Kentucky KM-400E

**Rob Norton** · Mar-20-2014, 12:17pm

I've had this for a while, and just got around to upgrading it. It has a new bridge, courtesy of Steve at Cumberland, plus a new tailpiece and tuners. I'm a four-string fan, and this is one of the few -- and one of the more interesting -- models that I know of made by a big company. (Not for very long though -- I've only ever seen a few others.)

Click image for larger version.

Name: Kentucky KM-400E.jpg
Views: 297
Size: 169.4 KB
ID: 116992

I really like the way it sounds. The semi-hollow body gives it a woody sound for an electric, and notes have a nice "pop."

It had a pickguard on it that I thought was ugly, and the bridge was an adjustable brass thing that was clunky and kind of over-engineered.

The build quality is high, and it's very playable. Oddly, it had been assembled carelessly. The pickup was 1/4" off center in its rout, so it didn't line up correctly with the neck, and the slots machined into the OEM bridge were off-center and unevenly spaced.

All fixed now.

**Verne Andru** · Mar-20-2014, 9:16pm

That's a really neat looking emando. Thanks for sharing. Much of an acoustic tone, or strictly meant as an electric?

**Rob Norton** · Mar-20-2014, 9:42pm

Thanks, Verne,

It's strictly electric. The construction is like sort of like a Gibson ES-335 guitar -- a solid block down the middle, with hollow wings with f-holes. A bit more sound than a solidbody unplugged, good for late-night practicing.

emando.com has a page on Kentucky electrics in the "inactive builders" section, with a photo of one like mine, showing the original pickguard and bridge. They're mentioned on a few older threads here, but there's not a lot of info about them.

**Ken Olmstead** · Mar-21-2014, 12:36am

Looks great Rob! Hows about posting a picture in the Proud Kentucky Pickers" thread?

**Rob Norton** · Mar-21-2014, 12:53am

Thanks, Ken
Will do.

**mrmando** · Mar-21-2014, 1:06am

Yeah, these are rare birds. I've had a couple of them, if memory serves. I sold one to a guy in France who said he wanted to sound like Oscar Moore. It was the closest thing I had at the time.

**Dave Greenspoon** · Mar-23-2014, 9:31pm

Originally Posted by Rob Norton

Thanks, Verne,

It's strictly electric. The construction is like sort of like a Gibson ES-335 guitar -- a solid block down the middle, with hollow wings with f-holes. A bit more sound than a solidbody unplugged, good for late-night practicing.

emando.com has a page on Kentucky electrics in the "inactive builders" section, with a photo of one like mine, showing the original pickguard and bridge. They're mentioned on a few older threads here, but there's not a lot of info about them.

The construction reminds me more of a Harmony/Kay "Batwing" than a 335.