Kentucky KM-172 modification

[Oliver R]

Hello folks,
I have a Kentucky KM-172 amber mandolin.
Nice instrument and well built, in fact a little to well built to be honest.
Heavy gloss finish and I suspect a fairly thick top.
I wondered if there would be any mileage in stripping the top and sanding to a thinner spec? (from the outside) and refinishing with a thin oil finish.
Absolutely not bothered in the slightest about resale value, just want a bit more resonance.
Cheers
Oliver

[P.D. Kirby]

Last year I picked up an Epiphone MM50 for a fire sale price and took the back off and cut down the tone bars, sanded the top and back down quite a bit and of course removed the finish completely. There must have been two pounds of Poly finish on that thing. When I started the project the Mandolin was very tinny and thin with no bottom at all. I refinished it with some mahogany dye from stew mac and used Black nitro on the sides and back of the headstock, finished with a few light coats of satin nitro (very thin). After all the work/fun the Mandolin sounded pretty good considering. I had posted pictures in the builders forum and somebody liked it and I made out like a bandit. All I was looking for was a project to help me get a better understanding of Mandolin construction. I'll post two of those here, you can google MM50 and see what the Mandolins look like in the before state. I say go for it !!!

[Oliver R]

Looks like a great improvement!
In actual fact I wasn't even going to bother with the back sides etc, only the top just to get a bit more vibration going.
Cheers
Oliver.

[jim simpson]

You might need a chisel to get the poly off. I had used some industrial stripper once to soften the surface. I should have left the sides and back alone.

[P.D. Kirby]

Good Luck, to me it started as a low budget learning experience because I want to eventually build one for myself. The most improvement you can get next to sanding off all that Polyurethane is to shave down the tone bars carefully mind you. and if you do refinish it use Nitro Laquer which you can buy in spray cans from stew-mac pretty cheap and keep it thin, you do need to protect the wood someway and according to those here who know far more than I recommend it. Also you would be surprised how easy the back can be removed using a fret slotting saw, mine cuts about an ,080 wide groove and I was even able to get it off with the binding intact. This affords you the access to be able to shave or scallop the top bracing as well. Anyway have fun. I ended up with about $300.00 total investment including the price of the Mandolin and the new owner is quite pleased with it. He traded me a pretty expensive Banjo for the Mandolin, even trade so being a Banjo player I am happy with the deal as well. Next up will be a kit Mandolin F-style from International Violin, all solid wood construction for less than 400.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Steve Perry takes a different approach with his mando-voodoo process, by tweaking the braces -- wonder if that might help you acheive similar results?

Another simple idea, which might also be from Steve Perry: sanding the internal edge of the sound hole to round it off. (IIRC, there is a somewhat lengthly thread here started by Steve, that discusses the pros and cons, and results of this exercise.

[almeriastrings]

Nice job on that Epi... hardly believe it is the same instrument you usually see. Yep, they drown these things in poly... a real tone killer.

[epicentre]

''"The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
~ Mark Twain''

Good one.

[Kip Carter]

''"The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
~ Mark Twain''

Good one.

Mark Twain had internet? hmmmmmm
Kip...

[Folkmusician.com]

The finish on the KM-172 is nitro and not as thick as it appears. I do think a nice varnish would look great and I think you may notice an improvement in the tone.

I have no doubt the 172 could be improved with some work on the graduation (though it could also be made worse). The graduation is pretty good on these.

[P.D. Kirby]

The finish on the KM-172 is nitro and not as thick as it appears. I do think a nice varnish would look great and I think you may notice an improvement in the tone.

I have no doubt the 172 could be improved with some work on the graduation (though it could also be made worse). The graduation is pretty good on these.

Excellent point Robert, unless you have the required measuring tools and the knowledge to use them you could do little more than create a possible cave in. I guess I should mention I spent 30 years as a Mechanical Engineer and have lot's of measuring equipment that discriminates to .0001 inches. But with the back off all one needs is a cheap drop indicator and of course the plans for recommended graduation thickness and location. I also have a wood shop and have been building furniture and cabinets as a hobbyist for 20 or so years. Not that it would stop me if I had none of this, I'm a tinkerer and have been taking things apart to see what makes them tick since I was a Wee Lad. I think that's why my Parents steered me towards a career in Engineering that or they just wanted me gone so they could keep working appliances in the house.

[Oliver R]

yep, ex engineer of 15 yrs here also so I have some accurate gear for measuring.
Im not going to take a great deal off if i do it to be honest, few thou max

[pjlama]

Steve Perry takes a different approach with his mando-voodoo process, by tweaking the braces -- wonder if that might help you acheive similar results?

Another simple idea, which might also be from Steve Perry: sanding the internal edge of the sound hole to round it off. (IIRC, there is a somewhat lengthly thread here started by Steve, that discusses the pros and cons, and results of this exercise.

Rounding the inside of the sound hole on an oval doesn't have near the impact, at least that's what I heard from Steve.

I have a KM172 and just appreciate it for what it is and it's pretty darn good for the $275 I paid but it would be interesting to see how things turn out if you elect to refin it.