****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I am giving this item four stars based on the nice body and neck, and given the price. However, I agree that it is not playable out of the box. To get the intonation even close I had to do major work on the nut (to minimize stretching the stings), and major adjustment on the saddle. I originally agreed that the distance between the nut and first fret was incorrect, but after several hours of work I now believe that distance is correct and the nut/bridge are the culprits.The turning machines were the only completely unusable component, as they did not hold tension. The other components are cheap but could be used:- Pickups are weak but work- Nut required the slots be deepened, the top be filed, and the ends be cleaned-up- Saddle/bridge seems usable- Pots are small but seem to be quiet and work- Pickguard is decent- Switch and jack seem solid and are the only components I might useI'm waiting for new tuning machines to arrive and will update once I have it playing.Tuning is difficult. Intonation is pretty bad. Don't buy this is you don't know how to work on the instrument.Nut needs work. Tuners are meant for a guitar, so space is cramped.The D string is an F at the second fret, but only slightly flat at the 12th fret, so fret placement might be off as well.Edit: after a back-and-forth with the manufacturer, and some tinkering. I found that the nut was slotted too deep and the strings were going flat with each tuning, as well as playing a half step off at each fret, even when open and 12th matched. A retainer bar or trees, and a new nut are recommended.Really like this ! So the nut is to high so tuning is a challenge. I think its a minor issue, but you do have file the nut and reset intonation or bring it in to get professionally adjusted.The body and neck are really built well so having to do some work on it is still worth it.My mandolin came needing some serious professional adjusting -- the alignment was so far off as to be unplayable. But $100 to the guitar repair shop and a couple weeks later I have a decent playable instrument with operational (if anemic/quiet) pickups. At probably $100-$200 less than the next cheapest option.This Telecaster mandolin was unplayable! Frets were rusty! The nut was cut with the wrong spacing! Slots also cut wrong! Everything was wrong with the set up! Totally unplayable! I have the knowledge to fix it, so I’m keeping it because I like the way it looks! I’m 63! I don’t think a young kid starting out has a chance with this insterment!A bizarre and beautiful instrument. When distorted, it sounds sublime.I sadly have to concur with the negative reviews here.I have a lot of instruments, spanning ukes, guitars, and a mandolin below the price range of this mandolin up to pro-level. None, no matter how cheap, has ever been as unplayable as this one is out of the box.It’s a shame, because the parts really don’t seem too bad. The setup is just so colossally off that you can’t even play basic chords. I could understand a set up where open chords sounded OK but things were a mess up the neck. This, however, doesn’t allow the most basic level of playing as-is. It requires guitar tech level work for basic G and D chords.Sadly, it has to go back. I am afraid that it won’t be playable even if I work on it, and then would not be returnable.
