Fender FM-53S Mandolin

The Fender FM-53S sunburst mandolin is a nice little beginner's mandolin. I'm not sure where it was made, but I don't think it was made in the USA. It is a regular mandolin with the normal body and amount of frets. It is not an electric mandolin, so it has no pick up or setting controls.

UTILIZATION

This mandolin isn't hard to play as the action is low and quite playable. It is pretty easy to play all around the neck, but if the action is off a little bit, it can make it hard to play high up on the high frets. If it is set up right and in good shape it is easy to play and get a good sound out of it. While this isn't the best mandolin out there in terms of feel, it is definitley playable and great for someone interested in a low end mandolin.

SOUNDS

The sound of the FM-53S is vibrant and easy to get a good sound out of. I have used it for recording only and have gotten some pretty good results. Since I am not a professional mandolin player and do not play all that regularly, this suits my needs as I'm not looking for the best sounding mandolin on the planet. I have used this mandolin in both rock and folk music, and it works in both genres for me. For the price, it would be hard to find a mandolin that sounds as good as this one.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the Fender FM-53S for about a year and half, when I decided that I wanted to learn some mandolin. It has worked great for this as I have a good sounding mandolin with playable action. I've certainly played better feeling and sounding mandolins, but these will cost you triple the price or more. It has the Fender seal, so I knew I was going to get a quality instrument, as I've had a good track record with Fender in the past and they have a reputation for making good sounding instruments. For those looking for a cheap mandolin to learn on, or just to have around, this is a great option.