A New Mandolin

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was interested in upgrading to a better-quality mandolin. Well, things came together as I hoped they would, and I now have a Kentucky KM-150 mandolin (stock picture at right.)

First things first, I sold my Ibanez mandolin on Craigslist. As that was happening, I was reading the forums at Mandolin Cafe for advice on a decent quality budget mandolin. I say "budget" because I learned that high-quality mandolins are more expensive than high-quality acoustic guitars. In an ideal world, I'd love to get a really nice mandolin, but in this non-ideal world, it doesn't make sense to spend too much on an instrument I like - but that will always be secondary to the guitar.

Anyway, a number of posts about good budget instruments talked about the Kentucky "A" models ("A" referring to the teardrop shape.) A number of posts also highly recommended The Mandolin Store. Looking at their website, I liked that their instruments came with a hard case and a setup. The setup is essential - I don't know where I'd find a mandolin tech, and I'd rather not have to try to find one. I want an instrument that's properly set up from the beginning.

Making a long story short, I phoned The Mandolin Store as soon as I had the cash in hand from selling the old one. I was prepared to go a model or two higher on the Kentucky lineup, but the guy I talked to said the entry-level KM-150 was the better instrument. Better and cheaper is a combination that works for me. A few days later, USPS brought it to my door.

The short review is I love it. Granted, I don't have much to compare it to, but it feels better, plays better, and sounds better than the Ibanez. It's in my hands as often as possible. So now there's the small matter of getting better at playing it.