Authentic mandolin "chop" is recognizable from the first strum, and can only be found in an instrument with a true, hand-carved Spruce top. We've hand-carved the tops of the LM-310F to provide that real 1920s sound, but with enough vibration to still cut through in today's ensemble playing. The thin V profile of the maple neck fits comfortably in the player's hand and our removal of the fretboard extension beyond the 20th fret allows for easy strumming without getting hung up on the extended upper frets.