Kentucky Mandolin Pickguard Attachment

I was lucky enough to score (for a graduation gift) a Kentucky KM-150 on ebay for about $215 with shipping and tax. It was in VG condition--not perfect but okay--partly disassembled, but the only thing missing was the tailpiece cover and I found one that only require a little bit of "pinching" to fit just fine. (They are not hard to find.)

I have, however, spent hours and hours and hours trying to attach the pickguard. I know it's not necessary, but it is a gift so I'd rather give it intact. The problem is the part of the attachment that supports the part of the pickguard over the mandolin. It is a U-shaped, chrome plated steel piece. You can see it if you do a Google search for

Chrome Plt Scratch Plate Pickguard Mounting Bracket Screw for Mandolin

The side piece is attached well to the side of the mandolin. The long screw fits through the hole on the top of the side piece on the side of the mandolin. (I've inserted it both ways -- the shorter threaded side goes closest to the edge.) The other end of the screw goes through two holes in the side of the U-shaped support bracket and the top of the U-shaped support bracket has a hole in the top so that the pickguard can be screwed into it. On paper this seems to be a good solution. (Describing in words makes it sound more complicated than it is. Again, you can refer to the picture.)

The problem, and it is a big problem, is that when everything is aligned---the U-shaped support bracket does not sit evenly on the mandolin top. Part of it hangs over the F-hole. Part of it doesn't make contact, and it raised the pickguard too high. I've tried making all kinds of adjustments but when the top of the pickguard is aligned with its proper hole, and the edge of the screw is aligned with the side of the mandolin, and the screw that goes through the pickguard to the bracket are all in place -- the bottom of the support bracket does not align and the top of the pickguard sticks up too high.

I thought maybe this isn't the correct attachment set up for this model of mandolin? I suppose I could just buy a new one for $20 since, if I pay myself $15/hour, I've probably put $60 worth of labor-hours into this on thing -- but then again, the new one might not fit either.

SOOOOOO -- first question: Is this the correct set up, especially the U-shaped bracket, for a Kentucky KM-150 mandolin? (I drove to a music store a half hour away to look under the pickguard to compare but they were "out of mandolins.")

Second question: If this is the correct equipment, is it supposed to be uneven on the mandolin, partly hanging over the edge of the F-hole

If you have access to a Kentucky KM 150 (or probably 140) you can likely answer this question in ten seconds....and when I attach it properly, I can give this to the "lucky" recipient!

Thanks,
Alan Spector




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1917 Gibson A (WONDERFUL SOUND) 2012 Loar v-400
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AND


a frustrated wife who says: "You only have two hands. How many instruments do you need?"






.............maybe a Martin 000-28 and an F-hole Flatiron???.........

Can you give us a picture so we can see [a] exactly what type of mounting bracket you have [there are several variations] and [b] see what you mean by "hangs over the f-hole?"

It most likely had one more like this:

https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...SABEgKzifD_BwE

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pops1

It most likely had one more like this:

https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...SABEgKzifD_BwE

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Thanks for your willingness to help:

It looks more like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Pickgu.../dp/B00G9NQ1RI

Maybe it's not original which might explain why the only way the holes can match up with the long screw that goes from the side to the U support is for the U support to be half hanging in the air!

What if you took the U support off and reversed it?

Thanks for the suggestions. The problem is that if the U shaped bracket is upside down, then the side with the hole for the screw attachment is against the mandolin and there is nothing for the pickguard to attach to! The whole assembly just seems to be lifting the pickguard too high off the mandolin -- more than a half inch -- or maybe that's how it is supposed to be?

I don't mean to reverse it by turning it upside down, simply take if off, turn it and slide it back on right side up so the screw is offset the other way.

I think, the OP believes the bracket should sit on the top of mandolin. This is not the case, the bracket (U saped or simple block style) should float ABOVE the top and NOT touch it at all otherwise it would cause all kinds of buzzes.

SOLVED! Thank you Adrian -- all the way from Slovakia! Of course....of course. That does mean that the pickguard is a little bit higher off the top than I thought, but it's supposed to be that way. Everything is tight. I should have posted this a week earlier and saved a lot of time but it's all good now. Just trying to clean up the wood a little (some stains, rather than dings) and then it's on its way to the happy graduate, (a violin and guitar player whose family comes from Romania......). Thanks again...

P.S. to pops1 -- you are also correct. It did take some experimenting but having the side holes on the bracket the wrong way also makes the alignment wrong.

Alan, will you post a picture when you get that put back together? If yours looks like mine that I posted in the other thread, then I'm intrigued. I can't really see the purpose of that bracket if it floats above the mandolin. I just can't picture it in my head. (Then again I haven't really spent any time fiddling with it, either.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sue Rieter

Alan, will you post a picture when you get that put back together? If yours looks like mine that I posted in the other thread, then I'm intrigued. I can't really see the purpose of that bracket if it floats above the mandolin. I just can't picture it in my head. (Then again I haven't really spent any time fiddling with it, either.)

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The metal piece functions just like the more standard plastic block glued underneath the pickguard. In this case the piece is screwed onto pickguard and the bracket rod is inserted through the two holes in the opposite sides of U and fastened with nuts or whatever hardware supplied.