Michael kelly fse

[haj75]

I am looking for info from someone who has played or owned a Michael Kelly FS E Acoustic/Electric F style. A little history on me, I quit playing mandolin in 1951, I started playing again in 2006 with a StarSun A style Acoustic/Electric with an all mahogany body. The tone is a little dark or warm, I like a little brighter mandolin tone. I need a better Mandolin and I was thinking about the MK FSE. I would have to order it as SE alabama is not mandolin country. I play Classic Country and Pop, not much Bluegrass. I also considered getting a cheaper F style and installing a pickup. Any info or suggestions will be appreciated. James

[Folkmusician.com]

Hi James,

I currently own three of these. I am a dealer, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

If you are needing an acoustic/electric mandolin, the FSE can be a very good choice. These are not the best sounding instruments acoustically, but plugged in they do not do too bad, and it is one of the few acceptable mandolins in this price range with a pre-installed pickup and on-board preamp. The preamp has simple volume, bass and treble sliders. These are fine for what they are, but for best results with live sound you need a better EQ. If you run into an amp or a mixer with a good parametric EQ, you are good to go.

If you have a chance to play any of the MK mandolins, they all have pretty much the same feel to them (radiused fingerboard, large frets).

From the factory, they need a good setup. I do setup work on the mandolins we sell, as do a few other dealers, so this will not be an issue if you choose the correct dealer.