of 2025

Hayden Bryant Avatar
Hayden Bryant
Last Updated: 5 Feb 2025

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Mandolins are stringed musical instruments that belong to the lute family. They are known for their distinctive sound and are often used in folk, bluegrass, and classical music. Mandolins come in various shapes and sizes, with the most common being the bowl-backed mandolin and the flat-backed mandolin. They are typically made of wood and have four pairs of strings that are tuned in unison. Mandolins are versatile instruments that can be played solo or as part of an ensemble, making them a great addition to any musician's collection.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

GEWA Mandolin F-2 Premium Sunburst with Case Cover #TOP 1
GEWA Mandolin F-2 Premium Sunburst with Case
ftb score rating icon 9.8
Stagg M50E Electro-acoustic Bluegrass Mandolin Cover #TOP 2
Stagg M50E Electro-acoustic Bluegrass Mandolin
ftb score rating icon 9.7
Ibanez M510E-DVS Mandolin with Pick-ups Cover #TOP 3
Ibanez M510E-DVS Mandolin with Pick-ups
ftb score rating icon 9.5

Top 10 Mandolins

#TOP 1

GEWA Mandolin F-2 Premium Sunburst with Case

505455
sunburst
One size
GEWA Mandolin F-2 Premium Sunburst with Case Cover
GEWA Mandolin F-2 Premium Sunburst with case

The GEWA Mandolin F-2 offers a solid spruce top, which enhances the instrument's resonance and projection, making it perfect for rich sound quality. Its flamed maple back and sides not only provide durability but also contribute to a visually stunning appearance. The fingerboard and bridge are made of Purpleheart, ensuring excellent playability and comfort while you perform. With 24 nickel silver frets and snowflake inlays, you will find it easy to navigate the fingerboard, allowing for precise playing and effortless transitions between notes.

What We Like
High-quality sound projection
Durable flamed maple construction
Comfortable Purpleheart fingerboard
Easy navigation with 24 frets
Stunning vintage sunburst finish
#TOP 2

Stagg M50E Electro-acoustic Bluegrass Mandolin

M50 E
Redburst
One Size
Stagg M50E Electro-acoustic Bluegrass Mandolin Cover
Stagg M50E Electro-acoustic Bluegrass Mandolin with Nato Top

The Stagg M50E Mandolin features a nato top, back, and sides, ensuring a warm, resonant sound ideal for bluegrass music. The rosewood fingerboard offers a smooth playing experience, enhancing your comfort as you play. With an adjustable black-stained maple bridge, you can easily fine-tune your instrument for optimal sound quality. The engraved nickel tailpiece not only adds a touch of elegance but also secures the strings effectively, ensuring durability and reliability during performances.

What We Like
Warm, resonant sound
Smooth playing experience
Adjustable bridge for tuning
Elegant engraved tailpiece
#TOP 3

Ibanez M510E-DVS Mandolin with Pick-ups

M510EDVS
Full
Ibanez M510E-DVS Mandolin with Pick-ups Cover
Ibanez M510E-DVS Mandolin with Pick-ups Includes Case Dark Violin Sunburst

The Ibanez M510E Mandolin offers exceptional playability and sound quality. Its Okoume neck ensures greater comfort during long playing sessions, allowing you to enjoy your music without strain. The beautiful Purpleheart fretboard enhances the mandolin's rich tonal character, making each note resonate with clarity. Spruce is used for the top, providing pristine tonal clarity that is essential for acoustic performances. Additionally, the Sapele back and sides contribute a warm mid-range and bright tone, enriching your overall sound experience.

What We Like
Comfortable Okoume neck
Rich tonal Purpleheart fretboard
Pristine spruce top
Warm tone from Sapele

Vangoa Mahogany Acoustic Electric Mandolin

VMA20
Black
Full
Vangoa Mahogany Acoustic Electric Mandolin Cover
Vangoa Mandolin Instrument Mahogany Acoustic Electric A Style Mandolin Musical Instrument for Beginner Adults Teens Kids, Black

The Vangoa Mandolin offers an outstanding tone with its AAA mahogany body, providing excellent high-end response and warm, sweet sounds. You can play it acoustically or connect it to an amplifier, making it versatile for both indoor use and small performances. The small size and simple design make it easy for beginners to start playing, while experienced players can quickly pick up their favourite songs. Additionally, the thoughtful design features an anti-rust ABS bridge top, ensuring durability and well-maintained intonation for better sound quality.

What We Like
Excellent sound quality
Versatile acoustic and electric use
Beginner-friendly design
Durable materials
#TOP 5

Traditional Redburst Mandolin by Chord

CTM28-RB
REDBURST
Full Size
Traditional Redburst Mandolin by Chord Cover
Traditional Mandolin Redburst

The Chord Traditional Mandolin features a classic teardrop-style design that is both elegant and comfortable to hold. Its striking redburst gloss finish not only enhances its visual appeal but also protects the wood, ensuring durability. With fantastic quality and build, this mandolin offers excellent sound projection, making it a great choice for both beginners and experienced players. You will appreciate its craftsmanship, which allows for smooth playability and a rich tone, perfect for various music styles.

What We Like
Classic teardrop design
Striking redburst gloss finish
Excellent sound projection
Great for beginners and pros
#TOP 6

Chord Electro-Acoustic Mandolin with Tobacco Sunburst Finish

CEM28-TSB
Tobacco Sunburst
Full Size
Chord Electro-Acoustic Mandolin with Tobacco Sunburst Finish Cover
chord Electro-Acoustic Mandolin - Tobacco Sunburst

The Chord Electro-Acoustic Mandolin features a stunning Tobacco Sunburst gloss finish that not only enhances its aesthetic appeal but also makes it a standout instrument. With a single coil pickup, you can easily amplify your sound, ensuring your music reaches a wider audience. Individual volume and tone controls allow you to personalise your sound, giving you the freedom to experiment and create the perfect tone for your style. This mandolin is perfect for those looking to blend traditional craftsmanship with modern convenience.

What We Like
Beautiful Tobacco Sunburst finish
Built-in single coil pickup
Customisable volume and tone controls
Ideal for amplification
Stylish and high-quality design
#TOP 7

KNA MP-2 Portable Piezo Mandolin Pickup

KNA
919522
Natural
MP-2
KNA MP-2 Portable Piezo Mandolin Pickup Cover
KNA Pickups Portable Piezo Mandolin Pickup with Volume Control, Natural (MP-2)

The KNA MP-2 Pickup offers a remarkable way to amplify your mandolin's natural sound without the hassle of batteries. With its convenient volume output control knob located on the output jack housing, adjusting your sound becomes effortless. The lightweight, wood-encased sensor installs easily in the bridge opening, ensuring no modifications to your instrument. Additionally, the solid ebony, cork-lined Carpenter jack holds securely in place, providing peace of mind during performances while allowing for detachment when not in use.

What We Like
Natural sound amplification
Battery-free operation
Easy installation
Secure hold
Convenient volume control
#TOP 8

GEWA Pro Arte Antique Flat Mandola

505493
natur
Lleno
GEWA Pro Arte Antique Flat Mandola Cover
GEWA Mandola Pro Arte Antique

The GEWA Mandola Pro Arte features a flat, antique-model design with a Portuguese shape, making it visually appealing and comfortable to hold. Its all-solid construction, including a solid spruce top and solid maple back and sides, provides excellent sound quality that enhances your playing experience. The maple neck and black hardwood fingerboard, with 19 frets, offer smooth playability, allowing you to navigate the instrument easily. The slotted headstock with Van Gent machine heads ensures precise tuning, so you can enjoy consistent performance during your sessions.

What We Like
All-solid construction
Comfortable Portuguese shape
Smooth playability
Precise tuning
#TOP 9

Vangoa A Style Acoustic Electric Mandolin

27 Zoll
Vangoa A Style Acoustic Electric Mandolin Cover
Vangoa A Style Mandolin Acoustic Electric Mandolins Instrument for Beginner Red Sunburst Mahogany with Gig Bag Picks Strings Tuner Strap

The Vangoa A Style Mandolin is a beautifully crafted instrument featuring an 8-string design in a glossy red sunburst finish, making it suitable for a variety of music styles. You can enjoy a warm and bright sound thanks to its mahogany body and solid wood bridge. This electric acoustic mandolin is perfect for both intimate acoustic sessions and amplified performances, with a built-in pickup for seamless sound. Tuning is effortless with the chrome plated closed gear tuners and a convenient clip-on tuner, ensuring you stay in tune with ease.

What We Like
Versatile for various music styles
Built-in pickup for amplification
Easy tuning with clip-on tuner
Comfortable playing experience
Complete starter kit included
#TOP 10

Kentucky KM-656 F-model Mandolin - Transparent Brown

Kentucky
KM-656
brown
Kentucky KM-656 F-model Mandolin - Transparent Brown Cover
Kentucky KM-656 Standard F-model Mandolin - Transparent Brown

The Kentucky KM-656 Mandolin boasts a solid German spruce carved top, providing you with clean articulation and a bright, crisp tone that enhances your playing experience. Its solid Alpine maple back and sides add extra punch, making every note resonate beautifully. The high-gloss transparent brown finish not only offers traditional beauty but also adds a touch of elegance to the instrument. Additionally, the choice Santos Rosewood fingerboard ensures silky smooth playability, allowing you to glide effortlessly across the frets.

What We Like
Crisp and bright tone
Extra punch in sound
Elegant high-gloss finish
Silky smooth playability
Buying Guide Image

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the best mandolins to buy?

Up Front Best Mandolins. Kentucky KM-150 A-style Mandolin: Best Overall.Rogue RM-100A A-style Mandolin: Best Budget Friendly.Ibanez M510 A-style Mandolin: Best Quality.Ibanez M522 F-style Mandolin: Best Volume and Tone.Rogue RM-100F F-style Mandolin: Most Attractive.

2. What does a decent mandolin cost?

Most of the players may need to reduce the price range more due to their budget. There is nothing to worry about great quality mandolins can be found at almost every budget level. We expect you to pay a minimum of $300 for a decent mandolin. However, this doesn't mean that each $300 instrument is good in quality.

3. Is mandolin hard to learn?

Fortunately, the mandolin is not a difficult instrument to learn. It's lightweight and compact so you can practice anywhere. It also has less strings than many other instruments, like the guitar, which makes reading tablature much easier.

4. Is mandolin harder than guitar?

When comparing the guitar to the mandolin, the guitar is much more difficult to learn than the mandolin because it has more strings.

Editor's Notes

During our mandolin research, we found 92 mandolin products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 8,356 customer reviews through our big data system to write the mandolins list. We found that most customers choose mandolins with an average price of £193.08.

The mandolins are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of mandolins, including Gewa, Stagg, Ibanez, vangoa, Chord.

Written by
Hayden Bryant Avatar

Hayden was born in Liverpool, and he never left his hometown until university. In his freshman year at the University of Manchester, Hayden was the group leader of a popular music group. Hayden is responsible for the popularity of his music, and this is because of his natural ability to play with keys and strings. He graduated with BFA in 2016 and returned in 2018 as a lecturing staff in the School of Music.