Play a Korean knock-off called an Encore. Fenders are manufactured by the same outfit. Purchased it in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland while on a bike tour a few years ago. It's got a laminated top with a magnetic single-coil pick-up. It's a good instrument for the money, but I quickly found out it can't be heard real well over other instruments during a session. While playing in a celtic/Irish band last year the demands of gigging every weekend revealed the flaws. Had to replace the volume pot, pick-up and the tuners. Some Grover mini-guitar tuners and a Bartolini 'fat strat' improved the sound a ton. When replacing the pot and pick-up I had the tech re-wire it and now there's no low level hum. Run it thru a 15 band eq ahead of the amp and both pots wide open. Get a servicable mandolin sound.