Mandolins built by Eastman Guitars feature solid tonewoods and an array of striking handcrafted appointments. The outstanding MD515 F-style mandolin debuts with a masterful F-style body carved from solid spruce and solid maple. This body shape provides an authentic bluegrass punch further augmented with F-holes for powerful projection. The MD515’s maple neck and Soft V neck profile lend unwavering support to your hands, which makes playing all sorts of styles a breeze. Eastman Guitars finalizes the MD515 F-style mandolin with premium accouterments. Solid wood appointments include an ebony bridge and parallel bracing carved from spruce. The finishing touch? An inviting Truetone gloss finish that guards good looks while letting tonewoods vibrate fully. The MD515 F-style mandolin from Sweetwater earns straight As across the board — it’s an outstanding choice!
Solid tonewoods give the MD515 a brilliant sound that’s equal parts warm, bright, and faithful to historic designs. The MD515’s solid spruce top is the crux of tone, and it responds instantly to dynamic changes and technique while ensuring notes are loudly projected. Maple back and sides supply vibrant clarity and shimmering overtones that sustain but never overstay their welcome, leaving you free to proceed onto the next chord or riff. Lastly, the MD515 features a maple neck with a Soft V carve that simplifies accurate fretting. Even players at Sweetwater with large hands and fingers endorse this Soft V carve, as it tends to ward off strain and prevent cramps while giving proper support for effortless play!
Aside from playing a defining role in the development of bluegrass, the F-style mandolin is still wildly popular to this day! The F-style shape boasts detailed craftsmanship, the most obvious example being the ornate scroll located above the neck joint. The scroll increases the overall mass and, according to many mandolin players, provides a thicker tone, competitive volume, and increased sustain. Professional players who stand while playing often favor the F-style body shape because the extra mass helps them perform with even control and accurate technique.
This mandolin’s F-style soundholes provide unique percussive traits that pros refer to as the mandolin “chop.” F-holes are especially critical to bluegrass players, as their loud, focused projection keeps your mandolin audible above the fray of a busy ensemble sound.
Many know the Eastman Music Company as a trusted name in the realm of band and orchestra instruments. Fortunately for all mandolin lovers, Eastman Guitars has attained a similar stature with its steadfast dedication to this noble and historic instrument. Similar to how Sweetwater got its start, Eastman founder Qian Ni grew his business from its humble origins in the back of his car to its status as a burgeoning, reputable company. True to Ni’s vision, Eastman Guitars meticulously approaches each instrument, backing them with a lifetime warranty and masterful designs crafted for a superb musical experience.
Eastman founder Qian Ni| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Acoustic |
| Body Shape | F Style with F holes |
| Color | Classic |
| Finish | Truetone Gloss |
| Top Material | Sitka Spruce |
| Body Material | Maple |
| Neck Material | Maple |
| Neck Shape | Soft V |
| Fingerboard Material | Ebony |
| Fingerboard Inlay | Dots |
| Number of Frets | 24 |
| Scale Length | 13.88" |
| Nut Material | Bone |
| Nut Width | 1.09" |
| Bridge Material | Ebony |
| Tuners | Quality Open Geared |
| Hardware | Nickel |
| Strings | D'Addario XT Coated Medium, .011-.040 |
| Case/Gig Bag | Hardshell Case |
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