Kay mandolin ? good one ?

[kkmm]

I found this one from a local CL listing

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/msd/4173509367.html

eBay lists a few of these between 150 to 200 (non-electric).
I have no experience with Kay mandolins.

Do you think this is a good buy ? (consider the electric part too).

[bmac]

The Kay mando has been around for a long time They were at the lower end of mandos... a beginner instrument... Playable but not remarkable. I think that is what you can expect if in good condition. I don't know about electronics but if you can get a playable one in that range it is probably an OK price...

If you buy it then start saving your money for your next one as we all go through our first mando after we become comfortable playing mando and start coveting the next level of quality.... It happens to all of us.

[Jim Garber]

The ad has expired.

[pfox14]

No such thing as a good Kay mandolin. Cheapest of the cheap.

[Tom Coletti]

Nay, I tried a '60s Kay in a local store recently and it wasn't that bad. Not much of a sound past the 12th fret because of too-low action, but the lower notes had a decent tone, considering it was about a quarter of the price of a Kenyucky KM-150 in the same shop and probably 3/4 of the sound quality.

--Tom

[kkmm]

Thanks for the input, I will never consider Kay mandolins in the future, sound like a Johnson, Savannha or Rogue to me.

[pfox14]

Thanks for the input, I will never consider Kay mandolins in the future, sound like a Johnson, Savannha or Rogue to me.

Exactly right. Good for kindling

[Jim Nollman]

No such thing as a good Kay mandolin. Cheapest of the cheap.

Humbly disagree. I used one quite often as a recording instrument for about 5 years. Admittedly, i also had work done on it, to radius the fingerboard and add new tuners and a bridge. Mine played with a very clear version of that unique Kay mild-mannered tone. Sure, it was neither a bluegrass hoss, nor anything like a Gibson A with tone like a heavenly choir. But can we all agree, those are comparisons of apples and oranges, and not a valid reflection about a good Kay recorded on a good day.

[Michael Weaver]

Comparing apples to oranges would be comparing it to a guitar. Since you are comparing mandolin to mandolin, I would say apples to apples. That being said, a Gibson is like a warm apple pie and a Kay is the brown mush you pull out of the bottom of the bag when it sits too long. I have my grandfathers old Kay mando from the 50's. It literally sounds like a cowbell taped to a banjo.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Comparing apples to oranges would be comparing it to a guitar. Since you are comparing mandolin to mandolin, I would say apples to apples. That being said, a Gibson is like a warm apple pie and a Kay is the brown mush you pull out of the bottom of the bag when it sits too long. I have my grandfathers old Kay mando from the 50's. It literally sounds like a cowbell taped to a banjo.

To be fair, not all Kay's are created equal. Some of the nicer ones sound like a cowbell attached to a banjo using hide glue.

[Tom Coletti]

If we're going to call Gibson an apple pie, then I've sampled at least a couple with stale crust and bitter filling. No mandolin is without its flaws, and without a good setup, any mandolin can sound sub-par.

--Tom

[Jim Nollman]

This discussion brings me back to a David Lindley interview I read many years ago in Guitar Player magazine. Lindley had such a unique style that you could hear an unknown recording, and instantly know it was him playing. His interest in choosing musical instruments was also unique for a pro who could own anything. In that interview, he talked at length about hunting down, buying, and then setting-up inexpensive, cast-off instruments. Whenever I see a Tesco del Rey on EBay (spelling?) I still think of David.

I promote that same hunt. Think of it as an alternative economy to the other mandolin hunt we hear about everyday on the Cafe.

It's really nothing special to make an inexpensive instrument do what 99% of us actually need in an instrument. The main challenge is giving up the mindset that values instrument sound quality either by its cost, or by how well it emulates somebody else's sound. Fortunately there's another Cafe idea that almost counters that mindset. Every instrument has a unique voice. You can find lots of threads about the best sounding Loars. Not so many threads about the worst sounding ones. And probably none about how the worst ones compare to a great 315? To do so, might make the entire market sound a bit absurd, and there would be a lot of shouting from all sides.

I did own a terrific Kay. It wasn't terrific like a Loar, or a Lyon and Healey, or whatever anyone chooses to drool over. Mine always sounded like a Kay. To me, that means warm, tubby, soft. It's all a function of that 3+ inch sound chamber, the odd shape, and the short scale. I spent little on the instrument, and immediately spent more than the purchase price to reset the neck joint plus optimize the mechanics of the fingerboard, nut, and bridge for my own playing style. When it was done, for a total of about $550, I had an instrument with a playability factor as high as I will ever need. I kept it for 8 years, recorded and performed a lot with it, added new tuners, plus a fancy Chinese tailpiece, and eventually sold it to someone on the Cafe for the unheard of sum (for a Kay) of $700+. The person who bought it, must have been that rare bird who also knew he had gotten a very nice mandolin.

[Jim Garber]

I agree with Jim N. There is some satisfaction to make music on a budget instrument. That is also the appeal of Strad-O-Lins. I bought a 50s Kay archtop a few years back. It was a true cool instrument, not a D'Angelico but prob the upperend of the Kay line. I still have one of those giant Kay flattop guitars and, aside from the true baseball bat neck, it has a great booming sound and is an excellent rhythm guitar.

BTW I am also a longtime fan of David Lindley.