Thomann Portuguese Mandolin Stand. SAP

This mandolin has a wide neck that is comfortable to play for me, someone who plays a vast array of stringed instruments. Most instruments have a string spacing wider than that of a regular mandolin. For this reason, it's difficult for me to adjust when I pick up a regular mandolin. Therefore I was looking for a mandolin with a wide neck. This one fits the bill. It gets a full 5 stars because it's a good choice if you want a wide necked mandolin but can't afford to buy one custom built. If regular mandolins are comfortable for you, then this one will probably be harder for you to play since distances on the neck will be greater.

The deep body with a curved back makes the tone a little bassier than commonly heard from mandolins. I prefer this but I mostly play solo. If you want to play in a band, the tone may not be appropriate.

I would have liked it even more if it had a truss rod, the bridge was made out of bone or hardwood instead of plastic, and if one or two strap buttons were pre-installed in appropriate locations. The price would have been higher though...