HBMA-50 Mandoline VS : You get what you pay for

For just under 60? you definitely get your moneys worth but that's pretty much it. My first impression was disappointment. The stock strings it ships with sounded horrible and I was barely able to tune it when it came out of the box. After changing to some pretty cheap 15? strings and adjusting the bridge a bit the sound quality was much better.

Sadly, my mandolin shipped with some dents and scratches including a sharp STAPLE sticking out of the first fret on the neck which would prick my finger when playing. That's not okay but just slightly not worth the effort of sending it back..

I'll recommend this for people who want a rough-and-tumble Mandolin for taking on trips and adventures.

If you are a beginner I'd recommend looking a bit higher up on the price list, it'll be worth it!