Old thread I know, but a mandolin is an instrument in and of itself. Left hand technique is very different, much closer to violin than guitar. You need to watch some of the good beginner lessons free on line. You need to come to the strings from a very different angle than a guitar.
All Eastman mandolins are a great place to start. They do not make a plywood mandolin, and many, myself included, do not perceive a huge tonal difference across the line. Nicer hardware, nicer finish, but tone not so much. Fine place to start.
So is a Kentucky KM 150 and above, and the solid wood Loars.
It is shocking what a good F style will cost, but A styles $1200 to $1800(used) will be very good.
Plain F styles from Collings and Gibson are around $4700 new. These are bare bones as far as binding and inlay are concerned. They take as much time to make as an archtop guitar.
But there is a far greater difference in an Eastman and a Gibson mandolin than an Eastman and a Gibson guitar.
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