Many associate the mandolin with country or bluegrass music, but the truth is that this small scale stringed instrument actually has its origins in 16th Century Europe. It is derived from the instrument called the mandora which was a variation on the lute. Today's mandolins are generally composed of four pairs of strings, i.e. eight strings total, with each pair tuned identically.The modern mandolin, which is called the Neapolitan mandolin, is tuned identical to a violin, i.e. starting with G and moving up in fifths. Unlike a violin, however, the mandolin has frets and is played with a pick, not a bow. In style of play, the mandolin is much closer to its larger cousin, the guitar.
There are a number of different variations on the basic mandolin style though, and the Neapolitan is truly just one of many. There is also a Portuguese, flat-backed style mandolin, a Howe-Orme mandolin, and a banjo style mandolin. There is another style of mandolin, however, that has become quite popular since its inception: the Gibson style mandolin.
The Gibson mandolin was created by Orville Gibson, founder of the now famous Gibson guitar company, and it comes in two basic forms. There is the F style Gibson mandolin that features a scroll located close to the neck and a pair of points on the right side, and there is also the A style Gibson mandolin which is shaped like a pear and has no points whatsoever. The early model Gibson vintage mandolins were signed by their designer Lloyd Loar and have become extremely valuable in recent years. If you are on a budget, however, you can still find a great used mandolin that can provide many years of excellent playability.
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