Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin
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Roundback design with a spruce top delivers a big acoustic sound. Built-in pickup is 12dB hotter than normal pickups.
Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviews(based on 12 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
Most Liked Positive Review
What I didn't like
All in all, I was suprised by the way the mandolin played and sounded. It was great! It sounds really good plugged in and even better not plugged in. The modern style and ...Read complete review
All in all, I was suprised by the way the mandolin played and sounded. It was great! It sounds really good plugged in and even better not plugged in. The modern style and shape of the mandolin may lead one to think that the sound quality of a traditional mandolin wouldn't be there. But it is and it sounds great! What I didn't like was the way you have to change the battery. There is a compartment located on the back side of the mandolin that you have to unscrew and then there's another screw on the back of the mandolin where the battery port is attached from the inside. It comes off real easy, but good luck to all who ever have to put it back. You might as well be blind folded.
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Most Liked Negative Review
Look elsewhere
This mandolin is just a waist. It sounds like crap and plays like crap. Sure it looks good but thats all its got goin. It has a very empty plastic tone that is just...Read complete review
This mandolin is just a waist. It sounds like crap and plays like crap. Sure it looks good but thats all its got goin. It has a very empty plastic tone that is just unappealing. The plastic back sucks. Forget ever sitting down while playin this thing, it slides right off your lap. And God forbid you need to change the battery, what a pain in the butt that is. its set up w/ super high action and its really easy to get dead notes. If you want to waist your money on garbage equipment that looks pretty, your in the right place. If not turn away and run... fast.
Reviews
Reviewed by 12 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-10
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Pros
- Good Tone
Cons
Best Uses
- Practicing
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
I bought this to use to learn how to play. Previously tried one of those sub-$100 mandos, but it was awful. This is definitely several steps up. I realize it isn't a purist's instrument, but at my level this doesn't matter much. So far it seems to have a nice tone and fairly decent build quality.
My major gripe is similar to what others have reported: the way you remove the battery on this thing is a convoluted mess. I was able to manage it, but there really is no excuse for designing it this way. I sent Ovation an email about it:
"Whoever designed how the battery is held in this instrument has to be one of the world's most notorious morons. If your goal was to come up with the most stupid, needlessly complex, and inelegant design possible you have succeeded."
Pros
- Consistent
- Good Tone
- Sound resonance
- Strong
Cons
- Old documentation
- Old electronics
Best Uses
- Practicing
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
This unit sunded better than any of the F-style classic mandolins hanging up at Sam Ash, and they wouldn't do a deal for one so I got mine at Musicians Friend. The electronics were from 2009 according to the OEM, and the owners manual was a guitar doc from the 1980s, but the wood's good.
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
The Good:I really enjoy playing this mando. It plays easily and has a sweet bottom end. Great value. The Bad:I wish it fit in one of my existing cases, I don't want to spend more $$ for another case. And replacing the battery is not that bad, don't let that put you off buying this (but it could be engineered a little better).
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
This mandolin is just a waist. It sounds like crap and plays like crap. Sure it looks good but thats all its got goin. It has a very empty plastic tone that is just unappealing. The plastic back sucks. Forget ever sitting down while playin this thing, it slides right off your lap. And God forbid you need to change the battery, what a pain in the butt that is. its set up w/ super high action and its really easy to get dead notes. If you want to waist your money on garbage equipment that looks pretty, your in the right place. If not turn away and run... fast.
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
playing guitar for years I decided to start to play the mandolin. I was looking for a quality i and this was it. It stays in tune beautifully and has a full sound. It
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
Mine is not the Aplause, I have the Ovation but I suspect they'd be close in performance. I've owned Ovation before. Not mandolins but guitar. I was aprehensive about a guitar shaped mandolin. Would it sound as good? Well, my fears are gone. It sounds good. The sustain of the notes strummed is great. The electronics are better than any I've gotten to hear or play at the store. In our band situation this is important. I'd play it in the store before you buy on line. It just makes sense. LOL
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
All in all, I was suprised by the way the mandolin played and sounded. It was great! It sounds really good plugged in and even better not plugged in. The modern style and shape of the mandolin may lead one to think that the sound quality of a traditional mandolin wouldn't be there. But it is and it sounds great! What I didn't like was the way you have to change the battery. There is a compartment located on the back side of the mandolin that you have to unscrew and then there's another screw on the back of the mandolin where the battery port is attached from the inside. It comes off real easy, but good luck to all who ever have to put it back. You might as well be blind folded.
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
I have an MM68 and got the Korean version as a backup, but was very disappointed in the assembly and performance. The non adjustable neck was not set well in the body making runs difficult past the seventh fret.
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
I got this in a trade for an amp. It's my 3rd mando and my second electric. Despite the crappy, cheap & akward battery arrangement that requires you to open up the back of the mando & unscrew the cheap holder inside to replace the battery, it's an otherwise well made instrument. I replaced the battery holder assembly with a pop-out holder from Mouser.com and now it's great. Took very little tweaking to get it setup. The volume broke right off inside the EQ in the first month, but it was fixed under warrantee for free. No problems since. I like it & play it routinely onstage.
Comments about Applause MAE148 Roundback Acoustic/Electric Mandolin:
This mando is a little beauty, but it didn't come like that right out of the box. It looks and feels great. Its sound is definately mando, but unique. Unplugged volume is decent, and plugged in is sweet. Out-of-the-box intonation was bad. It took a little tweaking to get it to play well. Removing the shims from under the bridge and carefully filing the bridge peaks to lower the action did wonders to bring intonation in to acceptable range. Features and quality get an 8. It is, afterall, an entry level version of the Ovation. If you want 10's get the O. For it's class it's a 10 - a great value for what you get. One thing to remember when it's time for new strings - this mando requires ball-end strings. Plan ahead. Music stores generally stock only loop end string sets.
