New Kentucky KM-606 mandolins are in the wild!

[mandolinstew]

maybe Elderly sent theirs back(like mandolin store)and are waiting for the new improved models

[soliver]

I read through this whole thread (Scanned it really) and found it all to be a good read. I particularly enjoyed Roberts assessment and comparison to other mandolins within a couple hundred dollars price range. I am always thinking about what to get next, so reading a good honest assessment is really really helpful.

I loves my Eastman 305, so its good to read a comparison there specifically. A couple of folks at my local jam who I've let play my 305 have gone and bought Eastmans themselves... good stuff!

[David McCormick]

I'm seeing this thread after having just gotten the chance to compare a 606 to both a Loar 500 and an Eastman MD315 at a local shop, both as a player and a listener. The Loar finished a distant third and was quickly dismissed. My friend thought the Eastman might have been a little "sweeter" than the Kentucky, but we both agreed that the 606 had more volume, more bass, better chop and a genuinely good bluegrass tone. It sounded like a "real" mando, not a tinny imitation. The radiused fingerboard and wider frets felt good, and the setup was perfect. Yeah, the finish is cheap but so is the instrument. At $525 I think it's a screaming deal and am planning to go back tomorrow and buy it as my new teaching axe.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Welcome to the Cafe!

[mandolinstew]

chop is good and mine is getting lighter and lighter,nice grain coming out,never seen this before,dark brown just going away,will post photos when it finally molts

[capomatt]

Hello! This is my first post on Mandolin Cafe. I'm considering purchasing a Kentucky 606. I see that they have been discontinued. And I can't find much information about this particular model. There happens to be one in a local music shop and of the mandolins I tried it was one of the better sounding ones in my price range, less than $1000. Has anyone actually purchased and use this mandolin extensively? if so what is your impression of this particular instrument. Is it worth $950? if not what other models would you recommend? A friend of mine has the Loar 600. I tried it at our last jam session and it was much better then my cheap Fender model. Thanks for your opinion.

[Folkmusician.com]

These were not bad. People were not happy with the finish. I would have no problem recommending one for the right price. Keep in mind, the whole point of this model was to keep the price down. Is it worth $950? It would not be my first choice, or second, third, etc..

[colorado_al]

I'd check out Eastman MD515 or MD315 instead.

[capomatt]

These were not bad. People were not happy with the finish. I would have no problem recommending one for the right price. Keep in mind, the whole point of this model was to keep the price down. Is it worth $950? It would not be my first choice, or second, third, etc..

Robert, I see you run an online store for mandolins and folk instruments. As someone who likely sees dozens of instruments pass through your store regularly, what in your expert opinion is the best value for the price point I am considering? You mentioned the KM606 is not your first choice, what would be your first choice? Feel free to send me links to instruments you have available. When you sell an instrument, is it set up before shipping? how is it shipped? Typically, is the instrument playable right when I unpack it?
What is the approx cost for shipping to MN? Thank you. -capomatt

[Folkmusician.com]

Matt,

I wouldn't rule out the KM-606, just not at that price point... You can get a higher model Kentucky for under $1000. You can get a KM-150 for a WHOLE lot less.

I agree with AL above. Eastman is a better choice if they are within budget (and it sounds like they are).

There are a handful (a few handfuls) of dealers that do good setup work. Most offer free shipping and the mandolin will be ready to go aside from tuning. You will do well buying from any of the sponsors here at the Cafe.

[colorado_al]

Something like this would be significantly better than the KM-606
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/132501#132501

[Miltown]

$950 is too much for a 606, imo. I liked mine, but couldn't justify keeping it when I already have an Eastman 515.

I'd say around $500 is a fair price for the 606.

[capomatt]

Thanks for the advice. This has been a very helpful resource.

[Br1ck]

Plus you could get a used KM 900 for that, a significantly better mandolin.

I'm pretty jaded when it comes to instruments, but was impressed by the Eastman 315 I played this week.

[Hendrik Luurtsema]

I'm a mandolinplayer who loves the look of the KM606 so bought a new one last week. This light mandolin is a very open and resonant instrument with a very nice woody chop. It has a very nice tone and the neck feels very comfortable too. I've had some nice handmade mandolins in the past that I finally sold (Clark, Prucha, Janish), I won't say this one sounds better but it's definitely just at nice and it playes way more comfortable than all the others I've had. This is really good bang for your buck!
I know all instruments have something special when you talk about tone. You should always try it yourself, but I myself can't understand why there is so much negative feedback about this mandolin in this thread. I'm really happy with mine and I know
I'll never sell this one.

[roysboy]

I'm a mandolinplayer who loves the look of the KM606 so bought a new one last week. This light mandolin is a very open and resonant instrument with a very nice woody chop. It has a very nice tone and the neck feels very comfortable too. I've had some nice handmade mandolins in the past that I finally sold (Clark, Prucha, Janish), I won't say this one sounds better but it's definitely just at nice and it playes way more comfortable than all the others I've had. This is really good bang for your buck!
I know all instruments have something special when you talk about tone. You should always try it yourself, but I myself can't understand why there is so much negative feedback about this mandolin in this thread. I'm really happy with mine and I know
I'll never sell this one.

thanks so much for this post and video. I have loved the look of the 606 since day 1 but was dissuaded by the comments when it came to the tone and playability . your video is beautifully recorded , performed and , to my ear , showcases a beautifully open , warm and loud Km 606 . I 'm a Km 150 owner and the tone to this day still amazes me . but this 606 has a much better tone than I expected based upon the comments I've read . Thanks again

[Hendrik Luurtsema]

It beats the km150 very easy. I’ve head one years ago, a friend of mine still has it. It’s a fine instrument but nothing special. I will keep my 2011 The Loar Lm300 because it has that special ringing mid range which I like a lot but I know that’s something personal. I guess you can’t have it all in any mandolin, the km606 has a much woofy-er chop and much rounder sounding notes a bit like the Prucha I had. My Clark sounded warmer but it missed volume on the treble side and I couldn’t hear myself in a bluegrass jam. Because I loved my The loar Lm300 so much and I wanted an f-style again I tried a new The Loar Lm600 two months ago that I returned immediately to Thomann musicstore because it missed a good tone and had very little volume. It was setup very bad also, but it looked very nice and it had a very nice flamed back. It would have looked nice on the wall. It was a big misstake but they are recommended a lot on mandolincafe.
Good Luck with it Roysboy. The best thing do is to trust your own ears.

[roysboy]

It beats the km150 very easy. I’ve head one years ago, a friend of mine still has it. It’s a fine instrument but nothing special. I will keep my 2011 The Loar Lm300 because it has that special ringing mid range which I like a lot but I know that’s something personal. I guess you can’t have it all in any mandolin, the km606 has a much woofy-er chop and much rounder sounding notes a bit like the Prucha I had. My Clark sounded warmer but it missed volume on the treble side and I couldn’t hear myself in a bluegrass jam. Because I loved my The loar Lm300 so much and I wanted an f-style again I tried a new The Loar Lm600 two months ago that I returned immediately to Thomann musicstore because it missed a good tone and had very little volume. It was setup very bad also, but it looked very nice and it had a very nice flamed back. It would have looked nice on the wall. It was a big misstake but they are recommended a lot on mandolincafe.
Good Luck with it Roysboy. The best thing do is to trust your own ears.

Interesting to hear you mention a lack of volume in so many respected mandolins as I have found the same . I played a half dozen or so used 'high end' mandolins at a retail festival booth last year ..Kimbel , several Gibsons , a Duff I believe .and more recently a km 850 ...all nicely set up and in remarkable condition but all seemingly lacking in volume . my own km 150 , as hard as it is to believe , seemed much more open and projecting . ??? I'm convinced I somehow have an exceptional 150 in the volume department .Not saying it would compete in the tone dept but it is awfully warm and open and LOUD comparatively . .

[Hendrik Luurtsema]

Low budget mandolins can sound very nice but you have to be lucky to get a good one I guess. I don't know if the Chinese factory's pay attention to the tonal quality of the woods they use. I have had 3 A-Style The Loar mandolins which date from 2011 that sound extremely well to my ears (2x LM220 and 1 LM300). I had to other F-styles from the same brand from different years which sounded dull (LM500) and the Lm600 sounded very Tinny. I had an old Kentucky KM140 years ago with a very wide grain that sounded very woody and warm but I sold it because I didn't think it was very special. I always had the feeling those old kentucky's had pressed tops but maybe it's just that they don't graduate them. The KM606 is very different and you can see the graduation in The F-Holes and it has a nice recurve on the edges. I also love the neck and the slight radiussed fretboard. Despite I love my factory made mandolins I hope to find a small shop made mandolin that has it all for me. It's a bit difficult to find good one at a reasonable price here in the Netherlands.

[Frank Russell]

I just got this model sent to me a few days ago by the good folks at Elderly. It was a last minute buy, after I read these threads, that I made to scratch a nasty case of Covid boredom motivated F-style itch. I have a great Old Wave, an awesome Givens A5, and a flat top from Sonny Morris that outdoes every flat top I’ve ever played. I blame quarantine for almost making me get into at least one poor trade deal just to get into an F-style. This 606, along with a The Loar 310f, were bought to keep me from making foolish impulse buys. I planned to return or sell one as soon as I got a real impression of them. The 606 isn’t going anywhere. It’s the best money I’ve spend on a mandolin in years. The comparisons to the Gibson 9 range, especially when they first debuted, are valid. I owned an F and an A from the Gibson 9 line, so I do have some perspective. The early ones were very plain, dark-stained (sometimes so dark you saw no grain at all). There were threads about how sharp and uncomfortable the edges of these mandolins were, with several folks resorting to sanding the edges. Both mine needed new nuts, and the originals had to be chipped out, as they had been superglued in, or something close to it. Lots of little gripes, but they had the Gibson bluegrass tone the more expensive models had, so I made the adjustments. The 606 reminds me very much of that situation. Is the color pretty? Not really, but I can see some flame. Elderly did a great setup, and I see none of the mentioned issues with some batches. No sharp edges, great action, intonation Is spot on, no bling at all. Like the F9 and A9 I had, this seems like Kentucky’s higher model sound at a lower price. I may have gotten lucky. If so , I’m happy, because I’m enjoying this one a lot. Matter of fact, the Loar 310f is much better than most of the reviews made it out to be. I may still sell it, as I don’t really need it, but for close to $300, it was a great deal, and a guilty pleasure that’s nice to look at. Don’t write off the 606 just yet. Even at full retail price, I’ve owned enough to know I got my money’s worth. Thanks, Frank

[1nHarmony]

My interest in the 606 was peaked by your YouTube channel, Hendrik. I can say without reservation that those videos made my decision firm. I've only had mine about two weeks and I am thrilled! I wanted a step up from my Eastman 505C, but a musician friend of mine says, No, this is FIVE steps up!

[Verne Andru]

I tried a new The Loar Lm600 two months ago that I returned immediately to Thomann musicstore because it missed a good tone and had very little volume. It was setup very bad also, but it looked very nice and it had a very nice flamed back. It would have looked nice on the wall. It was a big misstake but they are recommended a lot on mandolincafe.

You make good points. AFAIK the LM600 is The Loar's rendition of what Lloyd was signing back in the 1920s. While I've not tried one of those I do have a LH-300-VS archtop guitar of theirs that is touted as their version of the L5 from the Lloyd Loar era. I got mine from an online big-box so it there was no setup at all. As a consequence it lacked tone and volume as well as playability, just as you note about your LM600 experience. I did a complete setup paying particular attention to matching the base of the bridge with the curve of the top and the difference was night and day. Based on my experience a proper setup can make the difference between a great sounding instrument and a wall-hanger.

[MandoMan1]

I owned both the KM-606 and the Loar LM-600 before. The KM-606 was a good sounding mandolin, especially for the price. I paid $475 for it used.

The LM-600 sounded very thin and muted. I think the finish was too thick. Your results may be better than mine. Hopefully so, because the LM-600 I had was a disappointment.

[mando_dan]

I like it but then again I've always liked a black-faced mandolin (are we allowed to say this?) and even had a nice black Flatiron A once upon a time. Good on Eastman for trying something different.

[Captain Kirk]

I am very curious to know how Kentucky KM-606 owners feel about this mandolin now that some time has passed. I am considering buying one this weekend. Would you buy the 606 again?