First, would need to know what kind of music you plan to play. Mandolins are not created equal and a mis-match can be pretty ugly. You can get very fine American made instruments used at fairly low price levels. For example, if you like the sound on The Band albums, Levon Helm usually played a Gibson F2 from the Teens. One of those would set you back about $3K to $5K but you could look for a similarly constructed modern instrument. FWIW, you are hearing the sound of an oval soundhole mandolin with a lateral brace.
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