The Kentucky KM-272; 6 Months In
I thought I would write a little review of this mandolin since I have been playing it a LOT for about 6 months now, and in the last month its tone has begun to change.
I've been playing music a long time, since I was about 10 years old, though I've never been--or even aspired to be--anything other than a solo home player who occasionally joins some of the ceilidhs here in the Nova Scotia backwoods. I've played many instruments: guitar, Celtic harp, Irish whistle, low whistle and fiddle. I've even owned a folk instrument store at one point and built a half dozen harps. But I only got into mandolin about 6 months ago. So, I'm certainly not a mandolin expert, though I know instruments and music.
To be entirely honest, my first mandolin--the Seagull S8--was a huge disappointment. Many people have remarked it is built well and solid, and there is no doubt. The setup on mine was terrible, though. The frets and bridge were too high, and I found its tone to be harsh and tinny. I wanted to like it because it's Canadian-made and I am Canadian, but I couldn't. I hated it. I put it up for sale less than a month after acquiring it. I read a lot, watched many instructional videos, and lurked here on the Cafe for a long time before deciding on the KM-272, but it was a safe bet since I could return it easily if I didn't like it. Because my home is remote and there was no nearby mandolin store, I ordered it through Amazon. I wasn't expecting much, despite the favorable reviews, given it's prices (at the time, $575 here in Canada), and I was shocked when the parcel arrived and I opened it to discover an instrument of quality far surpassing its price. We all like a little bargain but in the case of the 272, it was like paying for a used beater car and being given the keys to a new Camaro.
The instrument was extremely well made. Kentucky says the instrument is hand carved and crafted, and from what I have seen, I have no reason to doubt it. I've seen Eastmans at three times the prices that I didn't think were as nice. There were no flaws in the construction, the Sitka spruce top was one of the densest, most resonant cuts I've ever seen; very tight grained, and the maple was beautifully flamed. Binding, seams and all joints were perfect. This is not to say that Kentucky didn't skimp in a few places. The strings they used sounded okay but were over bright to my ear. The nut, as well, needed work. The slots were cut precisely right for string height but the nut had never been shaped so the AA and EE strings sat about 2mm inside the slots. This wasn't a problem til I changed strings to GHS Silk & Steel, at which point the slots began to catch the strings, making it difficult to tune. However, it was an easy fix that took only an hour with a metal file and a bit of fine sandpaper.
The bridge was fitted true and of good quality rosewood. The frets are perfect: substantial enough to get the job done but fine enough to be pleasant to work with, and the action was a thing of beauty right from the start, very easy and delightful.
The 272 has a lovely amber lacquer finish. Coming from the fiddle, I might have preferred more of a red-brown oil finish but, as we Acadians say, C'est comme-ci, comme-ca. Neither here nor there. Both are nice.
Interestingly, the KM-272 comes standard with a wide nut: 1.25 inches.
The 272 is widely noted to have a very sweet voice, which can perhaps be attributed to its body which is both wider and deeper than most mandolins built today. It is 10.25 inches wide and from the top to the bottom of the arches, about 2.75 inches. The fretboard is rosewood and radiused to 12 inches.
The tailpiece was above average, too. It was two piece but the bottom was heavy cast, though the upper part was pressed. I don't care for two piece tailpieces and soon replaced it with a clone by AXL of the Allen AR2. I also did not care for the bottom-of-the-line Gotoh tuners, which go in Canada for about $14. I replaced them with Rubners. Some might call this an extravagance but I'll explain why later. Anyway, they were only $70, and more than worth it to me. I also added a Tone-Gard, which was more than worth the $95 CAN plus $20 for S&H. BTW, if you plan to get a Tone-Gard, note that since body is larger than most mandolins, you'll need the vintage model of Tone-Gard. I also added a Hill Country armrest, and if you do this, you'll need the large model mount because the 272 is also deeper at the ribs than most modern mandolins at about 1 7/8 inches.
I've been told at times I was crazy to spend the money for the upgrades on a relatively inexpensive mandolin, but here's the thing: I don't buy and sell instruments, at least, not MY instrument. And this one is a keeper. Having been in the instrument business, I learned long ago that the pricing of instruments, once you get to good handmade quality levels, is very subjective. It is subject to grading and assessment almost like a livestock auction, and the voice of this mandolin was clear, bright and sweet with okay volume and exceptional sustain. It was even across its range with perhaps a slight preference for its mid-range. Not the very best but very, very nice, rivaling many far more expensive mandolins. The instrument's voice and playability are what I grade its worth by, and to me this instrument was worth the extra investment I put into it.
Yet, for all the good things one could say about its voice, as many have remarked, it has a simple voice. Like a bell, it didn't offer much in the way of complexity.
But something began to happen about a month ago. The 272 began to open up. Perhaps adding the Tone-Gard helped, but it was happening before the Tone-Gard went on (only a week or two ago). The 272's voice has become richer, more filled with interesting overtones. It is more even across its full range. The low side now is exceptionally nice and warm now. And the volume has grown considerably. I used to consider the 272 an adequate but gentle-voiced instrument in terms of volume, but it booms now. My wife, Daphne, plays Irish flute and I used to have to have her sit on the opposite side of the room so I could hear myself play. Now I can almost drown her out. Like a fine wine, the 272 has improved remarkably with a little age. I fine myself wondering eagerly what will happen in another 6 months.
So, that's my review. Out of 5 I would give it 4.5 for quality of build, deducting half a point for the refit of the nut and tuning machines. In terms of voice, I give it 5 stars. I can find no complaints and it keeps getting better.
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Originally Posted by Cliff Seruntine
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