I'll start this... I play a Legacy Deluxe. http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/legacy_deluxe.html
I have a prototype of the firefly mandolins. It is finished in all black lacquer, and has no binding. The neck inlay is beautifly done, with the firefly's inlay set at an angle that makes it shine differently than the vines. This sound of this instrument is incredible. I also have the MK F2 copy(Legacy O). I posted in the other thread here the work I have done to it, but it is a nice sounding instrument.
I too play a legacy deluxe. I just got it about a week ago- first mando. Mine has the antique burst finish and antiqued tailpiece.
I bought an A O for playing at historical events. It has worked well for jamming around campfires, and some stage work.
I play a Legacy FS. http://www.mandolins.net/michael_kelly.htm#Legacy%20FS
Dragonfly electric - tobacco finish.
Hi, I have a Dragon Fly Custom 3 with the tobacco finish.
I play the Dragonfly Custom III lefty with a walnut finish. I've been playing for about nine months now and am giving my instructor a run for his money lol
I have a Mickael Kelly, LFS, I guess that means Legancy-Festival-Supreme, as by reading of this model on the Michael Kelly site, this model has pearl inlay up the frets, what I can make out, the serial number is; (050500p8), has me thinking it was made in 2005, this is my first Mandolin that I got from a brother hippy that lives in a Florida swamp, its in perfect shape with a case, he also tossed in a Mandocello, in which I have a good time learning how to play. I got everything for a total of $400.00, a few learning books with CDs too, which are not very helpful to me, a little too advanced for my skills. Anyway, thats the history on how I aquired my Michael Kelly Mandolin, I think the sound is high quility, and its a beautiful instrument, I beleave its up there at the top with all the other high end Mandolins.
I've got a MK Octave Plus. It is a pretty decent instrument, although I've always had some intonation problems. Can't get it just right. I'm suspecting the bridge slots are off. Anyway here are a couple clips of it: The action and overall playability are pretty nice. The sound is kind of muffled compared to other OM's. The neck doesn't feel much wider than a standard mandolin, but the longer scale stretches the frets out some. I don't think these are made anymore.
I've got a MK Legacy in satin amberburst that I bought off eBay a few years back. It's a pretty instrument. It and I have a love hate relationship. I'll play it for awhile then decide that I hate it, put it down, and start playing my Gibson EM-150. The two instruments are so different. The EM-150 has a great warm tone, but no volume (could it be that putting a P90 pickup in the middle of top was a bad idea?). The MK has a lot of volume, but does not have the tone that I like for solo playing. I tend to use the MK when I'm playing with others because of the volume. When playing by myself, I use the Gibson. I can't explain it, but I really feel like the MK should have a better tone than it does.
I own a 2004 Dragonfly Custom III with a walnut finish. Sent it to Robert Fear @ Folkmusician earlier this year for a setup. He reworked the nut, did fret work, and fit a CA bridge. The intonation had never been just right til I had this done. Made all the difference in the world for playability and intonation is dead on now. I later added a custom pearl truss rod cover and an Allen tailpiece. Really nice mandolin now.
Mine is a 2003 Firefly custom. Sorry to say, but it is my "beater" although it has great tone and playability. It was enhanced with a bone nut and Allen tail piece by the previous owner. I stripped the neck because it seemed sticky with the poly finish. I really do like it and it looks really good too. It is the only MK I have played, but I don't understand all the "bashers" on the cafe
I have recently traded a old amp for a Legacy Plus. Very nice sounding Mandolin. Not sure of its age, I will have to look into that soon. Ed
2003 Firefly, top stripped to bare wood and refinished with a Danish Oil. Sounds and looks a lot better now. It's not my main mandolin, but it wad my first f style.
I recently picked up an '08 Legacy Elegante'. Beautiful instrument, sounds incredible, and plays wonderfully. It's good to see many proud owners of MK's. I think they're wonderful instruments
Hi everyone, I purchased a Legacy Dragonfly with the AVS finish last August from FolkMusician. I'm a bassist by design, more than plunk around on my trusty Alvarez MD95, and have borrowed 3 different mandolins over the years. 2 were Washburn's and the other....I don't recall, but aside from the fact that they were all poorly set up, or not set up at all, and all had awful intonation, I fell in love with the tuning, and the instrument, in general, and wanted one for my own. I played a $400 MK in a music shop a few years ago, and thought it sounded and played nicer than all the other more expensive "cheapy" brands, and ultimately fell in love with the AVS Dragonfly from a picture - all the right reasons - and ultimately got one. I like to joke that I wouldn't know a good mandolin if it fell on me, and that may be true, but I will say that I am very impressed with the sound, playability, intonation, and finish, and for the first 3 months, couldn't put it down. I had 2 occasions to reach out to MK, and was stunned to hear back within a couple hours each time - very helpful bunch of folk. A friend of mine was visiting over the holidays, and he's a really good player, and has a few really nice mandolins, so I asked him to check it out, he loved it, and couldn't put it down. He commented of the crisp brightness and solid low end. He wasn't too keen on the scoop, but neither am I, as I prefer the warmer tone I can get close to the neck, and don't have the picking chops I could, since I don't use one even on my guitar, so I feel like I'm always having to be aware of not banging into the thing, and would like to have it removed. Otherwise, I love it, and love the company. Being a bassist, and one who'd been long since fascinated by the mandocello, soon after I got my mandolin, I went on a quest to find a decent affordable one - which there ain't. When I registered my mandolin with MK, one of the questions was to make a suggestion to MK, so I suggested that they introduce an affordable MC, with a big song and dance about how they'd be a bunch of big hero's if they did. That was a late on a Friday night. I woke up Saturday morning to an email from one of their folks, who gave a warm and detailed rundown on how they'd love to, but how they'd lose their ass if they did - as they apparently almost did when they introduced an octave a few years ago. I was stunned. What kind of company has such great customer service, that they'd be up early on a Saturday responding to emails? I'm thoroughly impressed with Michael Kelly, and love my mandolin. Dave
Just joined the group. I bought my MK Firefly Flame back in March/April 2004. Still have it. Question: it seems like their F4 style mandolin was a good one since i never see them for sale either here in the classifieds or on other sites. Do they come up for sale often and I just miss them?
A-Solid
