Johnson MA100 Lynchburg Mandolin, Black

 Takes some work, but it's worth it
I bought one of these for myself in 2004. Then, I took the strings off -- they're second-rate anyway -- so that I could fix it properly.

The nut was misaligned, two millimetres too high, & stood off the fingerboard due to excess glue.

The bridge was slightly bent, & had poor final shaping.

I sat down with two pieces of sandpaper (Fine & Extra-Fine) &, while watching TV for two hours, did a few hundred dollars' worth of fixing. I shoved the nut loose, trimmed it, & removed the dried glue. Then I reshaped the bridge feet so they met the body perfectly, narrowed the saddles, & sanded the lands on either adjust-post. Then I put it back together & played it for hours.

Don't get me wrong. This is a beautiful instrument, & you'll kick yourself the first time you scratch it. The deep gloss black works very well with the milk-white binding. The fitting is surprisingly good for a commercial instrument at any price. And the tone comes across as mature & well-seasoned right out of the box -- I'd compare it to that of a mando that's had a good home for ten years or more.

For this price, if you're a working musician, get two or three & do the work. All it's missing is a pickup. The tone is satisfying, & the left-hand feel surprisingly good. If someone handed this to me (with the above repairs) blindfolded, & said it retailed at $600, I wouldn't doubt it based on playability.