Mandolins are an attractive musical instrument. If you are new to folk music, it’s a lot like a standard guitar. The differences are they are small and have four groups of double strings to create a unique sound.
Generally, the making of Mandolin involves plenty of manual efforts, careful material selection, and exceptional build design. That’s why Mandolin tend to cost higher.
But today we are going to introduce Eastman MD315 F-Style Mandolin that features all the good things at affordable price.
So, without keeping you any longer, let’s dive into the Eastman Mandolin review.
Eastman MD315 F-Style Mandolin :
A Brief Overview
Eastman started with violins and worked their way up to the other stringed instrument with great authenticity. This reputable instrument making company from Beijing founded in 1992.
Initially, you may think this is another typical Chinese brand. But in reality, they are way past that.
Almost all of their instruments, from violins to various kinds of guitars and mandolins are solely handcrafted with traditional techniques. And you will be surprised how many recognized artists play Eastman instruments and appreciate them for uncompromising quality.
From their 300 series of Eastman Mandolins, MD315 classic F-style is the most popular one. The main reason behind that is it produces outstanding sound with such a small form factor.
You can give thanks to its F-style hole cut out and Matt finish. Somehow these features enhance the way sound resonates. Experts say that it will only get better and better with time.
Eastman MD315 F-Style Mandolin Review in Detail
Body Dimension
As mentioned earlier, this particular instrument is relatively small. From numbers prospective, the whole body is 27 inches long and 10 inches wide and weighs around only 4 pounds. The neck of the mandolin instrument is also short compared to other similar instruments.
This could be a great advantage for a musician who is always on the go or on a trip looking to have a good time. Besides, this clever dimension also helps in the rigidity of the instrument reducing stress at different points of the instrument.
Materials
Eastman maintains its excellent quality through carefully selecting the build materials. Different kind of wood holds a distinct property. Some of them are great at durability and last longer. With that in mind, Eastman’s craftsmen have been using solid Spruce, rosewood, and maple for a long time.
Both of these woods are fairly strong and do exactly what they are meant to do, making beautiful sound if you are wondering. Besides, all the cutting and shaping are done by an expert craftsman. And it’s quite amazing that they don’t use any power tools in the process.
Appearances
The Eastman MD315 not only sounds good; the looks are equally great. Normally, F-style Mandolins are much nicer than other style mandolins. This classical instrument was the choice of a nobleman back in the days. So the appearance was very important.
Since the design consists of many carvings, cut-outs, and vintage Satin Lacquer finish, it’s bound to have a distinct outlook. Plus, the unique looking ebony free board adds character to the whole build. If you are lucky enough, you can charm a few people only by waving it around.
Sound
This specific model excels in sound-producing. All the cut-outs are intentionally designed to improve treble and excellent projection. Another thing that increases the sound level is its thin finish.
A similar instrument like that tends to lean towards fancy thick coating and glossy finish that ultimately muffles the sound.
It is clear that maker preferred sound over appearance, and so far they have done a wonderful job. With this kind of sound quality you won’t need any amplification. On its own, it will be enough to convey every note to your audience without much effort.
Tuner
This part considered being the most vital part of any string-based instrument. Unlike other instruments, strings here are seated in pairs. A total of four pairs means 8 strings to be exact.
For these 8 strings, the mandolin has 8 separate chrome tuners. They are pretty good at keeping tune for a longer time.
The nobs are placed keeping a precise distance from one another. That eliminates any overlapping and chance of noise-producing.
Many users complained about their stiff tuner. It’s normal to have stiff at the beginning, but a couple of turns without string will help with stiffness.
To know more about how is a mandolin tuned check our other article.
Fretboard
The total length of the Rosewood fretboard is 12 inches. Skillful artisan housed all 23 fret bar and pearl marking with accurate intervals to ensure the perfect pitch level.
Any deviance can have a catastrophic consequence to the completed instrument. So they have to be extra careful when working around a fretboard.
Most people only see the outside appearance of a musical instrument and miss the rare sight of all the efforts put in to build a perfect instrument. Next time you play an instrument if it sounds good and feels good? Appreciate the fact someone invests a lot of hours in this to happen.
Other Accessories
The instrument comes with D’Addario J74 Stringspre-installed. You can start playing right after you get the mandolin from the box.
It also comes with a gig bag to help you carry the instrument to places. It’s no hard shell bag, but it will serve the purpose without fail.
Before we wrap up let’s look at the pros and cons
Pros & Cons
Final Words
Mandolin is an amazing classical instrument. Although you will find this in Jazz genres, that’s not a limitation for this versatile instrument.
So if you are looking for a new mandolin to start your journey into the stringed instrument, Eastman MD315 F-style mandolin can be a good choice that you will not regret.
We hope you like our Eastman Mandolin review and took a few pointers for your next buy.
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