This guide will give some tidbits of advice for you first-time mandolin buyers. The main thing to remember is choosing an instrument that sounds good to you. Knowing the sound you want is paramount to this task - listen to recordings of your favorite mandolin pickers and see if the instrument you are looking at/listening to approximates the tone you like. Try to set a realistic budget and make every attempt to buy the best model from a particular maker. If you want a mandolin that will remotely stay in tune, the lowest price models will only frustrate you. (There are, of course, rare exceptions) Make sure that the action is set low enough to not buzz - check the straightness of the neck. These are things that can be fixed, but it costs extra. Learning on a badly setup mandolin can kill the fun! Keep on pickin' and a-grinnin'! :-)