What do you think?

[Chris Travers]

What do you guys think about this Emando?

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Marcus-Martini-ELECTRIC-mandolin-Fully-functional_W0QQitemZ220252292770QQihZ012QQcategory Z
10179QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.com/Marcus-....iewItem</a>

Any opinions?

Thanks!
Chris Travers

[mandoplyr70]

remember you get what you pay for !

[allenhopkins]

I think it looks a lot like a mandolin, sorta.

It's a cheap Asian import -- a pig in a poke, IMHO. But you're not risking much money, at least so far. A mandolin that costs less than a tank of gas ain't the next Lloyd Loar, but it ain't the worst mistake you're ever gonna make, either.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Consistent with Ken's feedback above, I remember seeing tons of these on eBay several years ago -- and everything I read about them from unhappy buyers posting here, uncluded many, many, many issues with electronics, warped necks, fret placement, and intonation.

(And consistent with Allen's comment, it might have been in one of those reviews where I first read of the term MSO: "Mandolin Shaped Object".)

[TomTyrrell]

I had one. I can't think of anything good to say about it. It didn't even make good firewood, the paint gave off an awful stink when it burned.

Nope, I'm not joking.

[markishandsome]

Save your money.

[BlueMountain]

I bought one very like this a couple years ago and found that it had one of the worst setups I'd ever seen--impossible to play. The body wood was exceedingly soft and dead, and the pickups were installed wrong. If you know how to do a good setup, it might be worth $50. If you don't, better not. Marcus Martini is a very budget Chinese brand that doesn't have a very good reputation. Sorry.