In this guide, I’ll go through some of the best archtop mandolins currently on the market. The archtop type is probably the most popular shape for the mandolin, as it combines classic forms with modern sensibilities.
Quick Look: Best Archtop Mandolins
★ #1 Best Archtop Mandolin Overall: The Loar LM-520 ★
- Best Cheap Archtop Mandolin: Kentucky KM-150
- Best Archtop Mandolin Under $1,000: Washburn M118SWK
- Best Archtop Mandolin Under $500: Ibanez M522SBS F-Style
I’m a musician with years of experience creating music for video games and writing songs for different rock and folk bands. I’m a big mandolin enthusiast, and I like to spread the word about this unique instrument.
Join me as I explore some of the most interesting archtop mandolins I could find.
What Is an Archtop Mandolin?
The archtop mandolin is one of the four different types of mandolins. This type has an arched top and sometimes an arched back too.
This particular type of mandolin was created in the United States as an attempt to create a new folk instrument with a European heritage and an American flavor.
Things to Consider When Choosing an Archtop Mandolin
There are several things to consider if you need a really good instrument. One of them is your budget, as you might need to choose an instrument with a certain price in mind.
Down below we’ll explore some of the most important things to look for when buying a new mandolin.
Size
Archtop mandolins come in similar sizes and dimensions. There are some small variations, depending on the model and the brands, but otherwise, they’re quite similar.
The Overall Tone & Sound
Each model has its own character and sound qualities. Here’s where you might need to follow your personal taste, as each one brings a different tone and harmonics. The biggest variation is in the A-style, with its warm and deep tone, and the F-style, with its bright and crisp sound.
Price
The price range can vary quite a bit, as there are some professional models that can cost up to several thousand dollars. But fear not, as there are plenty of different low-budget models for you to choose from.
10 Best Archtop Mandolins
Here we’ll go deeper into each model and brand of archtop mandolin. Ibanez, Kentucky, and Rogue are some of the brands you’ll find on this list.
Kentucky KM-272 Oval Hole A-Style
- Size: 26.25 x 10.25 x 3.25 inches
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides, transparent amber
- Sound: Clean and warm
- Best for: Intermediate and professionals
Kentucky KM-272 Oval Hole A-Style is a unique mandolin made of solid spruce and maple wood. This particular model is inspired by classical style music, as it brings us an elegant design and warm tone.
✅ Beautiful and elegant finish
✅ Hand-carved body
✅ Ideal for folk music
❌ Low-quality strings
Why I Recommend It
This mandolin is a perfect blend of old ideas with a modern style, which makes this model a great match for folk and classical music.
The Loar LM-520 F-Style
- Size: 27 x 12 x 2 inches
- Weight: 4 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, maple back and sides, satin brown burst finish
- Sound: Clean and bright
- Best for: Intermediate and beginners
The Loar LM-520 F-Style is a model that is directly inspired by the old classic Gibson F-5 Vintage mandolin. The Loar was able to reproduce the same elegant design of F-5 but with new methods of wood treatment, which give this model a unique feel and sound.
✅ Hand-carved spruce body
✅ Robust construction
✅ Beautiful design
❌ Requires some setup
Why I Recommend It
This mandolin is quite versatile, as it can fit in almost any musical style with its bright and clean sound. It’s highly recommended for intermediate and beginner players, and this model has numerous positive reviews from satisfied customers.
Washburn Americana M1S-A Mandolin
- Size: 28.5 x 13 x 4 inches
- Weight: 3.44 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, maple back and sides, gloss sunburst finish
- Sound: Smooth and warm
- Best for: Beginners
The Washburn Americana M1S-A Mandolin is a low-budget model that brings a great sound and tone to any musician with limited funds. This mandolin is easy to play and has a minimal and elegant finish.
✅ Easy to play
✅ Simple but elegant finish
✅ Affordable
✅ Solid spruce top wood
❌ Case not included
Why I Recommend It
This is probably the least expensive model made by Washburn. If you’re not sure which beginner mandolin is the best, look no further as you can always trust the high-quality standards of Washburn mandolins.
Kentucky KM-150
- Size: 29 x 13 x 4 inches
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides, high gloss sunburst finish
- Sound: Bright and crisp
- Best for: Beginners
Kentucky KM-150 is one of the most popular models made by Kentucky. This mandolin was actually the first model made by this company, which soon enough became a bestseller, helping this company to gain fame.
✅ Great tonality
✅ Comfortable to play
✅ Solid construction
✅ Great sustain
❌ Might need setup to play
Why I Recommend It
Kentucky KM-150 is a great mandolin for bluegrass and country, as its bright and crisp tone is perfect for these styles of music.
Rogue RM-100 A-Style
- Size: 27.3 x 13.3 x 4.25 inches
- Weight: 2.9 pounds
- Material & finish: Rosewood fingerboard, maple neck, high-gloss sunburst finish
- Sound: Clean and bright
- Best for: Beginners and intermediate
Rogue RM-100 A-Style is a great mandolin for beginners, as you won’t find any quality-price ratio better than this model. The Rogue RM-100 A-style has a great tone and high-quality construction for anyone to enjoy.
✅ Robust construction
✅ Easy to play
✅ Bright tone
✅ Adjustable bridge
❌ Case not included
Why I Recommend It
I can’t recommend this mandolin enough. Over the years, this model became a favorite choice for many student musicians. I personally played this mandolin many times, and I must say that you won’t find any better budget-friendly mandolin out there.
Ibanez M510DVS
- Size: 27 x 3 x 10.5 inches
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Material & finish: Spruce top, mahogany back and sides, dark violin sunburst finish
- Sound: Clean and bright
- Best for: Beginners and intermediate
Ibanez M510DVS is a high-quality model with a bright tone made by Ibanez. This model comes with a beautiful finish and brings a high-grade quality for a reasonable price.
✅ Solid-body construction
✅ Great tonality
✅ High-quality materials
❌ Low-quality strings
Why I Recommend It
This mandolin is a solid choice for any beginner or intermediate players, as the Ibanez brands always deliver a quality product for the best price.
Eastman MD315 F-Style
- Size: 30.7 x 13.8 x 6.1 inches
- Weight: 4.81 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides, classic finish
- Sound: Crisp and bright
- Best for: Intermediate
Eastman MD315 F-Style is a professional instrument with a hand-carved solid wood body and great tone. Made with exquisite craftsmanship, this instrument is not only visually beautiful but has this unique and distinctive sound for anyone to enjoy.
✅ Solid-body construction
✅ Easy to play
✅ Elegant design and finish
✅ Great tonality
❌ Requires setup to play
Why I Recommend It
If you’re looking for a high-grade instrument that will fit perfectly with country and bluegrass music, this model is a good choice for you.
Ibanez M522SBS F-Style
- Size: 27 x 3 x 10.5 inches
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, maple back and sides, brown sunburst high gloss
- Sound: Warm and rich
- Best for: Intermediate
The Ibanez M522SBS F-Style is a unique instrument with a rich tone and loud volume. At this price range, you won’t find any better F-style archtop mandolin. It’s almost impossible to find any F-style mandolins with solid carved wood for this money.
✅ High-quality materials
✅ Beautiful design
✅ Great projection
❌ Low-quality strings
Why I Recommend It
This beautiful instrument might require some setup to reach its maximum potential, but soon after that, you’ll find great value in this robust and high-quality mandolin model.
Washburn M118SWK
- Size: 31.4 x 15.7 x 6.5 inches
- Weight: 9.85 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, solid maple back and sides, natural vintage finish
- Sound: Bright and clean
- Best for: Professionals
Washburn M118SWK is a professional mandolin that takes direct inspiration from the classic Gibson F-5 mandolins from the late 20s. With an old school look and modern methods of wood treatment, this mandolin gets the best of both worlds in an all-solid package.
✅ High-grade materials
✅ Solid wood body
✅ Great tonality
❌ Might require setup to play
Why I Recommend It
This instrument might require some professional setup to find the best sound configuration possible. The Washburn M118SWK might be a little demanding on maintenance, but with enough care, this mandolin can compete with the most professional mandolins on the market.
Kentucky KM-505 A-Style
- Size: 26.25 x 10.25 x 3.25 inches
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Material & finish: Solid spruce top, maple back and sides, amberhurst finish
- Sound: Deep and rich
- Best for: Professionals
Kentucky KM-505 A-Style is a professional mandolin made by the renowned brand Kentucky. This particular model brings us a uniquely deep and rich tone, and it stands as one of the best mandolins for the medium-high price range.
✅ Excellent tonality
✅ Comfortable to play
✅ Elegant classic design
❌ Requires setup to play
Why I Recommend It
As with every intermediate or professional mandolin, this model requires some serious setup to get it into a playable state, but soon after that, you’ll start to enjoy the beautiful and vibrant tone of this instrument.
Best Archtop Mandolin Brands
There are numerous brands that produce high-quality archtop mandolins, each one bringing its own unique methods and ideas to the instrument.
Here we’ll explore some of them.
Ibanez
Ibanez is a Japanese brand that is very well-respected all around the world. They produce a variety of stringed instruments, including electric guitars, acoustic guitars, banjos, and mandolins. Their unique high-quality products are used by many famous artists and musicians, and they offer some of the most robust instruments out there.
Washburn
This famous brand was founded in Chicago in 1883, making it one of the oldest music instrument companies that still produce its models. They specialize in hand-carved stringed instruments like acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, and mandolins.
Kentucky
Kentucky is a high-tier brand that creates one of the most professional mandolins in the world. Most mandolins created by Kentucky have that uniquely American look and feel, which makes them perfect for bluegrass and country.
The Loar
The Loar brand specializes in creating hand-crafted instruments with classical and vintage inspirations. Many of their models have high-quality builds and are quite affordable, which makes them perfect for any beginner or intermediate player.
Archtop Mandolins Aesthetics & Build
You will find that each model has its own wood and finish type, which determines the sound qualities of the mandolin. Let’s go into more details about those important characteristics.
Wood
Traditionally the mandolin was made of rosewood, but nowadays it’s quite rare to find. The most common types used today are maple, spruce, cedar, and mahogany, but you can find different types of wood for the back and sides, depending on the model.
Finish
There are two main types of varnishes used in the mandolin. Spirit varnish has a big layer and better protection, but might deteriorate the sound qualities. Oil varnish, on the other hand, provides minimal protection, but will maintain the natural tone and sound of your mandolin.
Color
The most common type is sunburst with many different variations, but you can find colors like red, black, transparent brown, and many others, depending on each brand and model.
Buying New vs Used
When you’re first starting out, it’s better to buy a new instrument, as you will get a high-quality product with some useful accessories. With used mandolins, you might get a poorly maintained instrument or a really good one with an aged and curated sound. It’s always a gamble, but sometimes it can pay off.
What’s in an Archtop Mandolin Box?
With each model, you can find a different set of accessories for your mandolin. Let’s explore some of them here.
Tuner
The tuner is an essential accessory for the mandolin. A chromatic one will help you have your mandolin perfectly tuned every time you play your instrument.
See More: Best Mandolin Tuners Buyer’s Guide
Set of New Strings
With some mandolin models, you can find a set of standard mandolin strings. Some packages have some high-tier signature strings especially tailored for the mandolin, but the most common is a low-budget set of basic strings for most mandolins on the market.
Set of Picks
Most new mandolins come with a basic set of mandolin picks for you to use. They’re nothing fancy but quite useful.
Mandolin Strap
A mandolin strap will help you to play when standing with comfort and stability. It’s a necessary accessory if you want to play in a band or in a live performance.
Extras
Not everything is included in many mandolin packages. Some mid-tier and professional mandolins will require some setup and new parts to get the best of them. This might include a new set of strings, a better tuner, or a new bridge for your precious instrument.
How Much Do Archtop Mandolins Cost?
The mandolin is a very expensive instrument when compared to the guitar or bass. But nowadays you can find numerous companies that offer budget-friendly instruments with decent wood and sound.
The lowest price for the mandolin goes for around $100, and the highest and most professional ones go for several thousands of dollars. The mid-range is around $500-$1000, but varies depending on the model.
What Are the Best Archtop Mandolins?
Let’s review some of the best archtop mandolin models I presented on this list.
Kentucky KM-150: Best for Beginners
Kentucky KM-150 is the first model introduced by the Kentucky brand. Their rise to stardom is because of this unique mandolin that’s very popular to this day.
Ibanez M522SBS F-Style: Best for Intermediate
The Ibanez M522SBS F-Style instrument is not only the most affordable F-style mandolin on the market but also one of the most popular mandolins created by Ibanez.
Washburn M118SWK: Best for Professionals
The Washburn M118SWK model made by Washburn has its own unique look and feel that cannot be ignored. This mandolin combines an elegant look with a powerful sound and tone.
Where Are the Best Archtop Mandolins Made?
Originally the modern archtop mandolin was designed in the United States, where the new design was created in the form of two variants: the A-style and F-style. So it’s safe to say that this country is the one responsible for the archtop mandolin revival.
What Is the Best Sounding Archtop Mandolins?
Washburn M118SWK has the most unique and interesting sound in my opinion. But remember that sound is quite subjective, and each one of us has our own preferences.
Where to Buy Archtop Mandolins?
Nowadays there are several different online music retailers and musical instrument shops. Each one provides different offers and packages, as well as customer support and warranties.
Amazon
Amazon is the first choice for most products bought online. This titan of online retail has the best selection of products and the lowest prices out there. Each product has detailed information like several photos, features, descriptions, and quite useful customer reviews.
Online Music Retailers
There are numerous music online retailers you can find on the web, each one with its own specialized selection of instruments. Here at Into Strings we highly recommend FiddlerShop.com, GuitarCenter.com, and Sweetwater.com.
Your Local Music Store
In your local music store, you’ll find a limited selection of instruments, although it depends on the size of the store. The most positive part of the local music store is having the possibility of trying out your future instrument and deciding for yourself if you need it or not.
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Table of Contents
- Mandolins
- What Is an Archtop Mandolin?
- Things to Consider When Choosing an Archtop Mandolin
- 10 Best Archtop Mandolins
- Best Archtop Mandolin Brands
- Archtop Mandolins Aesthetics & Build
- Buying New vs Used
- What’s in an Archtop Mandolin Box?
- How Much Do Archtop Mandolins Cost?
- What Are the Best Archtop Mandolins?
- Where Are the Best Archtop Mandolins Made?
- What Is the Best Sounding Archtop Mandolins?
- Where to Buy Archtop Mandolins?
- In Conclusion
In Conclusion
Thank you for reading this article about the best archtop mandolins on the market. I hope you learned a thing or two about this unique and beautiful instrument while we explored some of the best mandolins of this type.
Feel free to share or leave a comment, as I’ll answer any doubts you may have about this guide.
Stay safe and good luck with your sonic adventures!
