I bought an A-model, Oscar Schmidt off the wall, new, for $100 US, some years ago. It's got a plywood top, but an extremely good sound. I had been looking for a cheap mando for several years and just picked this one up to noodle a bit. I bought it immediately! I took this mando to a big western campout and was jamming around the fire late one night when a guy from several campfires away came over and asked to examine it. He really looked it over and told me he couldn't believe it was a Schmidt. Turns out he was a worker of some sort in the Flatiron Shop in Bozeman, MT (before they moved). I think the point is, all grades of instruments have their highs and lows. If you keep looking, you might find the best one out of the factory that day!