Specs at a glance
| Style | Construction | Soundhole | Tone | Genres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-style (oval hole) | Symmetrical teardrop, flat or carved top | Oval or round | Bright, balanced, good projection | Bluegrass, folk, Celtic, classical |
| A-style (f-hole) | Symmetrical teardrop, archtop (carved) | F-holes | Darker, warmer, complex overtones | Jazz, swing, Celtic |
| F-style (scroll) | Asymmetric with scroll & points, archtop | F-holes | Loud, punchy, focused | Bluegrass |
| Bowlback (Neapolitan) | Round bowl of curved wooden staves | Round | Bright, sweet, classical | Classical, Italian folk |
| Flattop | Flat top and back, guitar-like | Round | Warm, mellow, more sustain | Folk, singer-songwriter |
| Electric | Solid or semi-hollow, magnetic pickups | None (pickups) | Versatile, amp-dependent | Jazz, rock, progressive |
Sound & feel at a glance
| Style | Tonal character | Playability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-style (oval hole) | Bright, open, even response across strings | Comfortable, balanced on lap | Beginners, folk, Celtic |
| A-style (f-hole) | Warmer, more midrange, complex | Same comfort as oval-hole A-style | Jazz, swing, nuanced playing |
| F-style (scroll) | Punchy, focused, cuts through a band | Scroll rests on leg, stable positioning | Bluegrass, professional performance |
| Bowlback | Sweet, bright, classical character | Round back slides on lap, needs a strap | Classical repertoire, Italian folk |
| Flattop | Mellow, warm, sustained | Flat back sits well on lap | Singer-songwriters, accompaniment |
| Electric | Clean to heavily effected, amp-shaped | Lightest, most ergonomic | Experimental, rock, jazz fusion |
The rest of the page goes deeper on each body style.
A-style (oval hole)
The symmetrical teardrop body with an oval or round soundhole — originally designed by Gibson in the 1920s. The simplest and most balanced mandolin shape, with good projection and a comfortable feel on the lap. Spruce top with maple or mahogany back and sides is typical. The most affordable entry point into quality mandolins.
- Construction: symmetrical teardrop body, flat or slightly arched top, oval or round soundhole.
- Tone: bright, balanced, even response across all strings. Good projection without being harsh.
- Top wood: spruce (Sitka or Engelmann) standard. Cedar on some folk models.
- Back & sides: maple or mahogany. Maple is brighter; mahogany is warmer.
- Genres: bluegrass, folk, Celtic, classical, old-time.
- Price point: most accessible — the A-style is where budget-friendly mandolins live.
A-style (f-hole)
Same teardrop body as the oval-hole A-style but with f-holes cut into a carved archtop. The archtop construction — carved spruce top, carved maple back — produces a darker, warmer tone with more midrange focus and complex overtones. Less raw volume than an oval-hole model but a more nuanced, sophisticated voice.
- Construction: symmetrical teardrop body, carved archtop (spruce), carved back (maple).
- Soundholes: two f-holes, same as violin family.
- Tone: darker, warmer, more midrange emphasis. Complex overtones with less direct projection than oval-hole.
- Playability: same comfortable teardrop shape as oval-hole A-style.
- Genres: jazz, swing, Celtic, chamber music.
F-style (scroll)
The asymmetric body with an ornamental scroll on the upper bout and a point on the lower bout. The Gibson F-5, designed by Lloyd Loar in 1922, is the archetype. Same archtop construction as the A-style f-hole — carved spruce top, carved maple back — but with the decorative scroll and points that define the look of a professional bluegrass mandolin.
- Scroll: purely decorative — no tonal advantage. Adds to manufacturing cost and instrument price.
- Tone: loud, punchy, focused. The sonic superiority attributed to F-styles comes from the internal bracing pattern (tone bars), not the scroll shape.
- Construction: carved spruce top, carved maple back, f-holes, decorative scroll and points.
- Playability: the scroll hooks over the player’s leg, providing a stable playing position.
- Genres: bluegrass above all else. THE professional bluegrass mandolin form factor.
- Price point: most expensive body style due to the complex carving and scroll work.
Bowlback (Neapolitan)
The original mandolin design from Italy — a round, bowl-shaped back made of curved wooden staves (ribs) glued together. This is what “mandolin” meant before Gibson redesigned the instrument in America. Bright, sweet, classical tone well suited to the classical mandolin repertoire and Italian folk music.
- Construction: flat spruce top, round bowl back built from 15–30+ curved wooden staves.
- Tone: bright, sweet, refined. Designed for melodic playing rather than rhythmic chop.
- Ergonomics: the round back slides off the player’s lap, making seated playing difficult without a strap or support.
- Genres: classical mandolin, Italian folk, Baroque music.
- Note: less common in American roots music — flatback designs largely replaced bowlbacks in bluegrass and folk.
Flattop
Flat top and flat back with a round soundhole — more guitar-like construction than archtop mandolins. Associated with the Army-Navy style instruments produced in large quantities in the early 20th century. Warmer, mellower tone with more sustain and less percussive chop than carved-top models.
- Construction: flat top (typically spruce), flat back (maple or mahogany), round soundhole, X-bracing or ladder bracing.
- Tone: warm, mellow, sustained. Less percussive attack than archtop models. The chop is softer.
- Playability: flat back sits comfortably on the lap. Lightweight.
- Genres: folk, singer-songwriter, accompaniment.
Electric mandolin
Solid or semi-hollow body with magnetic pickups and no acoustic soundhole. Can range from a traditional 8-string layout to 4-string or 5-string electrics. Companies like Fender, Eastwood, and Epiphone have all produced electric mandolins. Opens the instrument up to effects pedals, amplification, and genres where acoustic volume isn’t enough.
- Construction: solid body (no acoustic chamber) or semi-hollow with a sound chamber and pickups.
- Pickups: magnetic single-coil or humbucker pickups, same technology as electric guitars.
- Strings: can be 8-string (standard courses), 5-string, or 4-string depending on model.
- Tone: entirely amp- and effects-dependent. Clean jazz to distorted rock.
- Genres: jazz, progressive, rock, experimental, any amplified setting.