Kentucky 150 on Ebay

[McGruff]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kentucky-KM-...item5891ff8411

Know nothing about the dealer, other than they present themselves as a music shop.

The instrument has a ding in the neck (no big deal) and a loose bridge cover . . . that seems like it woould be an easy fix. Setup would probably be needed, and I'm not sure of any music shop within easy driving distance that would do a mandolin.

Factoring in all of that . . . what's the value here for an inexpensive mando?

[houseworker]

You can get this at the Mandolin Store, new with a full warranty in a case with a proper setup for $279. I wouldn't go much over the starting price on this one.

[EdHanrahan]

Good & bad: it's a Kentucky, but bottom-of-the-line. Assume it has a "new" warrantee? Could be tough to make a claim. Heck, the dealer name doesn't exactly inspire confidence, and no store-front address shows on their website. But pretty good feedback and 21,150 sales over 15 years on eBay... maybe DOES inspire confidence.

With shipping it's $118, probably okay for those who do their own setups. Add another $50 or $100 for a setup, and I wouldn't be real enthusiastic.

[draino]

If you are confident you can do the setup yourself (and have the tools to do it), then I'd say paying no more than $170 shipped would be in the "well I saved myself a few bucks" category, since you can order a new one from any ol' place on the internet for ~$200. But if you can't do the set up yourself . . . well, factor in shipping to and from a place that can do the setup, the cost of the set up . . . and you might as well buy a new one from a cafe sponsor that includes the setup for ~250.

[draino]

Also, if you've got the ~250 to spend -- just go ahead and order a KM 150 from a cafe sponsor. There's no need to hem and haw and try to find a "bargain" starter mandolin that MIGHT save you 30-40 bucks when known-quantity km 150s are so readily available for so cheap. Get yourself a mando, start playing, and be done with the stress of monitor-shopping!

[McGruff]

Also, if you've got the ~250 to spend -- just go ahead and order a KM 150 from a cafe sponsor. There's no need to hem and haw and try to find a "bargain" starter mandolin that MIGHT save you 30-40 bucks when known-quantity km 150s are so readily available for so cheap. Get yourself a mando, start playing, and be done with the stress of monitor-shopping!

Kind of what I was thinking. For $120 I might bite, but not much more than that.

I do have a local music store that sells KM150's for the same prices as the Cafe sponsors, and I've played them, but I don't know what kind of work they do prior to putting instruments on the floor. To my uninitiated hands they play nice enough, but I don't know enough to know how they ought to play.

My current practice mando is a lonestar mexican mandolin that was shattered by the cats and I glued it back together. Hardly a good instrument to use as a basis for comparison

[draino]

Kind of what I was thinking. For $120 I might bite, but not much more than that.

I do have a local music store that sells KM150's for the same prices as the Cafe sponsors, and I've played them, but I don't know what kind of work they do prior to putting instruments on the floor. To my uninitiated hands they play nice enough, but I don't know enough to know how they ought to play.

My current practice mando is a lonestar mexican mandolin that was shattered by the cats and I glued it back together. Hardly a good instrument to use as a basis for comparison

How much playing experience do you have? If you've played a little guitar and/or mandolin and you think the km-150 at your local music store plays reasonably well, then there may not be any need to go to a cafe sponsor to purchase. The issue with the km-150 is that the setup on each individual instrument coming out of the factory is kind of all over the place -- some are in the ballpark and just need a little work, where others need a lot of work. So perhaps your dealer either (1) got a pretty decent one from the factory that didn't need a ton of work or (2) they did a decent setup on it.

Cafe posters harp on setup being key, and for good reason. There are a lot of instruments that come off the factory floor in rough shape, and a lot of internet dealers (and brick-and-mortar shops) that will simply hand you the instrument as it was received from the factory. My mother-in-law got me my first banjo by surprise, not knowing anything about instruments, and it arrived in the factory box unopened. The nut slots were nowhere near deep enough. I had enough experience with fretted instruments to recognize the issue and fix it, but if a first-time player had received that banjo, they probably would've shoved it in the closet and thought "how do people play this darn thing?!?"

But if you've put hand to instrument and its alright to your hands . . . then go for it.

[frecky]

Well, I'll say this, about 4 years ago, I bought one for $91 on ebay (used, complete with 'whiskey dings' ) I just wanted a mando to take to the beach, and leave the money at home. Yes its a low end mando, but if you can get it for $100-$120, I probably jump on it. I would just play it, see how you like it and maybe make some minor adjustments on your own. I have been pretty happy with mine (I have 5 mandos). If you didn't like it, toss it on the cafe, ebay or Craigslist for $75-100, and call it a learning experience. When I have people over to jam, there is always someone that wants to play with the custom builds. I toss my Kentucky 150, and they have fun!! Is it the dream mando, nope. She will be good for a couple of first dates I am sure. I like then over the low end Fenders, washburns for sure..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kentucky-KM-...item5891ff8411

Know nothing about the dealer, other than they present themselves as a music shop.

The instrument has a ding in the neck (no big deal) and a loose bridge cover . . . that seems like it woould be an easy fix. Setup would probably be needed, and I'm not sure of any music shop within easy driving distance that would do a mandolin.

Factoring in all of that . . . what's the value here for an inexpensive mando?

[maki]

I just got an e-book from a forum member on how to set up mandolins.
If your handy, and have $10 for tools from Harbor frieght, it may serve you.
PM 'robster', or;

Email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com for a free pre-release copy of my e-book on how to set up a mandolin. All I ask for is your comments/suggestions. With ten dollars of tools you will perform a better and more thorough set up than most shops. Rob

Great info.IMO

[allenhopkins]

Sold for $138 + $19 shipping so just short of $160 total. Since you can buy one new from Musician's Fiend for $199, dunno how much of a bargain one is getting here.

[Kevin Stevens]

I bought my first Kentucky 140 from a local dealer who don't do setups. This was before I got on the Cafe and learned how important the setup can be. It had bad buzz on the G string, and didn't seem easy to play. Being such a rank beginner I did not know the difference. Then I bought a nicer mandolin and had it set up by Big Joe. So much easier to play, thus more fun. So then using Rob Meldrom's free book, I ordered the low priced tools from Harbor Freight and worked on the Kentucky myself. Now it is much easier to play, the buzz is gone, and I feel like I understands the basics of a good set up.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have just ordered that first one from a Cafe sponsor, most of them do the setup, ship it free, and cost about what I paid here in town without setup. The Cafe people are right about setup being so much more important than you might expect as a beginner. Then again, I would never have learned about doing some of the work myself.