Rogue RM-100A A-Style Mandolin Sunburst

I have played guitar and bass guitar for 13 years. I'm currently stuck in the hospital for a while and decided to learn a new instrument. I picked the mandolin for its small size and that I'm already familiar with fretted instruments. First thing is the finish... WOW I read reviews saying that they had also been amazed by the finish on this instrument, but I was not prepared for how good it really looks. I did have to adjust the bridge for intonation and height, but it was relatively easy (and the mandolin came with instructions on how to adjust for intonation). I had read reviews stating that the action was high, and for a mandolin this might be true; however, after years of bass playing it felt pretty comfortable to me. The strings that are on it are not the highest quality, and that seems to be typical for a starter instrument ( I have no idea why, strings are an essential part of getting good tone on any instrument) and I had ordered an extra set of D'addario strings when I ordered the mandolin. The mandolin arrived a day early and the new strings are not here yet, but when they are I will be switching them out. I noticed on one of the D strings that the string was not wound properly and that string has a very dull sound. This mandolin is laminated instead of solid wood, however for the price I wasn't expecting solid wood. That said, the body is far weightier than I would have guessed, and feels to be very solid construction. Other reviews said that there is no truss rod, but the neck on my instrument feels very solid, and is made of a pretty thick piece of wood, so I doubt it will be warping any time soon. Almost all of the negative reviews said that the strings won't stay in tune #1 as I have already said, the strings on it are not high quality #2 all new strings on any instrument will need a few days to stretch under tension before the instrument will stay in tune for a long time. Over all I am very impressed with the quality of this instrument even if I had paid three times the price. My only big carp about it is the strings, so I do recommend that you order an additional set when you order this mandolin. ( I ordered D'addario because I use their strings on my guitars and basses, and I've never had a problem. However I'm sure that almost any name manufacturer of strings such as: Martin, GHS, Dean Markley, La Bella, ect... would also be fine) If you're a complete beginner and are not comfortable with doing this yourself any music store should be able to teach you how to for a small price (usually around $15 where I live) Good Luck and Happy Pickin'

OK. First of all, when I opened the box, I was (like some of the other reviewers) astounded at how nice this Mando looks. It looks like it was much more expensive than it actually was. Once I tuned it, the quality of the sound was better than I had expected also. It does come with Steel strings, so I've ordered some Phosphor Bronze to replace them. I think that will improve the sound even more. It comes with an adjustable bridge - at the lowest setting it is still just a tad higher than I would like, but not so bad that the play will suffer. I was also impressed with the feel and balance. It has a good, solid feel to it - not too heavy or too light - and the neck is very fast. The tuners are adequate, though not superb, still better quality than I expected at this price. I bought this when it was on sale for $39.99. I play Uke and had always wanted to try stringing a Mando as an 8-(metal)string Uke. As you might imagine, I really wasn't anxious to take an expensive instrument and experiment with it. This was the perfect opportunity to try out that whim. However, due to the character of this instrument, this may turn out to be something truly unique.

I bought this item as a beater/practice mandolin. Arrived when expected and was undamaged. For the money, this mandolin is a good buy. For $50, you'd be hard pressed to find anything coming close to this in quality anywhere. Keep in mind that when I say this, this is obviously not a high-end instrument, but it definitely is not a piece of crud. The tone is pretty good- crisp and bright, and the intonation does not get out of whack way up high on the fingerboard. The action might need a bit of adjustment, depending on your preference, but this can be done by using the thumbscrews on the bridge, so that's convenient. The tuners are also decent, but the pick guard was a little loose on arrival, at least in my case. That was easily fixed with a screwdriver, though. Of course, being $50, there are some downsides to note. The finish looks nice with its sunny golden color, but it is notable on acute inspection that it is not hand-stained. The gradient between the black and yellow finish is where it's most apparent (can see speckles from the finish being sprayed on where it transitions). Another thing to note is that the top and back pieces are not bookmatched. To explain, bookmatching is a woodworking procedure where a board is run on its edge vertically through a bandsaw to get two pieces, that when opened like a book (hence the name), have a symmetrical grain pattern. Look it up if I didn't explain it that well. In any case, most instruments have a symmetrical grain pattern to the wood, mostly for aesthetic and also structural purposes. The fact that this instrument does not have this, though, does not bring it down much, and honestly, I spent too much time talking about it anyways. Other than this, the only other point about the workmanship I have to point out that there was a bit of a defect in the purfling (the decorative edge to the instrument). All in all, though, this instrument is definitely worth the money I paid for it. If you are a beginner at the mandolin, this item cannot be beaten as a starter instrument. If you are an experienced player, this item is good as a practice instrument, but I would not use it to replace one of my nicer instruments. In other words, I was pleased with my purchase.

My daughter wanted to transition from guitar pickin' to mandolin but wasn't sure, so we decided that at this price, this would be the perfect test. We were very surprised and happy with this instrument when it arrived. The finish has minor imperfections but still looks impressive. We changed strings and were able to set the action up perfectly. The intonation was very good and the neck looked straight. The tone was sweet. We bought the Hal Leonard Mandolin Method lesson book for $12 and have been thrilled with the results. After playing for a while it developed an occasional buzz that seemed to move from string to string. We feared that the "cheap instrument curse" was rearing its ugly head. We started troubleshooting, changed strings again but the buzz remained. By pure luck, when I held the pick guard down, the buzz disappeared! The bottom pick guard screw was a little loose. It didn't LOOK loose but you could slide the guard up or down if you tried. I simply tightened the screw. The buzz magically disappeared. I never really believed in curses anyway! Then a few months later, we got a buzz again. Oh no! The curse? This time the screws were tight but the pick guard and the pick guard mounting bracket were just barely touching the soundboard top. There is a tiny rubber bumper connected to the tip of the plastic guard to prevent a buzz if the guard itself is pressed to the soundboard, but the guard bracket was barely touching too. Maybe the bracket deformed when we closed the lid of the case or maybe it got bumped. Anyway, the fix was simple - gently bend the bottom guard bracket a tiny bit with a needle nose pliers to lift the guard and bracket away from the sound board by at least 1/16th. The buzz is gone. The mandolin sounds great. I never really believed in curses anyway! This is an excellent beginner mandolin with surprisingly great sound. With proper care (treat it like an expensive mandolin), and a tight and properly adjusted pick guard, your audience will never know you only paid about $50! The mandolin comes in an ordinary cardboard box without accessories, no case or gig bag of any kind, no strap and old strings so we added a 5005 Pick Holder to the back of the peg head $2.50, Elixir Strings Mandolin Strings, 8 String, Light, Acoustic NANOWEB Coating $15, an awesome Neotech Mandolin Strap $20, a lightweight, inexpensive yet excellent Musician's Gear Hardshell A-Style Mandolin Case for $40 (as much as the mandolin!), and an Intelli IMT500 Clip-on Chromatic Digital Tuner for Strings $16 because it is small enough to fit in the tiny accessory compartment of the mandolin case. Now we're completely set up and happy as can be. Yes, my daughter now plays the mandolin. It worked!

The mandolin arrived on time and came in a box within a box where the mandolin was wrapped. There was no damage to it and none of the tuning pegs broke. I tuned it pretty easily and was able to figure out some simple songs.I removed the pick guard because I really didn't like how it looked and it looks fine without it. The strings that come with it work fine and none snapped. Even if you end up not wanting to play it, you can always hang it somewhere because it looks nicer than I would have expected. The only problem I have is that the two G chords do not fit completely in the nut but i have heard that you can adjust it so it fits properly. I got this because I really enjoy the sound of a mandolin and the price is amazingly cheap. Also, another difficulty I had was that the tailpiece comes off easier than it goes back on. If you are interested in the mandolin definately get this to try it out.

I venture to say that, aside from aspiring bluegrass players, the desire to play the mandolin can probably be traced to a particular song ... for me, it was Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". But purchasing a stringed instrument just to play one or two songs seemed rather extravagant ... until I stumbled upon this mandolin and saw the price. As a guitar player for over 30 years, I wasn't expecting this mandolin to be concert hall quality; I just wanted something that didn't fall apart while learning how to play it. It was a pleasant surprise to basically open the box when it arrived and start playing (after getting it in tune, of course). While the instrument is cheaply made (the wood feels like cardboard and the machinery has a toy-like quality), it is actually pretty sturdy. But, more importantly, it plays well and sounds like a mandolin should. If anything, this starter instrument's playability has piqued my interest enough to consider purchasing a higher quality mandolin. In my opinion, any lesser-quality musical instrument that sustains a player's interest is serving a purpose. The only negative would be the quality of the machine heads as mandolins have high string tension and require delicate tuning. I broke a string when the pressure required to turn the machine caused it to turn too quickly. Breaking one string forced me to purchase an entire new set of 8 strings (mandolin strings generally can't be purchased individually) and restringing a mandolin is not particularly "fun" or "easy". The desire to play a musical instrument has the potential to be a very costly venture, so I've always found it prudent to be frugal when making that initial purchase ... for a starter instrument, this is about as frugal a purchase you can get.

Okay, here's the scoop. I'm glad I bought this mandolin, but that statement comes with some major caveats: Caveat #1 Most importantly, I am not new to stringed instruments. I did not pick this up as a beginner who doesn't know how things ought to be. I'm new to mando, but very experienced with guitars. I'm into guitar building, repairs, etc. Caveat #2 I knew exactly what I was getting into. I know cheap instruments, and I only bought this instrument as a way to convince myself that buying or building a proper mandolin is worth doing. Caveat #3 Part of the value here for me is having a beater instrument to not care about and take rough measurements from for building my own instrument or parts. Here's my take on how it plays: This mandolin, frankly, feels and plays awful when compared against how a properly set up instrument should. 1 out of 5. I wouldn't recommend anyone (especially a beginner!) play an instrument that can't be brought into the realm of 3 out of 5. Why? Because sharp fret ends, and an extremely stubborn first fret are the kinds I'd things that make people say "Eh, this just isnt fun for me to play". Great way to write off stringed instruments entirely. And unless you're doing the work yourself, filling down the nut slots or replacing the nut entirely to fix the major string action problems, and having your fret ends filed and dressed would be way more money than you'd ever want to spend on this instrument. You'd be better off just buying a better mando right off the bat if you wanted those problems to go away. Again, for context, I am a very experienced guitar player. I've got strong hands and fast fingers, but fretting notes on the first fret requires major effort. Playing in 1st position feels like playing in a tar pit. It is not only not fun, but also TERRIBLE technique to be learning for someone new. If you learn that habit, you'll be over fretting notes out of tune left and right. Another problem that I didn't realize until I got it in the mail was that there are no side dots. There are fingerboard dots, but none in the side of the neck. This is very backward in my opinion. I'd rather have it the other way around any day of the week. Fretboard inlays are almost entirely aesthetic, side inlays are extremely useful. Also bad for beginners. Pros: -arrived in great shape -attractive on the wall -is relatively playable when capoed or played higher up the neck -decent value -it is pretty loud Cons -almost unplayable in first position due to overly high nut -terrible tuning machines. Almost toy like. But what can you expect when a quality set can cost nearly as much as this entire mando? -tone is lousy

I got this mandolin last week and love it. It's got an absolutely gorgeous finish, stays in tune, and sounds beautiful. This mandolin is a pretty good deal at $50 and I'm so glad I got it. When I received it, one of the screws on the pick guard came off but I removed the guard anyways and kept it just in case I decide that I want it on in the future. Having known next to nothing about mandolins prior to purchasing this, I had it tuned and was learning basic chords in about 5-10 minutes after unboxing it, which I was very pleased with. This mandolin is great for people who want to learn but don't feel like investing a ton of money or are on the fence about it. I'm very happy with my purchase.