Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin Natural (Used)
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Lets you adjust the output level of each string pair.
Many products claim to be revolutionary but, more often than not, that claim falls short of expectations. This isn't the case with the Epiphone MM-50E professional mandolin.
The construction fundamentals for the MM-50E's rich, natural acoustic sound are ensured with a solid spruce top and gorgeous flamed maple back and sides. A rosewood fingerboard is fitted with dot inlays.
The MM-50E professional is the first mandolin that allows you to adjust the output level of each individual string pair, solving the inherent mandolin problem of unbalanced string pair volume.
The Epiphone MM-50E mandolin starts with the "Quad" NanoMAG pickup. Designed in cooperation with Shadow Germany—who have been making acoustic pickups for over 30 years—the NanoMAG is a unique, low-impedance humbucking pickup equipped with Samarium cobalt magnets that capture true acoustic tone and a wide range of harmonics. Under each string pair is a separate coil that picks up only the sound of that string pair with crosstalk separation of >85dB. Each of the mandolin's 4 output levels is controlled by 4 trimpots, which are discretely accessible from the top of the pickguard via a mini flathead screwdriver. Once set to your desired levels, you would typically never need to adjust the levels again.
Rather than loading down the mandolin with electronics and adversely affecting its natural acoustic tone, the Shadow system puts all the electronics inside the pickguard. This allows the Epiphone mandolin to respond and sound just like an acoustic mando should. On the pickguard are master volume, treble, and bass rotary controls, as well as an easy-access battery compartment using a lightweight, long lasting 2032 watch-style lithium battery. Even the pickup is mounted on the pickguard.
For added versatility—and to allow you to position it in the optimum location for your picking style—the NanoMag can slide back toward the bridge for a brighter tone, or forward toward the neck for a warmer tone.
For a great vintage look as well as enhanced tonal characteristics, the Epiphone MM-50E Professional mandolin features a very thin, hand-rubbed polyoil finish. Not satin, this 50% sheen finish looks and feels great, while allowing the wood to vibrate more freely.
With a history of making mandolins going back over 100 years, Epiphone knows how to make a great sounding mandolin. mandolin features classic "F" style specifications including a carved, solid Spruce top with traditional flamed maple back, sides, and neck. Multi-binding on the body and headstock, a classic mother-of-pearl "Flower Pot" headstock inlay, nickel hardware, vintage machine heads with pearloid buttons, and a Rosewood fingerboard and bridge pay tribute to Lloyd Loar's original "F" style design.
Features
- Top material: solid sitka spruce
- Body material: flamed maple
- Neck: flamed maple
- Neck shape: "C" profile
- Neck joint: hand-fitted, glued-in
- Scale length: 14"
- Fingerboard: rosewood with dot inlays
- Pickup: position adjustable Quad NanoMAG
- Controls: master volume, treble, bass, four individual string pair output levels
- Power: #2032 Lithium battery
- Frets: 23
- Bridge: floating, adjustable rosewood
- Nut width: 1.06"
- Hardware: vintage in-line nickel machine heads
Revolutionize your sound with the MM-50E today.
Review Snapshot®
by PowerReviews(based on 10 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
Most Liked Positive Review
Great Instrument/ No documentation
I recently purchased the MM50e Professional and it required very little set up. The sound and tone are great and after a little experimentation I finally got the electric pickup working good. I would ...Read complete review
I recently purchased the MM50e Professional and it required very little set up. The sound and tone are great and after a little experimentation I finally got the electric pickup working good. I would definitely recommend this instrument to any mediocre mandolin picker.The only real complaint is there was absolutely no documentation with the instrument. No owners manual, technical specs, nothing. Musicians Friend suggested I writed Epiphone. Epiphone has failed to respond. I have also written Shadow, the electronics manufacturer. We'll se if that works. If you already know how to set a mandolin up, it is a good value. Just don't expect any papers to help you.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Great idea, tererible implementation
Even a professional luthier could not make this beast playable with two tries. I ultimately returned it, soon finding a far finer instrument in the same price range. There is no no excuse for...Read complete review
Even a professional luthier could not make this beast playable with two tries. I ultimately returned it, soon finding a far finer instrument in the same price range. There is no no excuse for putting an instrument on the market that does not have a properly intonated fretboard. Yet the movable pickup, as mounted, is a wonderful idea that deserves to be implemented by a competent builder. This was an extremely disappointing experience, as it had such wonderful potential, yet was implemented so completely ineptly.
Loved the pickup arrangement with its versatile tonal possibilities, but the terrible intonation of the completely defective fretboard made it impossible to play,
Simply not competently made. When four consecutive frets (11-15) respond with exactly the same note, there are very serious problems.
An unplayable instrument cannot have value at any price.
Reviews
Reviewed by 10 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-10
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
Always in search of the ever elusive 'electric mandolin' that will sound like a mandolin and still cut through a full band. This was another step in the wrong direction. Loved the look of this mando, felt solid, good solid case, played okay acoustically, but nothing special. Plugged in, it was not usable for what we do. The string adjustment didnt really do anything, and tone was bad. I tried to get it to work, but ended up sending it back and getting the washburn.
Pros
Cons
- Breaks Easy
- Not Consistent
- Poor Tone Quality
Best Uses
- Practicing
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
This thing is a piece of junk.Needs to be set up right out of the box.The pick up is ok but then all you are doing is amplifiying a poor sounding and playing instrument.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
I'm actually a fan of Epiphone. Have a 12 string of theirs as well as another f style mandolin that are both great. This one was a complete let down. I would highly recomend moving on to another mando before you spend your hard earned cash a piece of junk.
Loved the idea of the adjustable pickup, just didn't quite work like it should.
Out of the box noticed that it looked like it was a hobby made instrument. Tried to overlook the cosmetic issues and focus on the build in electronics. Replaced the poor quality strings and gave it a go. Had so many issues with intonation once I started up the neck; adjusted bridge placement for a little help, but frets were just not placed well at all. After with dealing with the poortone quality for a few months noticed that there was a crack on the back of the neck/body union on the back. Watched it for a while and noticed that it just got worse and worse as time passed. The entire neck was pulling away from the instrument. Sent it back.
Save your money
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
The comments above say it all. An instrument that will not play in tune is an simply an unacceptable product. Stay far away if you want a competently built mandolin.
The built-in pickup with its variable placement (for tune control) was a fabulous idea that sadly, was inplemented very badly. The fretwork of the instrument was done so badly that four consecutive frets all played the very same note. The store who sold it to me tried to fix this free, but was not able to do so, and consequently, it was returned. I would like to see someone implement this properly, as the pickup concept was a good very one. But this product reflects terribly on Epiphone, and though them, the parent company as well. I ultimately bought another manufacturer's competently built instrument.
Not at all playable.
Worthless.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
Even a professional luthier could not make this beast playable with two tries. I ultimately returned it, soon finding a far finer instrument in the same price range. There is no no excuse for putting an instrument on the market that does not have a properly intonated fretboard. Yet the movable pickup, as mounted, is a wonderful idea that deserves to be implemented by a competent builder. This was an extremely disappointing experience, as it had such wonderful potential, yet was implemented so completely ineptly.
Loved the pickup arrangement with its versatile tonal possibilities, but the terrible intonation of the completely defective fretboard made it impossible to play,
Simply not competently made. When four consecutive frets (11-15) respond with exactly the same note, there are very serious problems.
An unplayable instrument cannot have value at any price.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
Workmanship is a real problem, however, it does not affect the performance of the instrument. Sound is great both acustic and electric.
It has everything I wanted and it sounds and works great out of the box.
This instrument looks like it was assembled by a monkey working for bananas. Workmanship is terrible. The screws on the tuner plates stick out far enough for a fingernail to fit under them. There are runs on the front finish.There are gaps between the binding and top. It looks like the area of the F was finished with a cold chisel and 5 pound hammer. The low rating is for cosmetics.
Better workmanship would have made this a 10.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
Bad investment...beware.
The biult in pickup was a good idea since I do a lot of recording
The construction of this instrument looked like it was built on a cobblers bench. Very poorly consrtucted. Very sad for Epiphone. Tried tuning it. Imposible! The 12th fret note was a whole step high. After fussing with it for a while and two replaced strings I put back in the box and set it back.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
This unit gives good performance in both accoustic and electric use. It's the best of both worlds that I have found at a reasonable price. Accoustic has good projection, and plugged in sounds great - like a mandolin. The placement of the electronics in the pickguard wtih a real humbicker pickup works well. Materials are great - but give it a good lookover when you recieve it - the assembly was a little lacking - so I had to retighten, tweak and adjust a bit. Lack of information was annoying, but I worked through it with Gibson staff. I'm very satisfied.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
I recently purchased the MM50e Professional and it required very little set up. The sound and tone are great and after a little experimentation I finally got the electric pickup working good. I would definitely recommend this instrument to any mediocre mandolin picker.The only real complaint is there was absolutely no documentation with the instrument. No owners manual, technical specs, nothing. Musicians Friend suggested I writed Epiphone. Epiphone has failed to respond. I have also written Shadow, the electronics manufacturer. We'll se if that works. If you already know how to set a mandolin up, it is a good value. Just don't expect any papers to help you.
Comments about Epiphone MM-50E Professional Electric Mandolin:
This is a well-built F-style mandolin, and the natural finish gives it that rustic look that stands out on stage in a Bluegrass setting. I own six mandolins, and have played in a Bluegrass band for 26 years..."Hometown Bluegrass". I look for a mandolin that has a good balance between tone and a chunky percussive "chop" for keeping the back beat in the meter. This mandolin qualifies in both respects. I bought two Kentucky mandolins last year, the 855 and the 505. I love their sound and play them all the time. Lately, however, I have a touch of arthritis and needed something that still has good tone but is easier to play. The Epiphone MM-50E has a flat and wider fretboard, and I find this easier to pull off those faster licks. Presently I have no need for the electric pickup, but I do have hearing loss, and might eventually need to use it with a small amp at jams. For the price, this is a good value. I recommend it. It is well built, sounds good tonally, has a good chop, and is easy for your fingers to get around on. Well done Gibson.
Displaying reviews 1-10
