New Kentuckys

[Torpedotom]

Good morning all. I was sitting here noodling on my Kentucky km171 waiting on a good friend to get here and remedy an annoying buzz it has developed at the 2nd fret on the D string and got to thinking. Everyone knows that Saga is revamping their Kentuckys already and in the near future. Supposedly improving quality and sound. Since the, IMO, km1000 is their flagship will they work on improving it and will they improve the lower numbers to the point that some or most will sound like or as good as the km1000s? I know there are real sleepers in all series and also duds. Thoughts. Thanks

[Stephen Perry]

The Kentucky line seems to be gradually undergoing a nice nice makeover. I just ordered two of the new line instruments that are modestly priced. Will be interesting to see how they work - I'll post reviews here on my objective observations and on how well they handle the work I do on such things. There's generally a lot of potential in modest instruments that isn't brought out by the standard setup work, and until that's done, I find really evaluating the package difficult. So I'll go whole hog on these to see where they stack up. Sometime there are surprises. For example, the inexpensive The Loar LM500VS really does a nice job once gone through thoroughly. I'm not sure what keeps it from shining as much before!

So stay tuned. Should be before the end of March I get these handled.

Looking forward to others' comments, too.

[Willie Poole]

If they improve the less expensive models to sound as good as the 1000`s and above they wouldn`t need to make the 1000 and 1500 any more would they? I understand that the KM-900`s and above are made at a different factory than the lesser models so maybe they are just planning on making ALL mandolins at that one factory...I owned a KM-900 and am sorry that I ever go rid of it and I am searching for a good deal for another one right now...

Willie

[Mandoplumb]

I would love to play a 900 but can't find a dealer within a hundred miles that has one or even thinks they will get one. Willie did yours sound different than the run of the mill good A's. I know the body shape is different and I may like it just for eye appeal.

[Charles E.]

There is a KM900 in the classifieds....

http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/107550#107550

[Folkmusician.com]

Since the, IMO, km1000 is their flagship will they work on improving it and will they improve the lower numbers to the point that some or most will sound like or as good as the km1000s?

I have not heard of any major changes to the master models. It is true that all of the other models are inching closer to the Masters, but the 900 and higher are still another league and even if they they start to close the tone gap, the fit, finish and appointments are not at the master model level.

This latest Kentucky revamp may be the most extreme improvement I have seen. For the most part, everything has been steadily improving for the past 15 years, with a couple of big jumps in quality that went along with redesigns. For Kentucky, the last one was 2007 which saw quite a few of the models change (but not all). It was still nothing like the last few years. I am still shocked every time I set these new Kentucky's up.

[Charles E.]

There is a KM900 in the classifieds....

http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/107550#107550

Price lowered and on hold, I wonder if Willie got it?

[Ivan Kelsall]

If i remember correctly,Willie did have one, i know because he told me,but i think he sold it. One thing i do know,is that he thought it was a superb mandolin in every way. I think he sold it because he had more mandolins than he needed,so let it go.

The KM900 was modelled after the only Gibson Lloyd Loar "A" style mandolin & Ky.did a very good job on their version. One well known Cafe member,F5Loar, still owns one i believe, & he really rates them. I played a KM505 some years back & the tone quality was amazing, & forget the ''for the price'' bit - it was amazing regardless !!,
Ivan

[trevor]

A note to UK members. I will be getting my first delivery of Kentuckys in May.

[William Smith]

If i remember correctly,Willie did have one, i know because he told me,but i think he sold it. One thing i do know,is that he thought it was a superb mandolin in every way. I think he sold it because he had more mandolins than he needed,so let it go.

The KM900 was modelled after the only Gibson Lloyd Loar "A" style mandolin & Ky.did a very good job on their version. One well known Cafe member,F5Loar, still owns one i believe, & he really rates them. I played a KM505 some years back & the tone quality was amazing, & forget the ''for the price'' bit - it was amazing regardless !!,
Ivan

There is a youtube video of my Uncle Dick Smith playing a 900 while Roland White is playing an F model, and I don't know if its Uncle Dicks gnarly playing but that 900 is one vicious sounding gourd! I believe he has a few different Kentucky's.
Didn't Kentucky make a few small batches in varnish finish?

[Northwest Steve]

They did make some varnished 900 and 1000's. They had problems getting them delivered to the dealers with out finish issues so they discontinued them. there was a café member that had a nice used 900 for sale a while back. Also there is new 1000 on ebay. They started out with two and the price was about $2200 and it seems they were hard to sell at that price, Quite a bit of competition of nice mandolins in that price range.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kentucky-KM-...wAAOSw32lYrHRk

[Ron McMillan]

I'd love to test run a KM950. That one ticks a lot of boxes.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Ron - I think you'd be amazed at how good the KM505 model sounds. I'd gone down to Hobgoblin in Manchester just to see what they had in stock & hanging on the wall was a KM505. I asked to play it,tuned it up,played it & the tone was terrifically good. It was on sale for £550 at the time. I remembered that Willie had said how good his KM900 sounded, & thought that if it sounded any better than the KM505,who'd ever need a Lloyd Loar ?. The KM505 is now around £750 UK,
Ivan

[Johnny60]

Hi Ivan, a couple of years ago, Hobgoblin in Leeds had a 505 and a 900 in stock. The 505 was very nice. The 900 was off the scale! Volume, timbre, resonance, depth of tone, chop. You name it, it had it! The only reason I didn't buy it was because I was after something with a bit wider neck. The sound coming out of that little box was stunning.

[nick hyserman]

I recently bought a KM805 and it's killer. I changed strings to ghs silk and steel and now
will compare sound with my Collings MT. The 805 sounds, plays and looks like it should
cost twice what I paid for it. Great mandolin

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Johnny - Thanks for your comments. Hobgoblin in Manchester didn't carry the KM900 model. Not all their stores stock all models as you'll know. It would seem that Ky.came up with a winner in the KM900 & i really would urge folk to at least play one if they're after an excellent mandolin at a pretty reasonable cost. Don't let the 'style' put you off - it's the tone that's all important,ask Joe Walsh / Tim O'Brien - both "A" style players,& before anybody chimes in to say that their instruments are ''high cost'' instruments,judging by everything i've read on here regarding the KM900,it could hold it's own easily enough. F5Loar has the ''real deal'' to compare his own KM900 to & he still gives it top marks for tone etc.,
Ivan

[Willie Poole]

NO, I didn`t buy the KM-900...not yet anyway, but I am still working on the wife to agree that I need another mandolin...It`s income tax time and I need to see if have to pay or will get a refund...Mitch, the seller of the one I inquired about has been very nice about it....The reason I sold the first one was that a fellow made me an offer that I couldn`t refuse...They are a great mandolin...

Willie