Customer Video Review Length:: 2:18 Mins

This little guy sounded good right out of the box! All I did was lower the bridge to it’s lowest setting using the adjustable screws on it, and tune it up. The video is as is with no string change either. Bought this directly from Musician’s Friend along with the black guitar in a pack for . Free shipping too. Unbelievable deal.

Five years or so ago I had a Johnson Savannah F style that cost me 0. That thing was total crap compared to this little mando. I can’t believe it but it’s true. The QC for this is better than any chinese instrument I’ve seen. The guitar too. With just a touch of setup the guitar is awesome too.

You cannot go wrong with this. I’m no mando player, so there are lots of mistakes in the vid, but you can hear good tone coming from the mando. So for a learner instrument this thing is perfect. Couldn’t ask for more.

*****I’ve also added a photo of the mando being played during one of our practice sessions. Everyone likes this little black mando.

I’m learning Mandolin after playing guitar for years, and this Mandolin is great to learn on. It stays in tune fairly well and has good sound quality – both of which are hard to find in such a cheap instrument. I would definitely recommend this to anybody wishing to learn Mandolin.

I’ve been playing guitar for about 40 years and wanted to see if I liked playing the mandolin. Years ago a friend had a similar itch, bought a really nice Gibson, played it once and it now sits in his closet. That was an expensive itch. I figured I’d try something budget-friendly and upgrade if I liked playing mandolin. I bought the Rogue in black.

My Rogue arrived yesterday. First pleasant surprise was how well it was packed. Large shipping box opened up to butcher block paper wrapped around a smaller box. Opened the smaller box to find a “blanket” of puffy plastic wrapped around the mando and secured by rubber band. Opened that and the mando was encased in thin, clear plastic. The installed strings were covered by a piece of brown paper taped over them for protection. The pick guard has a sticky cover over it to prevent scratching (you remove it). The mandolin was in perfect shape, no shipping damage.

The finish is gorgeous. There are two spots near the F holes with very minor marks which I think will buff and wax out. Nothing near the issues I have seen on several 0 guitars I have bought. This is going to polish up nicely. The Rogue label on the headstock is beautiful. I did a lot of research and lubricated the tuners and the nut before tightening the strings. The tuners are better/more accurate than on my 0 Martin ukulele, and it came up to tune nicely. The binding is well-done, the frets look good. In fact, the whole mandolin looks really good.

I let it sit overnight. Today it’s still pretty much in tune, strings need to settle (this is true with any stringed instrument I’ve ever owned). Intonation is a hair off – I didn’t notice it by ear, but I used my electronic tuner to see that it is a shade sharp at the twelfth fret. With a floating bridge it’s an easy adjustment that every mandolin requires. Height at the nut and bridge are a tad high, but even the one-page setup guide that comes with it advises you to lower the bridge and then raise it until you find the “right” height. I’m going to adjust the nut myself.

The bridge sits nicely on the soundboard, though I’m going to fit mine so it is perfect. The fretboard looks a bit dry, so I’ll treat it with some fret lube. If I played it as-is I’m sure I’d be happy (thrilled) with the purchase, considering the price. I’ll post again after I complete a thorough setup. I have a feeling, based on what I’ve seen so far, that I’ll consider this the best bargain instrument I have ever bought. I haven’t tested it yet, but my initial playing indicates that the frets are fine (this is the one area I would not want to try to correct). Everything else is adjustable if you know what you’re doing.

Every other experienced buyer review said to replace the strings, so even though these don’t sound as bad as I expected I am going to remove them all, clean and wax the mandolin, make the desired adjustments, put on D’Addario strings (purchased from Musicians Friend) and see how she sounds. As I said, I will make a follow-up post, but I think it will be positive.

One word about Musicians Friend. *After* I made the purchase I found another Internet provider with the same mandolin on special with books and gig bag included. I called Musicians Friend, they found the website and matched the deal. Incredibly friendly easy-going customer service. For an under- mandolin. They own me from now on. : )

In summary, I am amazed at the quality for the price. Stunned. I can’t wait for my visiting relatives to leave so I can spend some quality time with my new Rogue mandolin!
*** And, a couple of days later… I have lowered the action even a little more, the frets are still fine, no buzzing. I putzed around playing a few chords after work tonight, the volume projection is outstanding, and I like the tone. It’s woody, not thin. I still can’t get over the value of this mandolin. Buy it now!