Old Kentucky KM-140

[dougl122]

Hello,

I don't have much experience with mandolin yet. I picked up a Kentucky KM-140 a few years back and want to start playing it regularly. I've looked up some info on this model, but the particular one I have was purchased in 2004, so I don't know how relevant the info out there is.

It doesn't play as well as other mandolins I've played in terms of action and also somewhat in sound quality (including those in just the few hundred dollars range). I'm curious if anybody has any experience or feedback on this particular model from around this time. I'm debating whether I should:
-Sell this for a little bit of money and go shell out $300 or so for a different mandolin.
-Get a setup and try to get this one into decent condition.

Having not played much mandolin, I don't really have a good gauge on whether the setup is good or not, or if the mandolin is just low quality. Just looking for any guidance or tips.

Thanks!
Alex

[Eric F.]

In my experience, those older KM-140's never sounded anything but thin and lifeless. I have no idea what the newer ones are like. Still, if it is difficult to play, you could set it up and have yourself something perfectly adequate to learn on. Cafe member Rob Meldrum offers a free e-book on setup or if you're not the DIY type, you could take it into a place where someone who know knows how to work on mandolins could take a look at it.

If the $300 isn't a big deal to you, you could move up to a KM-150 from Elderly or the Mandolin Store and have a better-sounding, nicely set-up instrument.

[JEStanek]

An all laminate construction. That was one of my first mandolins. It certainly benefitted from a set up and fresh J74 strings. That's their entry level mandolin so the tuners and the bridge aren't the best. You can maximize what it can be but it only has so much potential. Playability should be easy to fix with a set up unless the neck is toast. Mine was at least intonated fairly well.

Jamie