[bkepler]

I played (well...not quite) an awful lemon of one at a music teachers' convention. Their sales rep had mostly their orchestra instruments, but also this one mandolin. The bridge was all the way up, but the strings were still resting on the upper frets, making it unplayable. The finish was also very "glooped" around the back joint. Just a disappointing experience. I know it's not typical.

As for their orchestral instruments, their solidly built (maybe a bit over-built) and good for a student orchestra. Not much character, but good. My issue with the orchestral stuff is that the finish is about a year shy of fully curing when they're shipped and are noxious for quite a while. Not issues that keep me from recommending them, just pet peeves.