Kentucky KM-550 Artist A-model Mandolin - Sunburst

It sounds like the previous reviewer got a great deal. My experience wasn't as positive. I think my instrument was a 2nd, factory blemished or showroom stock that was sold as new stock. It certainly should have been priced lower than the prevailing retail price. This instrument appeared to be unplayed from the front but there was already a case of "buckle rash" on the back that will need refinishing and rubbing out - one spot goes through to wood. Several of the tuning knobs are cracked but there is no evidence of the instrument being dropped. The finish is a little rough as well, almost like they ran out of rubbing compound half way through the job or else they decided that the finish was too rough to salvage. Mine also came with a radiused bridge and a flat fretboard. That made me chuckle a little.On the plus side the sound is exceptional for a $500 instrument. Another plus (for me anyway) is that the "factory setup" allows for any amount of custom setup desired. I set up my mandolins with pretty low action and this one is still loud with plenty of bass and mid-range. Pretty low for me means 0.010" on the E & A strings and 0.012" on the D & G strings at the 1st fret. Heavy handed Bluegrassers may want to go a tick higher to prevent their chop chords from buzzing. Bridge is set for 0.050" at 12th fret. Truss rod is set for 0.007" relief at the 6th fret with capo on 1 and fretted at 12. That's the way I like them but your tastes may be different.You'll need a set of nut files, feeler guages and a couple expendible sets of strings to do this yourself. Interestingly I did not need to do any fret work as part of this setup - that's kind of a rarity and certainly a welcome one.Anyhow after refinishing the back with nitrocellulose, replacing the bridge with a Cumberland Acoustics and the tailpiece with an Allen this thing will be a pretty nice instrument. Considering the necessary repair work this is not a competitive price.

I gave this review four stars due to the fact that I could not play the mandolin the day I received it. When I opened the package I was pleased to see a quality made instrument but when checking it over I noticed that the nut was glued in wrong and it would not have been playable even if I had strung it up. At first I was a little disappointed but as a experienced musician I knew the problem could be repaired. I packaged it up and took it to Luther to look over. Forty dollars and a few days later he called and told me to pick up the mandolin. He was impressed with the quality of woods used and the sound, not a Gibson, but a fine sounding instrument for a total of 440.00 dollar in total, I paid 400.00 for the mandolin and 40.00 for a nut re-glue and setup and I have not put it down since. All and all not a bad deal.

I have waited a while to write the review to get to know the instrument better. I could not be more pleased. The Kentucky 500 series is pretty astonishing. The instruments in it can't be matched at their price points; one has to add a digit to the tag to find their equal. Here are the specs for the 550:Solid, hand-carved, graduated select spruce topSolid, hand-carved select attractive flamed maple back/sidesOne piece maple neck with dovetail neck/body joint at 15th fretNitro-cellulose finishEbony fingerboard with mother of pearl dot position markersModern extension over bodyBound neckVintage-style ebony bridge with small adjustment wheelsTraditional 2-screw truss rod cover plateReal bone nutHighly polished nickel-silver fretsGold-plated Kentucky tailpiece (leather insert)High-quality, gold-plated tuners with engraved plate (interlace design) and removable buttonsThis instrument holds a tune, is attractive, easy to play and has a wonderful voice. It is very well-designed; the fretboard is finger friendly (good width/fret spacing/etc.). It is always advisable to have a professional set-up although I installed the bridge myself and have had no problems, no buzz or other difficulties. Good tones at the higher frets where problems often occur. Although traditionally the oval hole is preferred for Celtic and Classical, this mandolin has a mellow enough tone to do these well (increasingly hole design is disregarded anyway so this is a passe' cliche' anymore). The voice is not too bluegrass brassy though it is certainly bold enough not to be lost if playing in that genre. The appearance is pleasing (in indoor lighting it takes on a more dark to light maple tone whereas out of doors the nitrocellulose sunburst shines but still not as orange to yellow as I had feared from the Amazon product photo). I still get a feeling of excitement everytime I pick mine up to play. Eventually I will replace the factory strings, but they are serviceable enough for now. It is important to note that I have no financial interest in the company that produces these- I am just that happy with it. It is anxiety inducing to pay for an instrument without hearing it first, but my fears melted when I heard the tones this thing produces!I bought the Golden Gate Deluxe Vintage Case for A-Model Mandolins (Hardshell, Black) and it works perfectly.