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Fender PM-180E Mandolin - Aged Cognac Burst with Walnut Fingerboard

Acoustic-electric Mandolin with Spruce Top, Mahogany Body, Maple Neck, Walnut Fingerboard, and 1 Fishman Pickup - Aged Cognac Burst
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Fender PM-180E Mandolin - Aged Cognac Burst with Walnut Fingerboard
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Engineered for Top-notch Playability

Fender’s PM-180E Mandolin is a go-to choice for players looking for a highly versatile mandolin at a price that won’t break the bank. From classic American bluegrass to Celtic folk, the PM-180E is the companion that won’t quit, regardless of venue size, thanks to its clear and strong onboard active Fishman Implant mandolin pickup. This mandolin resonates with tremendous beauty courtesy of a laminated spruce top with a mahogany body, additionally providing great projection from dual f-holes. Sweetwater players also love how the appearance of the PM-180E is just as comforting as its song, offering chrome hardware and snowflake inlays all the way up its walnut fingerboard. Throw in a set of Fender Phosphor Bronze Mandolin Strings and a gig bag, and this mandolin is ready to take any stage with the utmost confidence in style and sound.

Looks (and sounds) that kill!

The PM-180E features an A-style body shape reinforced with parallel tone bar bracing for a natural resonance and projection that sounds just as great acoustically as it does plugged in. A lovely shaped 3-ply pickguard, chrome tailpiece, and open-gear pearloid-buttoned tuning machines add to the traditional aesthetic of this mandolin, making it a suitable choice for just about any genre.

Additionally, 21 frets span the 18-inch radius walnut fingerboard which sits atop a V-shaped maple neck, supplying lightning-fast playability with plenty of room for comfortable thumb playing. A sturdy walnut bridge and buzz-less bone nut offer great intonation for all eight strings, giving you the performance reliability you need when center stage. And at such a competitive price, there just isn’t another mandolin on the market that offers the same construction and performance quality that you can consistently rely on!

Fender PM-180E Mandolin Features:

  • Spruce top with mahogany back and sides, offering fantastic resonance and projection
  • Parallel tone bar bracing increases the natural resonance of this mandolin
  • Fishman Implant mandolin pickup is clear and strong, and fit for any venue
  • A-style body shape with dual f-holes creates a more traditional aesthetic
  • Chrome hardware with snowflake inlays and 3-ply pickguard look stunning
  • 21-fret, 18-inch walnut fingerboard is responsive and features ivoroid binding
  • V-shaped maple neck is comfortable and allows for easy thumb playing

Why Buy Your Mandolin from Sweetwater?

See how Sweetwater goes to great lengths to give you the very best online mandolin buying experience. From our online Guitar Gallery that allows you to see and select the exact instrument you want to our 55-point Inspection process and our in-house guitar techs, we take the guesswork out of buying your next mandolin online.

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Tech Specs

  • Type: Acoustic-electric
  • Body Shape: A Style
  • Color: Aged Cognac Burst
  • Finish: Satin
  • Top Material: Laminated Spruce
  • Body Material: Laminated Mahogany
  • Neck Material: Maple
  • Neck Shape: V Shape
  • Fingerboard Material: Walnut
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Snowflakes
  • Number of Frets: 21
  • Scale Length: 13.9"
  • Nut Width: 1.12"
  • Bridge Material: Walnut
  • Tuners: Open Gear with Pearloid buttons
  • Hardware: Chrome
  • Electronics: Fishman Implant Mandolin pickup
  • Strings: Phosphor Bronze Mandolin, .011-.040
  • Case/Gig Bag: Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: 0970382337

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Customer Reviews

Write your review
Rated 4.5/5

Love this Mandolin

I've been playing this Mandolin for a couple of months now in an Irish Pub band, and absolutely love it. I originally thought it would be a back up to my Fender fm52e, but it has become the go to.
The only thing I would mark against it is, It will pick up movement since it is a Piezo Pickup. But, Its minor and hardly noticeable on stage
Rated 4/5

Excellent value at this price

As a guitarist, I wanted to learn mandolin to more accurately to cover some new songs my group is performing. After doing research, I settled on the Fender PM-180E A-style mandolin, specifically because it was one of the few models in this price range that came with a pickup. The PM-180E was playable immediately out of the box, although I brought it to a luthier to do a proper setup. (Always recommended). The PM-180E is a good sounding instrument and I recommend buying one from the great folks at Sweetwater. (Hi, Caleb!)

This mando gets four stars rather than five due to some small, but fixable issues. Upon first arrival, the bridge did not sit completely flat on the top of the instrument (not easy to see - I don't fault Sweetwater's 55-point inspection). My luthier discovered that Fender tightly mounts the Fishman pickup in a small hole; it pokes up slightly above surface level to fit snugly into the bottom center of the bridge. However, the bridge's bottom hadn't been sufficiently drilled out for the pickup to fit inside comfortably and so prevented the bridge from sitting flat. For those of you who want perfect intonation at the 12th fret, keep in mind the bridge cannot slide forwards or backwards because the pickup prevents bridge movement. However, it's a compensated bridge and works well; I haven't experienced intonation problems at high frets. Fender did a good job of accurately locating the pickup so you shouldn't need to move the bridge. And, the pickup works well and sounds good.

Other areas my luthier fixed included sanding down the the nut; it needed to be lowered to improve playability at the first and second fret. The cover over the tailpiece that you slide off to change strings was on so tight I needed a screwdriver to remove it, so my luthier gently loosened it for easier removal.

The included carry case is just a glorified garment bag - no padding or protection (except from dust, I suppose) so I bought a hard shell case. The included strap is a black 2" wide guitar strap, so I bought a Fender mandolin strap from Sweetwater, which is a typical thin style leather strap normally seen on mandos; I don't understand why Fender doesn't include it with the purchase.

I'm using my Fender PM-180E A-style mandolin at rehearsals and on stage. At this price it's an excellent value and I'd buy it again if my current one gets damaged.
Music background: 50+ years guitarist

It’s impossible to imagine a world without Fender guitars, and if you’re like many of the guitarists at Sweetwater, then Fender not only made the first guitar you ever bought " they made the last one too! From building the first mass-produced solidbody electric guitars and basses in the 1950s to creating some of the most influential amplifier designs in history, it’s no wonder why Fender is one of the biggest names in the business. As one of the world’s largest Fender dealers, we have countless guitars, basses, amps, effects pedals, and accessories in stock and ready to ship, whenever you need them. We’re always getting our hands on their latest creations, and there’s nothing we love more than to tell our customers all about them! So, whether you’re looking for your first axe or a Custom Shop creation, make sure to give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.

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