Me and My Kentucky KM 150!

[Miata JPS]

Hi everybody

I'm very proud to introduce to the community me and my first mandolin!

I play bass/guitar/ukulele (bass is my real love) and I also have a violin with which I make annoying noise, but i like it too.

I decided to buy a mandolin after I discovered the "Mandolin Orange" duo. I'm Italian so you might think "pizza, pasta e mandolino" but this story is so far from the reality. In Italy looks like people have forget mandolins. In my city I haven't found no one mandolin, neither a cheap one, therefor I had to buy mine from online shop After reading some great tips on this forum, I was undecided between the Kentucky, the Michael Kelly A stile or an Epiphone MM30 ('cause it was easier to find in Europe); it would be stupid to buy the cheapest one only because I didn't know If I had been able to play it, because as I told you before, I play allready other instruments and a bad instrument on a beginner probably be the worst thing on earth. Then I fortunately found a Kentucky at nice price and I've bought him.

Is incredible! There are some little imperfection in the finiture, but it sounds great, it looks great!

I post some picture of him.

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Here it is, ready for summer's nights on the porch with a cold beer :grin:

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I notice the bridge isn't in the right position. and the screws looks "old", don't they? I never have a mandolin in my hands before, so I'm sorry for some stupid question I might ask.

Florinda

[Perry Babasin]

Welcome to the cafe! It is a great resource for all things mandolin. You have also found a great band to emulate! Mandolin Orange has a wonderful sound, great playing, and great song writing skill. I recently had the pleasure to have seen them live in a couple of different concerts.

As for your mandolin, If a proper set-up was done and the intonation up and down the neck is correct, the bridge might very well be in the correct position. The note (and the harmonic) at the 12th fret should be an octave higher than the open string on all four string pairs. Do you know if your online dealer did a set-up? Any mandolin that plays in tune up and down the neck will encourage you to continue playing, and enhance your enjoyment of the instrument, so a good set-up is - essential - to a positive mandolin experience. Have fun!!

[Dido]

Congrats on the purchase. I just recently bought a km 150 that I keep in my car during the day so I can play at lunch. I love it. Sounds great and plays well!

[pheffernan]

I just recently bought a km 150 that I keep in my car during the day so I can play at lunch.

Be careful as extreme temperatures can have terrible effects on stringed instruments!

[Dido]

Will do, it's spring in the NE so I am not very concerned right now.

[Mike Arakelian]

Hello Miata and welcome to the Cafe'. This is a great resource for all things mandolin, and you'll find lots of very friendly and helpful people as well. One of our members, Rob Meldrum (Robster) has written an excellent e-book on how to set up a mandolin. If you send him a PM (private message) with your email address, he will email you a copy. It is an excellent resource for you to have, especially if you do not have access to qualified luthiers or repair people in Italy. Another excellent resource is the book Mandolin For Dummies that you should be able to buy online. Congratulations on your KM150, and welcome to the wacky world of mandolins. :mandosmiley:

[Miata JPS]

Thank you Dido!

@Perry Babasi: I really don't know if the seller (amazon.co.uk on this case) made a set up: the mandolin was tuned but at a wrong intonation (I'm sorry if i'm not very clear, my english has never been through the music world).

Now the bridge is straight and the an the armonic on 12th fret sounds nice (they were also when the bridge was on the wrong position)

@Mike Arakelian: thank you for your advice, I will surely ask to Robster a copy of his e-book not also because not only I will probably have difficulty to find a lutist who knows this kind of mandolin, but also 'cause I like DIY!

[Miata JPS]

On a lazy sunday afternoon....


http://youtu.be/3TaUlsXvtxg

[JeffD]

I post some picture of him.

118934
Here it is, ready for summer's nights on the porch with a cold beer :grin:


Yes it looks great. And that is one of the best ways to play mandolin ever, on a summer night on the porch with a cold beer.