I Bought a PLAYTECH PFM10F Flat Mandolin

I often play the violin on my days off, but it suddenly occurred to me that I would like to play other instruments as well, even though I can’t play ...... (laughs). Perhaps those of you who play some kind of instrument are thinking, “I want to be able to play other instruments too!” I suddenly bought a mandolin, the instrument that led me to this thought, and tried playing it, so I would like to write a review of it in this blog.

What kind of instrument is a mandolin?

To begin with, have you ever heard of a “mandolin”? To be honest, it is not a major instrument, and many people may not even know what kind of instrument it is. The mandolin was born in Italy around the 17th century, and is a stringed instrument that produces sound by plucking the strings and is an instrument that is similar to the lute and the guitar.

Two types of mandolins: the “classical mandolin” and the “flat mandolin”

There are two types of mandolins, called the classical mandolin and the flat mandolin.

Classical Mandolin

- Classical Mandolin Product List -

The body is shaped like a fig split in half lengthwise, and it is this type of mandolin that is played by many mandolin ensembles and mandolin orchestras in Japan.

Flat Mandolin

- Flat Mandolin Product List -

PLAYTECH / SA100 VS Flat Mandolin (A Style)

The flat body, on the other hand, was born from the United States and is based on the classical mandolin. As the name suggests, it has a flat body and is mainly used in bluegrass and country music. The sound quality is more sparkly than that of the classical mandolin. Flat mandolins are further divided into A-type and F-type mandolins with different body shapes.

Why did I choose the mandolin?

Going back to why I chose the mandolin, it is because it can be played with the same fingering and scale as the violin. The strings of the mandolin are tuned in the same way as the violin, with the open strings from G, D, A, and E, which is quite attractive to me. However, there are some differences, such as the fact that the mandolin has eight doubled strings, while the violin has four, and that the right hand requires picking with a pick, which is something I have not practiced much. However, from my point of view without knowledge of chords, I felt that I could play the mandolin better than I could play the guitar, which is often played by ordinary people.

I immediately looked into mandolins and found one that was on special discount for a limited time, so I took the chance and bought one. Here it is.

PLAYTECH / PFM10F F Style Flat Mandolin

I chose this one because it looks stylish and the body is thinner than a classical mandolin, so it seemed easier to play.

I played a flat mandolin.

The body of the mandolin I bought looks like this

The side looks like this

When I actually held it, it was just the right size and easy to hold.

The tone was very soothing with a pleasant, sparkling tone, just as I had heard before. It is the kind of sound that gives me a sense of peace when I listen to it.
As for the picks, I initially used a guitar triangle-shaped pick, but I felt that it did not fit the size of the instrument, so I bought an additional pick specially designed for mandolin. At the same time, I also purchased a strap that allows me to hold the instrument comfortably. I personally found it easier to play the flat mandolin with the strap.

FENDER / 358 Shape Classic Celluloid Picks MEDIUM Pick for mandolin

LEVY'S / M19-BRN

I was able to install it on the mandolin I purchased without any problems!

As a violin player, I am not very good at picking anyway, so I enjoy playing my favorite songs while practicing my picking everyday. Currently I can only play slow tempo songs, so I would like to be able to play fast tempo songs someday! I will practice hard.

How was it? This time I wrote a review of a mandolin that I bought out of the blue. My impression was that if you can play the violin, you can play it quite well as long as you practice picking with your right hand. I hope this blog will spark your interest in the mandolin!