# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Anyone else have a Kentucky KM-850?

## Dave Hulse

I bought mine in December 1989.  I have a May 1988 catalog that shows it retailed for $1195 where as the KM-1000 retailed for $995.

----------


## TEE

I have one I bought new in 1982. I have never seen another one though.

I changed the bridge last year and that is the only thing I have had to do to it. Mine has "The Kentucky" on the headstock. 

Not sure how many were made. I have seen where they retailed $200.00 more than the KM1000 also.

Mine will never be for sale in my lifetime.

Did you buy yours new in 1989 or used?

----------


## Big Joe

I have a friend who has one with block inlays in the fingerboard.  It sounds pretty good.  He was going to bring it to me to sell for him, but he has not done that yet.  He may have second thoughts.

----------


## Dave Hulse

> Did you buy yours new in 1989 or used?


I bought it new with the Superior rectangular case.

----------


## MANDOSPURGE

The km-850 was priced higher than the km-1000 the 850 was made on a construcion line when the 1000 was handbuilt.That is odd I have owned numerous kentuckys but never a 850 thats a rare mando.I think i would hold own to it .I would love to add that with my sumi 1000 and my 1500 collection.

----------


## TEE

> I bought it new with the Superior rectangular case.


Yeah, Mine came with a rectangular case also but it is not labeled so I am not sure what it is. 

My KM850 looks like yours except there are several frets missing right over the sweet spot. It came from the factory that way. Its not scooped as there are frets ahead and behind. I think it is the ,25th, 26th, 27th frets that are missing. Everyone thinks I pulled them but I did not.

My binding is also yellowed but is in good shape. 

I also have the dot fingerboard.

According to the frets article the KM600 and KM900 were handbuilt. Not sure why the ones in between were not or why the KM850 was priced higher than the handbuilt KM1000.

It is nice hearing from someone else who owns one.

----------


## MANDOSPURGE

> According to the frets article the KM600 and KM900 were handbuilt. Not sure why the ones in between were not or why the KM850 was priced higher than the handbuilt KM1000.
> 
> It is nice hearing from someone else who owns one.


                                                                                                                  The km-600,900,1000,1004,1500,km-dawg and the kh-1300 mandola was all hand built by sumi who makes mandos under his own name now.All the rest of the mandos such as km-160 km-180 km-250 and 250sc and km-380 km-500 km-700 km-750 km-800 km-850 was all built on assembly lines in a totally different shop.The reason the 850 was priced higher was because of the dress up factor as in fern inlay silver and gold plated hardware and the mother of pearl on the ebony fingerboard and the finest wood better than the 1000.The 1500 and 850 both are made with the finest choice woods and look excactly the same but the 1500 was hand carved by a luthier.

----------


## Rick Schmidlin

I met a guy at bus stop (McDonald and Broadway, Vancouver BC) who had one. We played while waiting for the bus. He had it for ten years and not only could he play the mandolin sounded good. He also said he never had seen the cafe.

----------


## TEE

Mandospurge- Do you have any idea how the KM850 was built in the factory. Did they have a  dupli-carver or some other machine or how was the top and back shaped?

Thanks

----------


## MANDOSPURGE

> Mandospurge- Do you have any idea how the KM850 was built in the factory. Did they have a  dupli-carver or some other machine or how was the top and back shaped?
> 
> Thanks


 All the japan factory made kentuckys were made using a dupli-carver

----------


## MANDOSPURGE

Here is how much the 1500 and 850 look alike on some of the km-850's they used the word the kentucky on the headstock in this pic of a km-850 they do not use the word The as in the kentucky most km-850's do. thhttp://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=46573&stc=1&d=12550838  01e.

----------


## MANDOSPURGE

Here is the old saga pricelists http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=46576&stc=1&d=12550845  14http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=46577&stc=1&d=12550845  14

----------


## TEE

Thanks, MANDO SPURGE, thats a lot of information. Explains a lot I have wondered about over the years.

----------


## Dave Hulse

> My KM850 looks like yours except there are several frets missing right over the sweet spot. It came from the factory that way. Its not scooped as there are frets ahead and behind. I think it is the ,25th, 26th, 27th frets that are missing.


That is quite strange.  How about a photo?

----------


## TEE

I'll get one as soon as possible Dave. I don't have one on the computer so I'll see if I can get one of my kids to take some photos and I'll post them. I don't own a camera. I think I can get it done tommorrow.

----------


## TEE

here's the pictures...

----------


## TEE

In the first picture you will notice that the binding is missing on part of the extension. It was intact until I got a buzz sound I could not find and I thought the binding was buzzing against the extension. I later found I had a cracked bridge instead so I removed that part of binding in one of my aggravating pursuits of finding the buzz. I also removed the finger rest but have it stored safely away.

----------


## MikeEdgerton

Check out this story about Dave Apollon (posts number 2 and 15). That could explain the missing frets.

----------


## TEE

Here's another picture of the top. This shows the yellowed binding.

----------


## TEE

> Check out this story about Dave Apollon (posts number 2 and 15). That could explain the missing frets.


That could very well be the reason, Mike. I would like to point out that  it came from the Kentucky factory that way and there were not any frets pulled as I bought it new with the tags on it from a music store.

I wonder how many came from the factory with this type fretboard?

----------


## MikeEdgerton

I'm trying to remember where I saw a picture of a fretboard like that. I think it was here a few years back but I can't seem to find it.

----------


## TEE

Here is another picture of the back and another question. Notice the ridge that runs up the back seam all the way to the button? Does You KM850 have that type back, Colo Dave?

How about the Km1000 and  KM1500 models you own MANDOSPURGE?

Of course anyone who knows is welcome to answer also. Thanks.

----------


## GTison

I apologise for the length of this post in advance but if you are interested continue on.  
Good discussion about 850's features.  As far as production numbers I would GUESS that there were thousands of these made.  Back in the 1980s I used to see these a lot.  A lot more than Gibsons.  I know at least two people off the top of my head.

I too own some catalogs and price list from the 1980s.  When I purchased my KM1000 in 1984 the list price on ALL the mandolins almost matched the serial number.  A KM-850 list price was $795.  As the exchange rate between the dollar and the yen changed in the late 80's so did the list prices.  I believe so much so, that the production eventually moved to S. Korea because the price points were so messed up.  I have a catalogs from '84 and '89 and'95

I always thought it was silly that an 850 was made of fancier woods than a KM1000.  Like a little wood could make SO much difference in price.  They had to select plainer wood to make a KM1000, right beside making a KM1500.  Why? Marketing plain and simple.  There are other weird marketing/pricing differences. Like a KM700 having "torch" inlays on the fingerboard, yet still costing less than the KM850.

Some immediate differences I notice are as follows.  The ridge in the carving of the back is NOT on the KM1000 or KM1500.  Also, none of the factory made mandolins (from this time period) including the KM850 have the "neck riser" or ears as I call them, where the neck and body binding all meet.  This indicates a different type of neck joint and neck construction. However in the 1994 catalog I believe the KM700 it shows has these "ears".  Production I think had changed to a different factory by this time.  

 :Coffee:

----------


## TEE

Thanks GTison for the information. Curious about the thousands being made as the owners seem to be  keeping very quiet if that is so. I've googled and searched and only got a handful of hits. Of course, what do I know? I have only seen 2 or 3 owners who owned them in the archives.

Thanks for the comparisons also, a lot of info there.

Interesting about the neck joints also, I was not aware that risers were the sign of a dovetail joint. I wonder what kind of joint they used on the KM850?

Thanks again for the information.

----------


## GTison

I think that the neck joint changing over the years is also interesting.  I'm not sure what they do now.  I don't think the "ears" mean dovetail joint really.  Because Webbers have these and they are not true dovetail.  The early 1970s Gibsons didn't have these ears either.  I think that it really indicates that the neck and fingerboard extension are probably all one piece, not two separate pieces.  This would allow for easier construction.

 As to my estimate of thousands, I take what I've seen, multiply that times some number, times your area, times 50 states, times the years they've been selling them, on and on, = thousands (to me anyway).   But what do I know.  As to numbers of mandolins, I'm always suprised at how many newer Gibsons there are in my relatively rural area.  I see them for sale from time to time from folks I never heard of.  There used to be 3 F5Ls within 3 miles of my house. So, there are more mandolins in closets than one might think.

----------


## Dusty

I too had an 850 mandolin bought from Elderly in the early 80's.  I traded in a KM750 that I ordered from Saga new.  The 850 with fern looked and played great.  I've got a great Daley,Stanley, and Gibson MM today but I will always believe that 850 had the tone and cut  that kept you in the jam.  I have some old Elderly catalogues, if I can find them, so I can post their new 80's prices.

----------


## Desert Rose

Thanks for the heads up about this topic by someone who alerted me to it.

AGAIN I will explain the real lay of the land.

Sumi was a TEAM member at the Maruko Kentucky workshop, he was NOT in charge in any way. The sole person in charge was the master Tahara san.

Sumi never built a complete mandolin until late in the history of the team workshop. He was by far the most talented member but still a member, and probably the only member to build a complete mandolin by himself

The Maruko workshop built the following models

km-1000 km- 1500 and Dawg models

THATS ALL, PERIOD

NOTHING below km-1000 was ever seen inside the building in any way, end of that discussion

No matter what you may read or what is posted on the internet THIS IS THE TRUTH and there is no negotiating the facts, the Frets article can not be carved in stone on a few points of historical fact

Sumi took over sole builder role when the Kentucky project stopped the workshop. He built by himself until late 1992, by early 1993 he was making Sumi brand mandolins and acoustic guitars full time

Kentucky mandolins are not Sumi mandolins unless they were correctly proven to be made in the late 1980s to 1992 otherwise they were just Kentucky custom shop models

In no way can any mandolin below km 1000 ever be idintified with Sumi, these mandolins and all the rest below it were made at the Kasuga factory hundreds of miles away in a mass production facility

While most here know already, Ive lived in Japan since 1986, I met Sumi in 1990 and he is my probablymy closest friend in Japan.

I manage ALL his affairs regarding building and business outside of Japan

I own Sumi mandolin 93-003

Scott

----------

Bluejay

----------


## Dave Hulse

> Here is another picture of the back and another question. Notice the ridge that runs up the back seam all the way to the button? Does You KM850 have that type back, Colo Dave?


My 850 has a raised portion just at the top of the back but it does not extend beyond 3 inches or so.

----------


## Dave Hulse

I think the lack of "ears" is interesting also.  I always thought it was because it was not a true Loar copy.  Is that piece of wood on the side of the fret board extension an anchor for the pick guard TEE?  My pick guard has two pins the fit directly in the side of the fret board.

As far as numbers of KM-850's out there.  I have not seen another one and they do not come up on ebay very often.

----------


## TEE

Yeah, Colo Dave my pickgaurd was glued to that little block of wood on the side. I still have the pickgaurd I just prefer it with out.

Yes, your back is exactly like mine it has a ridge about three to four inches long then blends into the back. I always thought that was a cool little design feature.

I don't think I have even seen a picture of another KM850 until yours.

----------


## RCB

This is my 850. Fingerboard shortened before I bought it. Pick-guard is present but not installed. Anything you see that could help ID year of manufacture or value would be appreciated. Original tailpiece is also still with the instrument. I am thinking of selling. Has Superior rectangular case.

----------


## banjer23

I too had a 850 bought locally in the early 80"s,,,wish I'd kept it,,I traded it to Elderly towards a Stiver,,it was a great lil mando,great sound,I'd really like to find another one.

----------


## Dave Hulse

Hello RCB,  I have S/N 17603 purchased through my mandolin teacher in December 1989.  That should give you a pretty good idea of the year of manufacture.  Don't know about value.  It looks like the tail piece has been upgraded also.

----------


## FL Boy

RCB,
    I bought your KM 850 from Elderly, and love it.  I see the serial number in your photo and it matches.  It's the best mandolin I've had, and I've had a bunch, in and out of my house, looking for the right one.  I never imagined I could like an import, but was I wrong.  What a coincidence, seeing it on this forum, which I just joined....I'm just trying to find out the year it was built and where.

----------


## gkraushaar

All Kentucky models lower than KM-1000 (as well as just about every other mass produced Japanese mandolin) were essentially copies of what Gibson was making in the 70s.  The KM-1000 and 1500 were modeled on the original Loar Gibsons of the 20s.  Gibson itself did not attempt recreations of the original F-5 models until the late 70s.  I remember seeing scores of Japanese F-5 copies in the late 70s that looked an awful lot like 70s Gibson F-5, all without the "ears".

----------


## raycantu

I have a Kentucky KM-850 I just bought...I did notice on mine on the head stock it just says KENTUCKY and on some others it says THE KENTUCKY....I dont know how old mine is or wher it was made but the number is 9544....I do not know much more other than it souds great and I can not put it down.

----------


## Yukon

I have a kentucky km850 s/n 14943 ,found it hanging on the wall in a recording studio. I,ve had to refret it , I also took the pick guard off and the sound improved considerably. Currently looking at a Loar lm600> Does anybody have any experience with these?::

----------


## ColdBeerGoCubs

Looks really good too Ray, thats actually the burst I want on my homemade build. Nice.

----------


## Mandolin Mick

I have a Kentucky KM-855 ... Does that count?

----------


## mandobassman

Unfortunately, NO!  The KM-850's were a completely different instrument and were of much higher quality when they were made in Japan.  I'm not trying to dis your mandolin (Kentucky's of today are still better than a lot of other imports) but few of the Kentucky's today are as good as the Japan models.  Even the factory assembled models were beautifully made instruments.

----------


## raycantu

> I have a kentucky km850 s/n 14943 ,found it hanging on the wall in a recording studio. I,ve had to refret it , I also took the pick guard off and the sound improved considerably. Currently looking at a Loar lm600> Does anybody have any experience with these?::


I did the same thing on with my pick gaurd and took it off,and it sounds to me like the sound improved considerably...I am still dont know much about mine like I said abouve the SER # is 9544 and it seams like it should have at least 1 more number than just 4 numbers.Unless it was one of the older ones before they added another number to the SER#. If anyone has any ideas or info let me know.

----------


## raycantu

> Looks really good too Ray, thats actually the burst I want on my homemade build. Nice.


Thanks COLDBEER iam pretty proud of it.

----------


## ColdBeerGoCubs

I would be too, I've been staring at those photos and am surprised at how good the thing looks. Makes most of the modern kentuckys look like a step back in comparison.

----------


## Robert Mitchell

I'm confused.....i paid $650.00 for my km850 in 1979. The km1000 was at least $200.00 more. My cat. From bucks county folk in 1977 shows the km 850 for $575.00,,the km1000 for $725.  Mandolin bros. 1985 cat. Shows $745.00 for the km850,,$1195 for the km1000. The 1995 cat. Shows $1528.00 for the km850,,,$2073.00 for the km1000. I wonder how there seems to be a thought that the km850 was priced higher than the km1000. The 1985 cat states "factory made" for the 850 and "hand made" for the 1000. Just curious. SEE PICS.

----------

Tiderider

----------


## TEE

[/QUOTE]

----------

Tiderider

----------


## Robert Mitchell

I'm not questioning the fact that there are price differences. I just don't understand the "flip flop" between the km1000  &km850.  The prices i show are from the n.y. And p.a. Area. At the period from the 70's to the 90's. Certainly one can pretty much go by the mandolin bros. Listed prices. And yet as shown by tee,, just the opposite is listed.
By other dealers.
Still confused.....

----------


## mandobassman

I purchased my KM-850 used in 1985 for $400.  The gentleman I bought it from told me he bought it new one year earlier for $800.  He didn't say where he bought it but I always assumed that was somewhere around list price.  It surprises me to see that it actually listed for much more.  It was a fine mandolin that I played for nearly 17 years.  I still wish I had it.

----------


## raycantu

> I'm confused.....i paid $650.00 for my km850 in 1979. The km1000 was at least $200.00 more. My cat. From bucks county folk in 1977 shows the km 850 for $575.00,,the km1000 for $725.  Mandolin bros. 1985 cat. Shows $745.00 for the km850,,$1195 for the km1000. The 1995 cat. Shows $1528.00 for the km850,,,$2073.00 for the km1000. I wonder how there seems to be a thought that the km850 was priced higher than the km1000. The 1985 cat states "factory made" for the 850 and "hand made" for the 1000. Just curious. SEE PICS.


Even at $575.00 in 1977 you know that $575.00 in 1977 had the same buying power as $2,133.52 in 2010.

Annual inflation over this period was 4.05%.

----------


## poopsidoo1

MY KM 850 serial number 16785 bought new in 1988. Saga told me it was mfg in Japan in 1985, Great mando.

----------


## randygwatkins

> Hello RCB,  I have S/N 17603 purchased through my mandolin teacher in December 1989.  That should give you a pretty good idea of the year of manufacture.  Don't know about value.  It looks like the tail piece has been upgraded also.


That's amazing...I have S/N 17604, and 17605 is pictured above!  Mine is a very nice instrument which I've considered selling, but have no idea where to set the price!

----------


## Jim Nollman

Desert Rose, you clearly know a lot about the Japanese scene that produced all those Kentucky mandolins. But you say so little about the 850, besides two things. First, they were built in a different shop than the 1000s and 1500s. And second, the main difference between the  850 and the 1000-1500  is that the former was carved by a machine, and the latter two models were carved by hand. 

I have no idea if hand carving assures better sound. It certainly does not assure better build quality. Hopefully, someone with expertise can comment about this one factor. I'd also like to know how many more hours it takes to hand carve a mandolin top and back vs machine carving. That should tell us a lot. 

The few 850 owners chiming in here seem to be saying, in one voice, that the 850 is a great sounding, great looking  mandolin. The photos attest to the high build quality, including wood choice, sunburst, and inlays. Do we all agree that you rarely see that grade of maple or finish on any other Asian factory-built instrument, including both the old and the new KM1500. 

And yet these 850s show very low resale value. This mostly seems strange when, as someone here has pointed out,  the 850 originally cost more than the 1000.  One interesting thing that's been suggested here without any real proof, is that fewer 850s were built than either 1000s or 1500s. 850 owners might also notice that the Cafe Japanese Kentucky socal group, only welcomes owners of the 900, 1000, and 1500. I bought my 30 year old 850 this past summer on EBay for less than 1k. I had been alerted last spring to keep an eye out for one, by a few trusted bluegrass players who told me they were way under the radar. 

After reading everything on the Cafe related to the 850, one thing remains a mystery.  Why does the 850 consistently look better than the 1000 and certainly no worse than the 1500 from that period?   

My own wild guess (please treat it as a guess) is that the 850 had an unnamed, under-promoted master builder who managed a team that did all the construction (minus the hand carving). If that is so, I'd love to know his name. For another example of much the same winning hierarchy, you might consider what Lloyd Loar did at Gibson. Meanwhile, the other factory had no such master builder or manager. What it did have was a team of hand carvers, a process that took longer, but which, ironically, also demanded they use less expensive raw materials, but with an equal amount of time and talent on actual construction. The fact that all these 850s have such amazing sunbursts, causes me to guess that the custom factory spent less time on finish.

As far as resale value goes, to understand that better, we probably need to add in the fact that one among many of these hand carvers was a young Sumi, who eventually emerged as a brand name builder of fine instruments. But as Desert Rose makes very clear, his good friend Sumi was not in any way in charge of the Kentucky "custom" shop. Yet today, most people selling KM1000s and 1500s from that period inevitably use Sumi's name as a lever to increase the price.

well, if you've read this far, you can see I'm obsessing about the 850, and thinking "this shouldn't this good."

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

A little bit off the subject here I guess, but...When did they stop building the 850? Were they all built in Japan or did they continue to produce them in Korea and/or China? 

(Sorry if this was covered, I didn't see it.)

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

I hope I don't live to regret it but...
I just pulled the trigger on a KM-850. I THINK it is from the mid '80s (serial# 141##). 
I took a big chance on this one, buying without playing it first. If anyone's interested, I'll keep you posted when it arrives. Got my fingers crossed!

----------


## Jazzbone

> That's amazing...I have S/N 17604, and 17605 is pictured above!  Mine is a very nice instrument which I've considered selling, but have no idea where to set the price!


I just took delivery of #17603 and it's a beauty!

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

Congrats on your new (old) mandolin. You'll see, if you look through the old threads re the KM-850, that there are some pretty big fans of that model. I'm sure lots of us would like to see some pics of yours!

----------


## Jazzbone

> Congrats on your new (old) mandolin. You'll see, if you look through the old threads re the KM-850, that there are some pretty big fans of that model. I'm sure lots of us would like to see some pics of yours!


I'll work on getting some pics together...it is a pretty impressive mandolin!

----------


## Loralyn

I'm glad to see some current love for the km850!

If it helps with figuring out the year of manufacture, my km850 was purchased new in 1983 from Saga, the serial # is 12469, and the headstock just says "Kentucky." I paid $600, but I thought that the retail price was $850 at the time, the same as the model number. It also came with the rectangular Superior case.

Everyone who has played it loves the sound. I've never regretted buying it. 

Aside from some uneven yellowing of the binding, it's in great condition. The only things that I've changed are replacing two tuning buttons that split, and switching the top part of the bridge with one attached to a side-clamp pickup. Oddly enough, that also made it sound better when played acoustically. As an experiment a few years ago, I put the original top part of the bridge back on and the sound was not as loud or rich.

Cheers, and happy picking!

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

> I'm glad to see some current love for the km850!
> 
> If it helps with figuring out the year of manufacture, my km850 was purchased new in 1983 from Saga, the serial # is 12469, and the headstock just says "Kentucky." I paid $600, but I thought that the retail price was $850 at the time, the same as the model number. It also came with the rectangular Superior case.
> 
> Everyone who has played it loves the sound. I've never regretted buying it. 
> 
> Aside from some uneven yellowing of the binding, it's in great condition. The only things that I've changed are replacing two tuning buttons that split, and switching the top part of the bridge with one attached to a side-clamp pickup. Oddly enough, that also made it sound better when played acoustically. As an experiment a few years ago, I put the original top part of the bridge back on and the sound was not as loud or rich.
> 
> Cheers, and happy picking!


Glad to hear from another happy KM-850 owner, especially on their first post! 
That "uneven yellowing of the binding" seems to be a common issue on the 850. Everyone I've seen looks like there was an excess of finish applied. Over time the thicker and thinner areas darkened unevenly. 
Just curious. Were you able to find _matching_ replacement tuner buttons? If so, where?

I believe that mine is an '85 with first two #s of SN being 14. At that time, I believe the List Price was $1150.  

By the "top part" of the bridge, are you referring to the saddle? If so, it's possible that the string slots were cut more precisely on the replacement, or maybe it fit onto the adjustment screws better. I'd be interested to learn more details about that. Anything that improves tone/volume is worth investigating.

----------


## Dave Hulse

> I just took delivery of #17603 and it's a beauty!


Glad to see 17603 found a new home.  I sold it off in December 2012 and I think it went to a fellow near Nashville.  

Heck I was in San Antonio yesterday.

Dave

----------


## Jazzbone

> Glad to see 17603 found a new home.  I sold it off in December 2012 and I think it went to a fellow near Nashville.  
> 
> Heck I was in San Antonio yesterday.
> 
> Dave


That would be the gentleman I purchased the 850 from and I couldn't be happier.  Being new to the mandolin, this will be the one I learn on and one I think I can grow with.  Beautiful wood, impecable fit and finish and such a nice voice...it's alot of mandolin for the money.

Dave, if you're ever in San Antonio again give me a shout...I'll buy you lunch!

----------


## Loralyn

That's what it looks like exactly - too much globs of finish. It doesn't bother me enough to do anything about it though. 

The buttons aren't an exact match, but they're close. Both the replacements & the originals have a pearly opalescence, but the original ones are a little clearer and the replacement ones a little more milky. I got them at Picker's Supply in Fredericksburg, VA. http://pickerssupply.com/ They had (& hopefully still have) drawers of misc parts. 

Yes - I think so. (My apologies for not knowing the precise terminology.) I kept the original bridge part that fits against the top, and just screwed on the piece with the string slots and the attached Fishman pickup. It's been a while, but I think it's this model, http://www.fishman.com/product/m-200...andolin-pickup. Maybe it was incorrect thinking on my part, but I assumed that the original base would fit the top better, so I shouldn't replace that part. (Does that make it a Franken-bridge?) 

I also love the way that it sounds with Thomastik-Infeld strings - so a more mellow, fuller tone, than high and bright. Unfortunately, they're pricey, and I'm not that good of a player. I just ordered the JM11 strings from Jazzmando in the hopes that they'll be a good substitute.

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

Loralyn, Thanks for the info. 

I just read the tutorial (linked by Scott T. on another thread) on posting images. I'm going to give it a shot. 

These (hopefully) are a few shots of my mid eighties KM-850.

----------


## Miraell

Hi I have KM-850 C, type F4. 
I have no idea about price and I want sell it. Anybody can help me? Thanks

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Hi I have KM-850 C, type F4. 
> I have no idea about price and I want sell it. Anybody can help me? Thanks


List it in the Cafe Classifieds. Listing there reaches a LOT of potential buyers.

EDITED: sorry - I misunderstood that you were asking for advice on its value. Others here who can answer that will doubtless pitch in soon. Good luck.

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

Well Miraell, I would have bet that by now, someone would have posted at least some small tidbit about your KM-850C. I know of a few small variations on the KM-850 that occured during the production run (such as headstock details), but I never had any idea there was an animal like yours. I'd be interested in finding out about it too. Somebody out there's got to know something.

----------


## mandobassman

> Hi I have KM-850 C, type F4. 
> I have no idea about price and I want sell it. Anybody can help me? Thanks


That's awesome! I didn't even know they made a oval hole version of the 850.  I wish I had some extra money around. I'd love to have that beauty.  I had a KM-850 that was a 1984 model.  I bought it from the original owner in '85.  Played it for 17 years before selling it.  I really regret it.  The mandolin I own now is a much better mandolin, but I still wish I had that 850.  It was a beautifully made instrument.

----------


## raycan2

Here is mine.
Mine says SAGA Musical Company
SO.San Francisco, Ca

Number #9544
How do the # work and how do I know when mine was built?

----------


## chrisclark

I just bought this exact mando last week of craigslist!  







> This is my 850. Fingerboard shortened before I bought it. Pick-guard is present but not installed. Anything you see that could help ID year of manufacture or value would be appreciated. Original tailpiece is also still with the instrument. I am thinking of selling. Has Superior rectangular case.

----------


## chrisclark

FL Boy,

So... I just bought this exact mandolin of craigslist last week!  

Love it so far.  I don't suppose you've got its pickguard stashed away in a closet somewhere.   I didn't come with one (not that I particularly care, but I 'd  be happy to get it...

-chris



> RCB,
>     I bought your KM 850 from Elderly, and love it.  I see the serial number in your photo and it matches.  It's the best mandolin I've had, and I've had a bunch, in and out of my house, looking for the right one.  I never imagined I could like an import, but was I wrong.  What a coincidence, seeing it on this forum, which I just joined....I'm just trying to find out the year it was built and where.

----------


## mandobassman

Hi Chris,

The KM-850 I owned had that exact same Florida cut-off that yours has.  At first, I thought it _was_ the one I had owned, then I realized it was not.  I bought mine in 1985 from the original owner a year after he had bought it new in 1984.  I played it for 17 years and and in 2001, I included it in part of a deal to buy a Kay bass that I needed at the time.  But sometime around 1997 or so, I had a complete re-fret done.  I had guitar frets installed and had the extension cut off.  The guy in Houston who did the work for me cut it off and finished off the binding exactly like the one you have.  That's what made me think it was originally mine.  However, I looked closer at the photos and I see that they are the skinny frets that came with it.  I regret having to trade that mandolin.  The last two mandolins I have had, including my J Bovier that I now play, are much better sounding mandolins that that KM-850, but I still wish I had it.  It had one of the prettiest finishes of any mandolin that I have owned.  Good luck with yours.  I hope you get many years of enjoyment from it.

----------


## FLATROCK HILL

Hi Chris, 

Congratulations on your new-to-you KM-850. Hope you enjoy it for many years. 
Your post today reopened a thread (from 2009) that I haven't read for a while. Despite claims that the 850 had high production numbers, they certainly seem to be seldom seen now days. I don't play mine as much as I should, but still like it and have no plans to sell it. 
Thanks for the thread bump.

----------


## jim simpson

> I have a friend who has one with block inlays in the fingerboard.  It sounds pretty good.  He was going to bring it to me to sell for him, but he has not done that yet.  He may have second thoughts.


Joe,
I realize your post was from 2009, I wonder if you saw the KM-805. I owned one for a while (quite a nice mandolin) and thought the block inlays looked cool.

----------


## jim simpson

Here's a pic:

----------


## Eric C.

> Hi Chris, 
> 
> Congratulations on your new-to-you KM-850. Hope you enjoy it for many years. 
> Your post today reopened a thread (from 2009) that I haven't read for a while. Despite claims that the 850 had high production numbers, they certainly seem to be seldom seen now days. I don't play mine as much as I should, but still like it and have no plans to sell it. 
> Thanks for the thread bump.


Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know!

----------

FLATROCK HILL

----------

