Thomann Octave Mandolin M1087

Light, well-made and with a nice tone, this instrument is a good starting point for mandolin players looking to diversify.

Remarkably (given the price point) it features all solid wood and a truss-rod (look inside the soundhole), both of which are great to have. I like the fact it is a European-made instrument, using mostly European wood. The fretwork around the soundhole looks fine and adds to its sound. Looking inside, the mandolin has been competently made. Coming from mandolin and tenor mandola, the slimmer neck is very welcome and the frets appear well-dressed.

Two immediate upgrades worth making (you can buy them for a great price here on Thomann.de) would a better bridge and better strings (phosphor bronze strings really improves the sound). It took a little effort to bring the intonation into line, with the bridge needing some repositioning. Players with less experience of setting-up their instruments might be daunted/disappointed by this, but I'd strongly advise them to speak to their local music shop to get the most out of this. In my case the intonationout quite a bit...but then the octave mandolin had just travelled a few hundred miles in the mail, so I wasn't expecting anything 'ready to go' straight out of the box. One thing I did find was that adding a drop of quality lubricant on the tuners made them much smoother (I used bicycle lubricant!).

The bag supplied is decent quality, fits the instrument well and doesn't look completely cheap. There's a little padding in there, so it could take a few light knocks and not be a cause for concern but it's never going to be bullet-proof. Then again it does the job it's intended to do.

On Thomann's delivery and packaging, the instrument arrived in Scotland in 4 days and was exceptionally well-packed. The update service was very helpful in keeping track of where the instrument was and what the next step would be.

Overall I'd *definitely* recommend this instrument. For experienced players this is a competent instrument that you can take out and about with and not feel worried about it taking a few hits. For beginners, this is a great way of exploring the mandolin family.

I had tried a few octave mandolins at between 3 and 6 times the price of the Thomann Octave Mandolin M1087.

I was not sure whether this type of instrument would be one that I would regularly use or would be one that would be a good fit with the music I was wanting to play. So I bought the M1087 to test the waters with a budget price instrument. Then I could sell it on for not much of a loss if it didn't work out.

I don't think I am going to be selling it - the instrument has proved to be far better than I was expecting and it is certainly as good as the two instruments I tried locally that were 3 times the price. My only reason for only giving 4 stars on quality are that the tuners are a bit ropey when tuning up - though they do hold the tuning OK once it's been set. It really did need new strings put on, but most stringed instruments I've ever bought have needed that.

As you might expect with a combination of spruce and maple it has a bright voice. There is no lack of volume and it has good sustain! No sharp or rough fret ends, silky smooth finish including the back of the neck. Appearance of the wood grain is decent, edges of the sound-hole are smooth and tidy, as are the cut away holes in the body that form the pattern around it - I'd thought it was a painted or stencil design of some sort when I first saw pictures.

The scale length is 23" which is more than the 20.5" to 21.5" of the ones I tried locally but it doesn't feel particularly longer.

I am very much enjoying the experience of playing the M1087.

I received the Hora Octave Mandolin in such an amazingly short delivery time. From Germany to Wisconsin, USA, in 5 days. I am so pleased about that. And then on top of that, the mandolin is really a gorgeous instrument. Yes, simple, but beautiful in its simplicity. It needed a bit of tuning but it sounds wonderful. This is my first ever mandolin I have ordered and I just ordered another one today. I'll be letting others know about the Hora Octave Mandolin and the Thomann music company. I am impressed. I'm looking forward to my second one to arrive and hope it comes as speedily and is as beautiful in looks and in sound.
Thanks again, Thomann