Kentucky KM-505 vs. Eastman MD-505

[Mike S.]

I am mainly a guitar player (my wife would say guitar nut). Not too long ago, I noticed how much new music I'd purchased that featured the mandolin (the album "Tone Poems" with David Grisman and Tony Rice got me started down this path). I realized that I really like the high, pure sound of a mandolin. I met a guy at an event at the Podium and he told me he'd been bitten by the mandolin bug, too. When I realized that the tuning and fingerings were the same as violin, I decided that this might be a fun instrument to have around the house, as my younger daughter is learning violin. I could play along with her as she works through the books, and when she's older, she should have an easy time picking up the mandolin and playing along with me on guitar if she wants to.

So late last week, after a lot of research, I ordered myself an Eastman MD-505 from The Mandolin Store in Wickenburg, AZ. It arrived today -- only inside the box was not an Eastman MD-505 but a Kentucky KM-505. I called the store and told them what had happened and he said there must have been a a mistake on their end. He said he'd ship me an Eastman 505 (I asked him to play through the ones he had in stock and pick out the best one for me) and a return shipping label and suggested that I play both and send back the one I didn't want. If I keep the Kentucky, he'll refund me the difference in price ($599 vs. $419).

It's an interesting "accident," because these were the two I was actually comparing against each other when I called to place my order; the salesman ultimately recommended the Eastman over the Kentucky based on better overall fit 'n' finish and a lifetime warranty. He said he thought they would play and sound very similar, but that I should judge for myself.

Do you all have any advice for me as I make the comparison between the two? This is my first ever mandolin.

Mike

[pager]

I personally prefer the Eastman 505 over the Kentucky. In my opinion it is a better mandolin. Of course my taste may not match yours. I think you would be very happy with either one. The lifetime warranty with the Eastman is a great deal. Their customer service has always been very good when I have delt with them (they replaced a case AND the bridge for free when I had trouble with the bridge). The case was just abuse on my part ... but they still sent me a new one! That is great service IMHO.

jillian

[OldSausage]

If it's not immediately obvious from just playing and listening which you like best, one thing I would suggest if you have the equipment is to record the sound of each to help you make a more objective comparison. Make sure you have the same mic and distance for each and play the same piece or set of chords - anything simple will do. Play up and down the neck, play chop chords and ringing chords. The better your mic and headphones or speakers the more meaningful the results will be.

[Jill McAuley]

One great thing is that they are both coming from The Mandolin Store, so they'll be well set up - there'll be an "even playing field" when you A/B them. I've played quite a few Eastman 505's against the Kentucky KM505 and while I preferred the Kentucky, I do believe that in all those cases it was also the better set up instrument. Either way you can't fail - they're both great for the money and I think your decision will likely come down to which one feels the best in your hands - the neck profiles on them are slightly different (another reason I personally lean towards the Kentucky) - neck preference is such a individual thing, as I'm sure you're aware of as a guitar player. And I second Old Sausage's suggestion to record them as well. Happy deciding and keep us posted on which one is the keeper!

Cheers,
Jill

[ccravens]

Assuming that the sound, playability and feel are close to the same on both (maybe a big assumption), the lifetime warranty, and great customer service that pager mentioned would be the deal breaker for me. Fun problem to have.... let us know the decision. :mandosmiley:

[Caleb]

These two are very similar in quality, so I'd just keep the one that sounds and plays the best. I own an Eastman 505 and I used to own a Kentucky 350 A-style, which is basically the same as a KY505 with less ornamintation. The Kentucky sounded much better to my ear than the Eastman ever has. The Eastman has more of a rounded, warm tone, where the Kentucky was louder with a more woody bark to it. It had some neck issues due to a botched repair job; if not for that I'd still own it. It actaully came very close to the perfect mandolin tone, to my ear at least. Either way, you've got a fun predicament there. Have fun.

[WillyG]

I have owned four Eastmans, including an MD605 which is almost identical to the MD505 you ordered. I find the Eastmans to be the easiest playing mandolins around and they have reasonably good sound quality as well. Plenty good enough to last a budding player many years (if you don't get the bug like so many of us for more and better instruments).

As you are a beginner, I would highly recommend you take both of these mandolins to a good acoustic store or mandolin teacher and have them play them for you while you listen. For two reasons. One, you can't hear what a mandolin truly sounds like when you're behind it (unless you record it, of course) so it helps to listen to someone else play it. Two, you won't be able to coax the best tone out of either instrument until you get a little further into your development. Good instruments respond to able playing more than poor instruments, but it's hard to tell that difference unless there is an "able player" behind the wheel.

Having said that, I would also of course recommend you play them both yourself and see how they feel and sound to you. Even if you are a total beginner, there may be things about the instrument that please or displease you, and you'll only know that if you try them yourself.

I don't think you'll go wrong whichever one your choose. And I know you'll have some great days ahead of you with either mandolin. Good luck!

[Mike S.]

I received the Eastman yesterday and compared them last night after dinner. Here's where I came down:

1. I like the look of the wood on the Kentucky better -- nice flame in the maple on the back and the top has very even grain. I also like the darker sunburst. The wood on the Eastman (particularly the back) is not as pretty looking, at least to me. Most noticable is the fact that the two halves of the back are not matched -- the left side has a lot of landscaping and what looks like a knot and the right side has a nice horizontal flame pattern. The top has fairly even, wide grain, but the lines are quite a bit darker and the stripes stand out due to the lighter top finish.

Eastman:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0130.jpg http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0131.jpg

Kentucky:
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0134.jpg http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0135.jpg

2. That said, I like the overall look of the Eastman better. The biggest thing is that I prefer the nickel finish on the tuners and tailpiece to the gold plated parts on the Kentucky. I also like the simpler headstock (no inlay) of the Eastman. I also prefer the Eastman's wooden truss rod cover to the Kentucky's plastic one.

3. The finish work on the Eastman is a bit better than the Kentucky. There was a 1/2" long scratch in the Kentucky's fingerboard that really stood out, and the binding on the neck near the nut was gouged, as though the person fitting the nut went a little overboard with the file. The finish was fairly thickly applied in places, and the underside of the fretboard extension was very rough and almost white, as though there was glue stuck in the unsanded endgrain. The overall fit and finish of the Eastman was cleaner and just a notch higher, though I thought the lacquer was still a bit thick in spots. On both instruments, the finish didn't fully cover the f-holes if you looked in at the sides. Not a huge deal, though, on a factory-made instrument at this price point.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0139.jpg

4. Playability and set-up of the two instruments was comparable. They both came from The Mandolin Store and were set up before they were shipped out, so I expected them to be comparable on that score. Both were very easy to play and played in tune all the way up the neck (I had to re-locate the bridge on the Kentucky as it moved during shipment). Overall, my left had took to the neck of the Eastman nicely -- the angle of the V was just right for my thumb and the narrower nut width made for easy fretting.

5. How did they compare, soundwise? Well, to my ears, they were very different. The Kentucky sounded tighter -- though the trebles were clear and clean, they were also a bit thin compared to the Eastman. The Eastman was much more resonant and open sounding, with a much more complex mid-range. The lower strings, in particular, sounded much richer and fuller on the Eastman. I played chords, scales, and single note lines at the nut and up the neck, and the Eastman sounded full and open and rich where the Kentucky sounded clean and clear but a bit tight. It is very possible that the Kentucky will open up with playing, but in my experience with guitars, an instrument that sounds good new will sound even better once it's been played a while, and an instrument that might sound good once it opens up will only ever sound good, not better than good. My wife and kids (who knew nothing about the two instruments other than that I had to pick one to keep and send one back) all agreed that the Eastman sounded better and looked less "country" than the Kentucky. My older daughter (who is 9) said: "Dad, it doesn't really matter what it looks like, it's the sound that counts. Don't worry that the wood on the back doesn't match up. You'll never see the back anyway." From the mouths of babes . . .

Anyway, I am going to keep the Eastman (since that's the one I ordered and have already paid for), but I'm glad I had a chance to play and compare the Kentucky. It was a pretty close race, and I think I would have been happy with either one.

Mike

[Mike S.]

A couple more pictures (I was maxed out at 5):

Eastman full view:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0129.jpg

Kentucky fingerboard extension:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/IMG_0137.jpg

[terzinator]

Sounds like you made a good choice, Mike! Fun to have the opportunity to A/B similar instruments on your own turf (rather than in a sometimes hurried, sometimes noisy store setting).

I think the back on the Eastman looks great. It does look like a match to me. Not as symmetrical as the kentucky's but I think it's a match. The lighter patches on the right seem to correspond fairly consistently with the dark patches on the left.

Looks like a nicer tailpiece on the Eastman, too.

Well done. I give you about a week before you're contemplating your next mandolin purchase. ;)

[Folkmusician.com]

Mike,

Great review! :)

[Caleb]

I really enjoyed that review, and I'm glad you got to compare the two; if not you'd have likely always wondered. I found the comment about the Eastman looking "less country" particularly interesting. I have to agree. In fact, the only thing that I dislike about the entire Kentucky line is the name. To me is has always seemed like a lame marketing angle. I feel the same way about the new mandolins being made called "The Loar." I mean, c'mon... It genuinely rubs me wrong.

At any rate, you've got the very same Eastman model as me. I took the gloss off mine and I like it even better now.

[icuker]

About a year ago I went to Spruce Tree music in Madison Wisconsin(as well as Madison Sound) and looked at Mandos. I liked the Eastmans in the price range that I was looking at (Though a Breedlove or Collings at the Madison sound store would have been great ;) )

The one you got has what I thought of at the time a Blotchy appearance, which I personally liked better than the regular sunburst (both I was comparing were the 505).

The sunburst one sounded better to both my wife and I (she's a violinist with a good ear), but it was hard not buy the "blotchy" finished one as it was very pretty to look at.

The one I had bought they had in the store awhile (5 months?) and the other had just come in within the prior week and smelled like varnish. So, I always wondered if the less vibrant sound out the newer one was just that it hadn't finished drying out yet, and if it would liven up when it did.

But all in all, I really like my Eastmen 505 sunburst. I didn't play it much right at first but in the last 3- 4 months I have been hitting it hard and improving right along (I also dabble in guitar, ukukele).

Anyrate, hope you enjoy yours like I've enjoyed mine. Playing Mando takes so much concentration you really get lost in it sometimes.

[acousticphd]

Good thread and good review. I'm sure it will be helpful to people looking for good $500-$600 instruments.

I have played both, but never at the same time/side-by-side. My impression was similar to yours; the Eastman 505 looks nicer (the classic finish version, not the regular finish), and maybe is fitted out just slightly more nicely, but the sound I thought was very similar. Or, to elaborate a bit, I always thought the sound of Eastmans I have tried (maybe 8-10 different mandolins) ranged from just OK to pretty good. The Kentucky 505 I bought, as a gift, I thought sounded just as good - meaning, really pretty good considering the ~$300 used price. I always thought it couldn't be a complete coincidence that Kentucky chose the same model name (505); they are very similar.

A couple of important considerations made me choose the Kentucky over an Eastman. First, I like the radiused FB. Second, the 1-3/16" nut on the KM505 is substantially more comfortable and makes a big difference in playability IMO. Even though I gave the KM505 as a gift, those things (and the lower cost) makes it come out slightly ahead, to my mind.

Thanks for the comparison of yours, and hope you like the Eastman a lot!

[Capt. E]

Interesting and informative experience you had. I will agree you seem to have made the right choice keeping the Eastman. In the end, there is no substitute for being able to compare in person. I tend to like the Kentucky's that I have tried out, but that is just me. Enjoy your new Eastman.

[Caleb]

A couple of important considerations made me choose the Kentucky over an Eastman. First, I like the radiused FB. My Eastman 505 has a radiused fretboard. I thought they all did?

[OldSausage]

My Eastman 505 has a radiused fretboard. I thought they all did?

I think the early ones had flat fretboards, but you're right, they all have a radius now.

[Mike S.]

Just a follow-up note: I got a call this evening from Brian at The Mandolin Store asking me whether I'd received the Eastman mandolin and whether I'd had a chance to compare them and make my decision. I have to say I have been very impressed with their follow-through on this. They made it easy for me to deal with the situation and really did what they could to make it right. In retrospect, I feel this experience really was a happy accident, as they say.

Thanks, too, for your positive feedback on the post. I enjoyed writing it!

Mike

P.S. For the sake of fairness, I took a photo of the underside of the Eastman's fretboard extension. It's not that much different than the Kentucky's:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n286/mpsampson/photo.jpg