The instrument looks great, sounds pretty good, the workmanship is nice too...
...but...
It would need some work on the bridge. Firstly, to form the base to lay flat on the soundboard. 2ndly to set the action according to taste. Lower action = nicer to play; Higher action = louder. Lowering the action would require quite some sanding / grooving, which I'm not prepared to do right now.
The nut is made of some hardwood which might not be bad, but I could imagine getting better sustain with bone/synthetic.
Ultimately, this is likely a very good instrument for beginners and semi-pros willing to put in some work.
I would have loved to hold on to it but after fiddling around with it, I realized it does not meet my needs (and that I'm not that good). I'll stick to trying to play my mandolin like a domra / balalaika when needed.