kentucky

[jim1966]

Any thoughts on Kentucky mandolins please.

[MikeZito]

I am hardly an expert on the Kentucky line, but what I can tell you is that is love my Kentucky KM-272.

Before I bought my Kentucky I was on an extensive search to finding the 'right' mandolin. Short of mortgaging the house, I did not have a strict budget limitation, so anything and everything was on the table. To make a long story short, I stumbled upon a very affordable KM-272, and I haven't looked back. If/when the day comes to add another mandolin or two to my arsenal (especially a nice F-style), I will definitely put a Kentucky on the list of possibilities.

Here are the details on the 272, and other comments:

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...-272&highlight

[Folkmusician.com]

Hi Jim,

Were there particular models, years, styles you were looking at?

[Rdeane]

Like Mike Zito, I did extensive research here and elsewhere before buying my first mandolin. I felt it was important to give myself every advantage as I learn the instrument. I knew I wanted to buy a mandolin that would not discourage me with poor workmanship or unacceptable tone. Kentucky has a good amount of respect around the café, and the KM-140 and KM-150 are two that are mentioned as good starter mandos on a budget. The 200 and 500 series are also respected. I ended up with a KM-505, and I'm pretty sure that it will be around for a while. While I'm sure that I am not immune to Mandolin Acquisition Syndrome, the KM-505 seems to have enough to satisfy me for the foreseeable future.

Whatever you get, be sure to get it from a place that will do a good setup for you. Without that, you don't have a chance of being happy with whatever you end up with. The sponsors of this forum offer setups as part of your purchase, and they can give you valuable advice as well. Don't hesitate to consult them. Good luck on your mandolin journey!

[MMorgan9812]

I recommend Kentucky hands down. Been using brand for years! For price you cant beat sound and quality.

[lflngpicker]

I love those Kentuckys! Very consistent quality -- tone and construction.

[jim1966]

i am very very new to mandolin so need all help i can get. I presently have a gold tone and i like the sound but i have really long hands and it has sort of a narrow nut which makes it a bit harder for me to learn on. My good friend has a gibson that i played and absolutely fell in love with it.It feels like a wider neck and the frets seem larger so is easier for my long fingers. It is for sale but im not too sure want to pay the price for it.

[FLATROCK HILL]

My good friend has a gibson that i played and absolutely fell in love with it.It feels like a wider neck and the frets seem larger so is easier for my long fingers. It is for sale but im not too sure want to pay the price for it.

Just an observation Jim, for what it's worth.

You have a distinct advantage over many of us. You've already found and played a mandolin that you love and... it's for sale by someone you know and trust (I would guess that someone you call a "good friend" meets that description anyway).

You don't have to drive halfway across the country to try it out. You don't have to worry about shipping, return policies or God forbid, return shipping.

Of course I don't know your situation or what kind of money you're talking. Just saying that a used Gibson mandolin, bought at a fair price is a pretty safe bet.

I'm a BIG fan of Kentucky mandolins and wouldn't try to talk you out of one but...

[vanguard]

I bought a Kentucky KM1000 recently and am amazed at the build quality and tone.

[jim1966]

i do love the gibson but its a few thousand bucks. it was so comfortable playing. I don't know if its a flat fretboard or radiused or? Cost is the only issue for me. If I brought that home i may have to sleep in the garage!

[LadysSolo]

I have a Kentucky KM 805 that I got in trade for a guitar that didn't fit me well. It is not on the level of my Pava or Collings or Weber, but it was a worthwhile trade (value at $600, which is what I valued the guitar at that I traded away.) It is a good sounding and good playing mandolin. And as my only F-style it is likely to stay.

[MikeZito]

i do love the gibson but its a few thousand bucks. it was so comfortable playing. I don't know if its a flat fretboard or radiused or? Cost is the only issue for me. If I brought that home i may have to sleep in the garage!

Your wife will eventually let you back into the bedroom - but the Gibson may be gone forever . . .

Just saying . . . .

[John Lloyd]

I didn't have an A4-style, so this evening I ordered a KM272. I've nothing bad to say about Eastman and could have easily gone for a 304, but since my current A5-, F4-, and F5-style mandolins are all Eastmans I decided to give someone else a try. Kentucky mandos, including this model, seem to be highly regarded in this forum. I hope to find out why before too long.

[jim1966]

Happy Wife Happy Life or Gibson and a new wife!

[gtani7]

I've had a couple Kentuckies, a couple Eastmans, a couple J Boviers, a "The Loar" etc. I recommend the Kentucky's that you can play and inspect firsthand. The good Kentuckies are great (model 505, 900 and above) but if you're looking at the used market, they've made more than a few duds, depending on factory/model. Also they only have a couple models that i know of, 950/1050, that have the larger than vintage .080/.040 type frets which last a lot longer

[Roger Adams]

I started on an Eastman 515. Eastman, like Kentucky, makes a nice mandolin, and I enjoyed the Eastman a lot. However, I made the "mistake" of playing a Gibson F5 and I was forever spoiled. I bought the Gibson, and sold the Eastman! I would start talking Gibson with the wife. Who knows she might just come around, or you can remodel that garage!

[Frost]

I've been very happy with my Kentucky KM 272 as well, as a first mandolin. I would say it falls somewhere in between "cheap but serviceable to make sure I like playing" and "good enough that I won't need anything better".

After a few months though I am looking at Collings, Pava and a few other options to see what 3x - 10x the price can buy. This would most likely be the last step for me barring major lifestyle events or changes. In my limited experience the majority of musical instruments beyond a certain base level are often more capable than their players anyway. My own two fiddles, two guitars, 4 tin whistles and one mandolin included.

The KM272 was comparatively and relatively inexpensive but strikes me as a very good value, good quality for $ and I have no regrets about the purchase.

Nice sound. I would describe it with EJ74s and a dunlop primetone 1.4mm pick as leaning towards the "full, warm and jangley" side of things. Not very woody and not too tubby, muddy, midrangey, bright or thin for my tastes. This is from the player's perspective though, not a listener.

Comfortable neck, quite playable out of the box - ordered it from a Cafe sponsor. Came with medium-high action, but was able to nearly bottom out the adjustable bridge and get a low and easy action up the fretboard without buzz or further set up work. Different strings seem to behave differently in this regard though.

Very nice looking wood all round, but a few flaws on the top. Fretboard gets some dust or grit or something on it when I play it. Might be bits of finger skin, I donno. I don't feel it when playing and have noticed no ill effects.

One of the A string tuners is less smooth and precise than I would like, but causes no problems. Bridge maybe not the greatest ever, but it looks cut well, does its job and looks well fit. Not sure about mando bridges, but to get a fit like that on a violin bridge takes alot more time and effort than I would want to put into it. New E strings like to break at the tuner end more often than I would expect. I have not looked too deep into that yet.

Tone breaks up if I lay into it. I would ultimately like more headroom, more low end depth & clarity, high end chime and overall projection & volume. It is for these reason I am currently looking for something better, in A style F hole flavor. Nonetheless I am pleased with my Kentucky and received more than I expected. It plays very nice as long as I play nice. I do love the sound I get with a light to medium-light touch. I'm not exactly chopping wood or tearing up the fretboard at this point anyway.

The others I have tried (briefly) have been lower Eastman (MD305 & 505). I do prefer the sound of my mandolin to these but for my purposes being new to mandolin but not music, i would have been fine with any of them and don't feel like I missed out on much by going with the Kentucky or an oval hole at this stage. Then again I have only tried one Kentucky. Would like to try more, but absent any surprises I most likely wouldn't buy another kentucky or eastman . I don't like lateral moves and if I'm spending over $1k on anything I don't want to wish I spent it on a different version of that thing.

Hope something in all that was helpful.

[Roger Moss]

I had a 2007 km-250 and frankly I liked my Rover rm-50 better. Equal in sound and played better.

[ccravens]

After being smitten with the Gibson, would you be disappointed with a Kentucky? Filled with regrets?

It's a possibility..

If you could pull off the Gibson, you'd have absolutely no regrets.

[Folkmusician.com]

My good friend has a gibson that i played and absolutely fell in love with it. It feels like a wider neck and the frets seem larger so is easier for my long fingers.

This helps narrow it down. The newer Kentucky's have larger necks and frets. You can choose from any of the lower models and get a similar feel. If going used. 2013 and later KM-150 mandolins, and KM-250-505 mandolins after 2015 are safe bets. The latest F models like the KM-650, but only the most recent ones. If you drop back before these years, you will get slimmer necks and smaller frets.

[CES]

What Robert said.

That said, A style mandolins that can be had in the 1200-2000 dollar range may be a nice compromise to the Gibson. Wide neck Collings MT, Gibson A-9, Silverangel, etc, will give you a mandolin that could potentially be a lifetime keeper with playability as good or maybe even better than the Gibson, assuming a good set-up.

If your budget is less that that, the models Robert mentioned or J. Bovier are probably your best bets. I really like my Eastman 315, but it's nut is pretty narrow, especially when compared to my wider nut options, and it's got the traditional smaller frets.

[Br1ck]

You have here the crux of why I have a personal rule to generally not play instruments in a price bracket I choose not to consider. Generally speaking, the marketplace will dictate price. For example, a Kentucky 900 and above, played on it's own is a very good sounding mandolin. If that is what you want to spend, stop there, buy it, and be happy. But if you pick up a Northfield, it probably will sound better to you and you will need another grand, and pick up the BigMon hanging next to it and it's a bit better at just another fifteen hundred or so.

If you've played a Gibson and have that Gibson tone stuck in your head, may as well bite the bulit right now. You will be loving that mandolin far longer than you'll regret how much it cost. Now self delusion is a very useful life skill, but when it comes to instruments, I don't go there. I save my self delusion skills for when a pretty young woman walks in the room.

[LadysSolo]

If you've played a Gibson and have that Gibson tone stuck in your head, may as well bite the bulit right now. You will be loving that mandolin far longer than you'll regret how much it cost. Now self delusion is a very useful life skill, but when it comes to instruments, I don't go there. I save my self delusion skills for when a pretty young woman walks in the room.

Agree with Br1ck. My Kentucky would never have cured my MAS, but the Weber, Collings, and Pava have totally cured my MAS. I have no desire for any other mandolin. I believe the Gibson would have the same effect for you. Maybe your wife can be persuaded with the knowledge that this would likely be your "lifetime" mandolin.

[Austin Bob]

I don't know what year the Gibson is, but the newer mandolins are some of the best they've ever produced. If you find a used one at a fair price, it will most likely hold it's value or even increase.

The Kentucky's have a fine reputation and are great mandolins for the money and would be a far better mandolin than my first one. On the other hand, if you have your heart set on the Gibson, have a talk with your wife and see if you can work it out. Either that, or just buy it and sleep in the garage for a while, it is warming up now anyways.

[MikeZito]

My Kentucky would never have cured my MAS, but the Weber, Collings, and Pava have totally cured my MAS.

Am I the only one who noticed that it took THREE mandolins to 'cure' MAS? Ten bucks says the 'cure' doesn't last 5 years. I'm thinking of it as more of a pain killer than a cure . . .