20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Feels right, travels well., August 3, 2004
This review is from: Martin Backpacker Mandolin
The Martin Backpacker Mandolin fills a specific niche:
It is designed to be small, fit into an easy-to-carry canvas gig-bag (included with the purchase of the mandolin), and be playable.
It plays as well as a quite nice mandolin priced many hundreds of dollars more (like in the >600 dollar range). By that I mean that the strings are set up correctly and the fretting is accurate. Playing/practicing on this instrument feels like a "real" mandolin, and it travels much easier.
BUT - it is not designed to sound good, and it does not. The tone is very trebly and "tinny" (as you'd expect from such a small box).
So.... if you want a good-sounding mandolin, this isn't it, but if you really want a mandolin that you can throw into a bag and carry with the rest of your stuff and still plays like a real mandolin, it fits the bill just fine.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully compact 8 stringed ukulele, March 28, 2008
This review is from: Martin Backpacker Mandolin
With some simple changes, it becomes a concert length 8 stringed ukulele with Gg Cc EE AA tuning.I would freely share pics and "how to". Get rid of the Martin fishing leader, and get Aquila 8 string tenor set. (from me, or other places) Heel peg for strap already installed. A sound hole makes a world of difference in the sound!!
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