Mandolins are small and affordable, so most players own a simple one and know exactly what the next one should be. The best gifts for mandolin players are that upgrade, a way to plug in, or something to record the jam session. Every pick comes from our rankings, with tonight's Thomann price. Prices for every mandolin are in how much a mandolin costs.
Gifts for mandolin players under $400
Harley Benton HBMA-50E, $95
An A-style mandolin with a built-in pickup, a cheap second mandolin for jams and open mics. #4 of 45 mandolins.
Zoom H1essential, $111
A pocket recorder with an X/Y stereo mic and 32-bit float recording, for capturing tunes at a session without setting levels. #15 of 44 portable recorders.
Epiphone Mandobird, $373
A solid-body electric mandolin with a mahogany body and a Firebird mini humbucker, for rock, blues and loud stages. #44 of 45 mandolins.
Gifts for mandolin players under $700
The Loar LM-310F, $402
An F-style mandolin with a solid spruce top, the classic upgrade from a first A-style. #3 of 45 mandolins.
Epiphone F-5 Studio, $592
An F-style with f-holes and tone bar bracing, inspired by Gibson's Custom Shop designs. One of the highest-ranked mandolins we track: #2 of 45 mandolins.
Gold Tone A-6 Mando Guitar, $615
A 6-string mandolin tuned like a guitar (E-A-D-G-B-E), for the guitarist in the band who wants mandolin sparkle without learning new chords. #32 of 45 mandolins.
The dream gift
Gibson Custom F-5G, $7,162
Gibson's Custom Shop F-style with a Sitka spruce top and flamed maple back, sides and neck: the shape every bluegrass mandolinist knows. #30 of 45 mandolins.
Questions
What is a good gift for a mandolin player?
For a player on a starter A-style, an F-style like The Loar LM-310F ($402).
What do you get a guitarist who wants to play mandolin?
A mando guitar like the Gold Tone A-6: mandolin size and sound, guitar tuning.
How we picked. Every product comes from an AudioFu ranking, scored on demand, price, specs and brand; specs from Thomann's product data. Prices are converted from euros at the European Central Bank rate and updated every night, as are the ranks.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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