Is this normal?

[daveclt]

I just got my new KM-150 from Elderly, and I'm a little disappointed.

1. The pick guard is all marked up.
2. The top inside edge (about an inch) of the left F hole isn't finished and shows bare wood.
3. The bridge is a cockeyed. The left side of the bridge is higher than the F hole point, while the right side is lower than the F hole point.

I'm new to the mandolin, and I'm wondering if these are valid complaints for a brand new instrument. Especially for the bridge -- are bridges always a little off like that? I just assumed a professional set up would set it up square (perpendicular to the neck). But maybe that's just not a reasonable expectation.

By the way, it is in tune and sounds great, except for the fact that I don't know how to play it yet.

[Tripping Springs]

Elderly is a very reputable business. I would call them and discuss all of your concerns over the phone.

[Paul Busman]

Good luck with your mandolin.

There's usually a very thin plastic protective film on the pick guard of these mandolins, and that's what is all marked up. Peel it off and you'll have a nice shiny pick guard.

The f hole issue isn't a big deal. Although quite good, this is considered an entry level mandolin and it's not going to have the same fit and finish as a luthier built instrument. Little flaws like this are not too unusual. You can touch it up with a black Sharpie and nobody but you will ever notice it.
It's possible that the bridge slipped during shipping or maybe they put it there intentionally to correct the intonation. Check the pitch of each open pair of strings to the octave played at the 12th fret. If they're both in tune, you're fine.

[Tobin]

Make sure the pick guard doesn't still have the plastic coating on it. This is put on at the factory, and meant to protect it. It gets all scratched up. It is meant to peel off by the end user. This is a common complaint by inexperienced buyers who think the pick guard is damaged, when it's really just the plastic film.

Bridges on mandolins are "floating", which means they are not glued down. They are held in place by the tension of the strings. They are meant to be shifted around to get proper intonation. Very often, they will need to be set at an angle like yours for that proper intonation. But it's easily correctable by you, and it's something you need to learn how to do on a regular basis when you change strings, etc. Even if they did a perfect setup where you bought it, it could have shifted during shipping or carrying. Moving the bridge around is going to be something you end up doing later anyway, and I don't see it being a valid complaint to the seller.

Not sure about the finish issue at the f-hole. I can't see it in the photo.

*edit: ha! Paul beat me to it by a few seconds...

[Steve Ostrander]

Agree with Tripp about Elderly. I doubt that they let one slip through without setup. If it tunes up and intonates properly, then the bridge is in the right place. Being perpendicular to the neck is not necessarily the proper placement for intonation. And the marks on the pick guard? You're going to put a lot more of your own there.

[Johnny60]

Agree with all the above comments.

Looks to me, on the photo, like they've left the protective film on the pickguard.

[MikeEdgerton]

Actually most mandolin bridges are not at an an angle because they are compensated. Call Elderly, they will address your concerns. Even they can make a mistake now and then. I've sent a few back and they were very gracious in taking care of the issues.

[EdHanrahan]

Just one sample of HOW helpful Elderly can be (NFI):

When I was on the phone with them looking for a case for my Martin T-15 tiple (sort of a 10-string uke on steroids), they actually pulled two tiples out of stock and tried them in various cases. No, we didn't find a fit, but they were just incredibly gracious and helpful.

(Many places might not have known what I was talking about, much less have two of them in stock!)

[Tobin]

Actually most mandolin bridges are not at an an angle because they are compensated. Call Elderly, they will address your concerns. Even they can make a mistake now and then. I've sent a few back and they were very gracious in taking care of the issues.

I agree that "most" mandolin bridges are not angled, if the compensation is done correctly and hand-adjusted to that instrument. But it is certainly not unusual for them to need to be angled slightly, especially on lower-end imports where there isn't as much attention to design perfection or manufacturing perfection at the saddle. It really just depends on the compensation of the bridge, and how well it works with the action settings, string gauges, etc. New players need to understand that intonation is not fixed in stone, and even high-end mandolins will sometimes have bridges set at a slight angle to accommodate for all the variables. It's not unusual at all.

At the end of the day, all that matters is that intonation is correct. If it is, then the bridge is where it needs to be. Why is everyone telling him to call Elderly first, before even checking intonation?

And even if intonation is off, this is an easy fix. I'm really not understanding the idea of sending it back over something like this. It's like taking one's car to the dealer to have them adjust the seats.

[sblock]

+1 with all the above. Yeah, nothing seems wrong with that instrument. Peel off the pickguard protector -- you will scratch it up yourself, soon enough! Touch up the inside of the f-hole with a black Magic Marker or Sharpie. The bridge is only SLIGHTLY angled, and that might be for better intonation. Easy to check and easy to fix, if necessary. Stop the worrying and get back to playing and learning!

[Roger Moss]

All these comments sound correct. The pickguard has plastic over it. The bridge was probably set that way by Elderly to adjust intonation. A black sharpie will fix the f hole. If it sounds good that is Elderlys doing and the rest is minor.

[daveclt]

Yes, I'm a dummy. I thought maybe there was a film on the pick guard, but I wasn't sure. I'll try when I get home. As for the unfinished piece, I'm still a little disappointed, but it's minor and easily concealable with a marker. And for the bridge, it's in tune, so I'll leave it alone. I can try to straighten it next time I change strings.

Thank you everyone. I'm glad I don't have to deal with shipping and waiting. I just want to start playing

[Mandoplumb]

I had someone tell me a mandolin I had setup wouldn't sound right because the bridge wasn't straight. I told him it wouldn't sound right if the bridge was straight because you couldn't tune the blame thing.

[Tobin]

As for the unfinished piece, I'm still a little disappointed, but it's minor and easily concealable with a marker.

A marker will work, I suppose, but black paint might be better. Wood will soak up the marker, where paint will help seal that edge and hold the color. Matching the rest of it is the goal, I guess. Honestly, I'm surprised that they had blacked the edges of the f-holes. A lot of mandolin makers don't do that, and it has been pretty rare to see builders who do. Maybe that trend is catching on, though.

And for the bridge, it's in tune, so I'll leave it alone. I can try to straighten it next time I change strings.

If it's in tune, don't straighten it. Tune your open strings to pitch with an electronic tuner, then check them at the 12th fret. If they read correct notes there, you'll only make it worse by moving the bridge. Of course, if it's out of tune, you will want to move the bridge. But don't just straighten it, thinking that that's necessarily the correct spot. You have to move the bridge the correct direction to correct the intonation. And be aware that it may not intonate correctly on all strings. Rob Meldrum's setup e-book can help guide you on setting that bridge properly if you need to. But don't jack with it unless you know where to go with it.

[Frogstar]

Yes, I'm a dummy. I thought maybe there was a film on the pick guard, but I wasn't sure. I'll try when I get home. As for the unfinished piece, I'm still a little disappointed, but it's minor and easily concealable with a marker. And for the bridge, it's in tune, so I'll leave it alone. I can try to straighten it next time I change strings.

Thank you everyone. I'm glad I don't have to deal with shipping and waiting. I just want to start playing

Don't just go randomly straightening the bridge--check the intonation yourself by seeing if the open string in tune, and then see if it's in tune when you press down on the 12th fret.

[Denny Gies]

Where else can you get such useful information. We all owe Scott and the moderators a great big "thank you".

[Paul Busman]

For the OP--you mention fixing the angulation of the bridge when you change the strings. First, I agree with all who said that if the intonation is good, leave it right where it is.
Your mention of "fixing" it when you change the strings makes me think that maybe you're planning on taking off all of the strings at once. Don't do that! As has been pointed, the bridge is not attached except by string pressure. Different people do it differently, but I change one pair of strings at a time, starting with the Gs.

[Caleb]

Cool mandolin. I'm not crazy about most bursts, but I love the one they put on the KM150. And with the PG it makes it look old school and classy. Play it in good health!

[Roger Moss]

Im going to throw in with the rest on moving that bridge. If Elderly did set it cockeyed they did it because thats where it has to be for the intonation to be right. I have seen it like this before. If you change it because you need it to look a certain way you will alter the intonation and it will never sound right until you put it back.
As far as changing the strings do not remove them all at once. The chance of moving the bridge even a little is great. Change them one or two at a time. I change the g and e then the d and a.

[Bill Snyder]

I question what you mean when you say it is in tune. You can move the bridge all over the place and tune the open strings to the correct pitch. HOWEVER it will not intonate (play in tune) as you fret it. It is very important that you do as others have mentioned and check the pitch of the open strings at the twelfth fret and see it they are still in tune. If they are do not move the bridge. If they are not in tune the bridge will need to be moved.

[Mark Wilson]

After checking and rechecking my first Kentucky - it intonated best with the bridge a little slanted.
Get a digital tuner and check it yourself. The other issues you noted might be nominal for the model
Wear the frets off of it playing and you'll not regret it.

[multidon]

From the KM-150 description on the Elderly Web site: "Minor finish flaws do occur, and are normal."

[Otis_Spunkmeyer]

The bridge is most likely angled on purpose. I angled my bridge on my Kentucky-KM-650 for intonation. Check open strings and each string at the 12th fret. If it is close to being the same note leave the bridge. Angling the bridge helps intonation.