An Accessible Acoustic-electric A-style Mandolin From its nascent beginnings in Europe in the 17th century, the mandolin has been used as an accompanying instrument in various string ensembles. By the first half of the 20th century, the mandolin emerged as a key component of the American musical landscape, thanks to Bill Monroe, “the Father of Bluegrass.” Ibanez provides beginning to intermediate mandolin players with an accessible and high-quality option: the M510E. This A-style mandolin features a beautiful spruce top with sapele back and sides, an okoume neck, and a purpleheart fretboard. Many Sweetwater mandolin players declare that the spruce wood provides a clear, bright tone, while the accompanying sapele delivers a warm, balanced sound comparable to mahogany. Furthermore, with the inclusion of a magnetic single-coil pickup housed in the neck position, you can amplify that sound whenever the situation calls for it. Whether your preference is traditional folk, country, bluegrass,