Should get my B stock KM 900 from Music 123 today. 725 dollars with a case shipped. Likely will need a setup and will do myself. Practiced on enough cheapo mandolin by now.
Should get my B stock KM 900 from Music 123 today. 725 dollars with a case shipped. Likely will need a setup and will do myself. Practiced on enough cheapo mandolin by now.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Glad the ending is happy for the OP...Dan will do a great set up for you!
Chuck
Chris Cravens
Girouard A5
Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
Passernig Mandola
Leo Posch D-18
Well the KM-900 arrived. Plays quite well after I did what was needed to be done in the way of set up. Just great volume and sustain. Intonation is right on. Great action. Balance is good and the playability is excellent. I got very lucky and dodged a bullet as they did a terrible job packing it at Music 123. I had purchased a case, but they shipped it separate. Hard to believe but they packed the case better than they packed the mandolin. The mandolin was thinly wrapped in what amounted to tissue paper. Then placed in a "fitted" box. Then inside a larger box but with only some paper stuffed inside. When I picked the box up it was rattling around like a set of ill fitting dentures. I got sick. When I finally opened the box a miracle took place as the mandolin wasn't damaged one bit. I let Music 123 know by email. It will be my last purchase of an instrument from them.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Congrats on the new KM-900. Excellent mandolins!
Of interest.. Music 123 is owned and operated by Guitar Center. It should have shipped from the same warehouses used for Musicians Friend.
For a while, they just had the one distribution center in Kansas City, MO, then they recently opened one in Rialto California. Did the KM-900 ship from either of these locations?
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
Ordering from Amazon does not mean that an instrument will be shipped directly from an Amazon warehouse, either.
I've never bought a mandolin via amazon, but have many other items, never a complaint. I know that amazon, musician's friend, et al, will be hit or miss, but easy to return.
TMS on the other hand, shipped me a KM-900 with a bridge that is incorrectly made and will not intonate on the A string. My fault for not checking the instrument out thoroughly, but they make a big deal about their expert setup, so I didn't expect to find a problem.
I took possession of my Ratliff mandocello later than planned, because Audie had a lot of mandolins returned with broken necks caused by rough handling along the way to their destinations, and he had to repair them to honor the contracts. This was in 2011. I drove down to get the mandocello, because of that (Baltimore to Kingsport).
Last edited by Greg Stec; Mar-02-2018 at 9:32am.
Hi Robert. Thanks. I wish I had been more careful in my search, and seen the KM-900 you have for $898.00. I would have paid the extra money for the complete setup and get it shipped properly. Just didn't see it until it was too late. The first stop for both items shipped by UPS was Lenexa, KS. so I would guess KC, MO. I just recently read about Guitar Center, Music 123 and Musicians Friend being the same company. This one is June 2017 so it has the 1 1/8" nut. I wanted to ask if these have tone bars? The Saga description doesn't say.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Bill,
Your KM-900 blem deal would be hard to pass up. With you doing the setup yourself, you ended up with a great mandolin at a really good price.
Parallel Tone Bars on these.
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
I have always been fascinated by warehouse setups and automation (no idea why), especially in relation to musical instruments:
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Ah, logistics!
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Just because of the photos of guitar center I thought I'd mention my experience.
Bought a banjo from guitar center then returned it because the fretboard was separating from the neck, they sent me a new one with a smashed resonator. After that they sent me a third one and the neck was snapped in half. Easy to return all of them but took my business elsewhere after dealing with this.
If you can pick one up at a store front I would. I think the people in the shipping department have a vendetta against musical instruments. Or order from a person who's dealt in shipping musical instruments and has a vested interest in you receiving a functioning mandolin.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Just though I'd mention, they have another "Open box, scratch and dent" KM-900 at Music 123. $671.99, no case, setup etc. Here's the link. https://www.music123.com/folk-tradit...model-mandolin
To the right of the photo click on Open Box. Then use the drop down to get to "Scratch and Dent." It's risky, but for $671.99, buy a case, and do the setup, you may get lucky. I only spent $49.49 at Musician's Gear on one of those Gator hard cases. It was 25% off. In fact they had some Hiscox cases there on sale. NFI.
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Wow, that is a good deal! The bridge on that 900 is not original. Not that, that would prevent me from jumping on the deal, just pointing it out.Open box, scratch and dent" KM-900 at Music 123. $671.99, no case, setup etc.
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
Your bridge is original. These are unique to the Master Models.Could you weigh on on that for me?
The other is thinner, much larger posts, and distressed thumbwheels. If I took a guess, that bridge is off of a Washburn M118SWK. They even have an open box version. Maybe missing a bridge! haha
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
Buy that open box one for $672 and a Cumberland Acoustic bridge for $60, and you'll have a sweet setup for an amazing price, assuming it gets to you in one piece...
Agreed! I would be all over that, if I were in the market.Buy that open box one for $672 and a Cumberland Acoustic bridge for $60, and you'll have a sweet setup for an amazing price, assuming it gets to you in one piece...
Robert Fear
http://www.folkmusician.com
"Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
" - Pete Seeger
Brother has worked for UPS for over 30 years. Worse than you can do is put fragile or instrument on the outside. He said lots of those warehouse workers are usually mad about something and they'll throw the fragile boxes as hard as they can into the truck. Then throw them around some more. Management does not care. What can they do? Yell at a worker for doing his job throwing boxes into the truck? They do it all day long.
Just pack em well, and don't put fragile or musical instrument on the outside.
Isabel Mandolins
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arche...50923841658006
Ray Dearstone #009 D1A (1999)
Skip Kelley #063 Offset Two Point (2017)
Arches #9 A Style (2005)
Bourgeois M5A (2022)
Hohner and Seydel Harmonicas (various keys)
"Heck, Jimmy Martin don't even believe in Santy Claus!"
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