Epiphone MM-50

The Epiphone MM-50 is a mandolin based on an early 1920's Gibson model. This isn't an acoustic/electric, so it doesn't have any pick ups of setting controls. The mandolin has two 'F' holes and is made up of a rosewood fingerboard and a maple body.

UTILIZATION

The Epiphone MM-50 has an overall great feel to it, as I find the instrument very easy to play. It is easy to play up and down the neck, but I mostly stick to chords on it as I've only been playing for about two years or so. As all mandolins are, this is a very light instrument and is incredibly easy to carry around. The shape of the mandolin is pretty awesome looking, as is the sunburst finish.

SOUNDS

While not as great sounding as a true Gibson mandolin, the Epiphone MM-50 has a pretty awesome sound of its own. I've used it for recording, so cutting through a mix is always a big concern for me when it comes to mandolins, and I found that I didn't have any troubles at all getting it to do so. It has a very bright sound, even for a mandolin, but this isn't something that I mind and don't feel it detracts at all from it. For the price, I really haven't been able to find a better sounding mandolin.

OVERALL OPINION

I had struggled to find an 'in between' mandolin, meaning one that has a great sound but doesn't cost a fortune, but I think I have found this in the Epiphone MM-50. Like I said earlier, the sound doesn't compare to the top tier mandolins out there, but it will blow the cheaper ones out of the water and certainly can match up to some models above this price. I wouldn't recommend this for those just looking to start off on the mandolin as I would recommend getting your feet wet with something a bit cheaper, but if you're looking to take it to the next level, I'd encourage you to check out the MM-50 and to give it a play.