If you take the top off, the sound chambers are practically identical for both A and F style mandolins. There are almost no F styles which don't have a solid block under the scroll and point areas, therefore, the difference is in the appearance only. I like F styles myself, but I have had a really good A style, a Kentucky KM-250S, and with a good set up and good strings, you can't hear a difference in otherwise equal mandolins. A's are recommended because those making the recommendations know that if you are on a budget and you really want the most mandolin for your money, you will more likely find what you want in an A style than an F style. Keep a sharp lookout for solid wood, or at least solid top instruments and you will occasionally come across a real good deal on an F. If you can find a Fullerton Gloucester, snatch it up. These have a real good bluegrass sound and are not expensive.
"I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is."~John Mellencamp
"Theory only seems like rocket science when you don't know it. Once you understand it, it's more like plumbing!"~John McGann
"IT'S T-R-E-M-O-L-O, dangit!!"~Me
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