Ortega RMF30-WB F-Style Mandolin Whiskey Burst

I wrote to the folks at Ortega to clarify whether this had a solid spruce top or not and never got a reply. From the appearance of the F holes, it looks to be solid, but they've painted the inner edges to where it's difficult to really tell. The back and sides are definitely plywood. The fit and finish were acceptable, but the hardware is seriously lacking. two of the tuners couldn't be turned without using a pair of pliers. The tailpiece edges weren't bend to form around the body and were screwed in leaving big gaps on either side of the instrument. The same with the the headstock tuner rails. There's gaps between the wood and the rails that could have been corrected with a light careful bending. The frets are smooth and rounded on the ends, at least they got that right. But the bridge couldn't be lowered any farther that what you might consider a factory set height without some serious fret leveling being done between the 7th and the 12th frets. This instrument is OK for a beginner, but will need a set of higher grade tuners and a fret leveling job for anyone who's at a more accomplished level.