Item # 510460 | Customer Ratings: 
(
4 Based on 9
reviews)
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The Fender FM-52E Acoustic-Electric Mandolin is a bluegrass showboat with a full-range single-coil pickup with volume and tone controls. You'll never be drowned out by those big dreadnought acoustics again. Mandolin features a spruce top; nato neck, back, and sides; and rosewood fingerboard and bridge. 4-in-line chrome tuners with white plastic tuning knobs. The Fender FM-52E Mandolin has great tone plugged or unplugged.
I tried this model in Guitar Center and ran into the one that hums when plugged in (not sure if it's due to the amp or the instrument). I bought one (used) after trying and this one is perfect, good action, sound beautiful when plugged in. However, the sound is not very loud (due to lamniated top) when unplugged compared to the Fender 53SB (solid top, acoustic only which sounds louder and produces better tone). Now, I own both and both have same size, same look, same feel when played. Don't know why Fender did not make a solid top with pickup. Ibanez does (hard to find though) and it costs the same as the Fender 52E.
This is overall a good instrument for the price but it certainly has some downsides. By far the most apparent is that it is not the most forgiving instrument to play. It has very small frets to facilitate clean string vibration, but this also makes it real hard to play as this is a comparatively high tension instrument at concert pitch. After an hour long session my finger tips looked like they had been put in a blender and were noticeably more fatigued than at the start. I put 11 guage strings on so it is harder to play, but an hours worth of playing will be a physical test. I tend to play this thing like a guitar and use all these wacky voicings and barre chords, so it you plan on playing mostly open chords and melodies you definitely complain less about this. Having a demanding instrument can be good cause after a session on this I can totally destroy stuff on my much easier to play electric guitars and a twelve string bare chords aren't as tiring to play. Also there is no way to adjust the truss rod so action adjustments can only be made by tweaking the bridge, which isn't all that well made. I haven't had any really noticeable neck warping problems after 1.5 years. A couple frets near the top have buzz or do not register at all, but its a problem that really doesn't affect my playing since they're on like the 16th fret area on the lower higher guage strings. Some fret filing might be done soon. I think I might invest in a bridge for this instrument next time I change strings and set it up. Its impossible for me to get a perfect set-up with the stock bridge I have, and I don't think its made out of any sort of good tonewood-just looks like regular old wood. That said, the electric tone out of this thing is great, with a good balance and clarity comming out of he pickup. Being able to run this thing through an amp allows for sick sonic possibilities. A well-played mando with some blues distortion can have as incredibly impressive effect. I even put some flanger and metal distortion on when I feel like messing around, and it sounds pretty wild. Acoustically this mando lacks strong low-end projection and definition but what can you expect at the price range. Nevertheless I still dig it. The mids are very well defined and the highs are good too, but could use a bit more projection. The tuners are decent, and can stick with you through most of a session. The finish is nicely done especially on the back-its a good looking instrument. Its a decent starter mandolin as long as you go with a lighter guage of strings or tune it down to F cause it is hard to play. If your looking for a second backup mando or play other instruments and are looking to start getting down with mandolins then this is a great option for you to take. Being a guitarist already able to play stringed instruments well, I was able to pick it up and start playing and composing songs the day I got it. The tuning took getting used to but made a lot of sense after a little while. There are certainly some crazy things possible on this instrument that are not possible on guitars. I definitely dig this mando
I have heard very good things about this guitar. So i decided to use it, Lucky for me it is more of a BlueGrass/Gospel Guitar, I had a great experince using it and I see myself in the future using it again. I would reccomend it to those who like BlueGrass/Gospel Music, And aslo to those who have an Acoustic Guitar, But want something else like it but not to different, Why I would prefer A-style over f-style wich is the other one i was thinking about trying out, Is this has a nice clean sound and I like Gospel and BlueGrass, And also the F-style has more of a Jazz sound, I am not really that much of a jazz sound anyway. So if your a big Gospel/BlueGrass fan try out this guitar
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