One style of the mandolin has a carved top.
Mandolin . There are many styles of mandolin , but three are common , the Neapolitan or round-backed mandolin , the carved-top mandolin and the flat-backed mandolin . The carved-top or arch-top mandolin has a much shallower , arched back , and an arched top -- both carved out of wood . Carved-top instruments are common in American folk music and bluegrass music .