Your cart is empty.
Your cart is empty.Mandolin players, especially those proficient in playing other fretted instruments with wider string spacing will appreciate the new KM-1050! At first glance, this new master-level mandolin shares similar specifications to the popular KM-1000, but looking more closely you will discover a few more player-friendly features first pioneered by Saga and Kentucky mandolins in the late 1970's as a result of collaborations with the best mandolin players of the day. These features include an ebony fingerboard with a compound radius, a wider nut and saddle for more comfortable string spacing, frets that are taller and wider than those found on vintage instruments, and a skillfully scooped fingerboard extension with inlaid nickel-silver fret markers to retain a traditional look. All combine to make for a mandolin with a playability that is unmatched. Like other Master Model Kentucky Mandolins, the body of the KM-1050 features a hand-carved and graduated Adirondack spruce top, and a back, sides and slim comfortable neck made of select Northern maple to assure the best tone possible. it will be hard to find a better F-model mandolin on the market today that represents the quality and value of America's new Favorite. . . the KM-1050!
Fabian R.
Reviewed in Germany on January 4, 2024
Absolut fantastisches Instrument. Sehr hochwertig gearbeitet mit hervorragendem Sound!
TAG
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2023
Mandolin sounds beautiful & was spec’d as described. The mandolin arrived not in it’s gig bag but just in a box bouncing around via UPS Ground. The top spruce had dings in it from the loose strings hitting it during shipping. There was also a filmy streak on the G string side caused by a bunch of fine scratches. I wasn’t allowed to return & get another for $2033.00 so I was going to keep it for a beater mando, but that was too much money to toss away. Never again from Amazon.
Tile Dude
Reviewed in Canada on November 28, 2023
Sounds great acoustically and also amazing amplified with a Dynamic Sound Mandolin pickup., I love it.
GW
Reviewed in Australia on January 2, 2023
I'm really happy with the mandolin, really beautifully made and sounds good, a really "alive" tone. It arrived safely in Austria, with the Kentucky soft case inside a cardboard case, all packed in a large cardboard box with paper packing. Amazon fixed up all import costs and I was quote impressed, these didn't amount to too much.The mandolin needed setup, fitting the bridge base to the top and towering the action at the bridge, it's now beautiful to play.
Chad mahan
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
This thing sounds amazing. Never had one this nice. Chop and pop and volume. Different level than any Mando I’ve had.
Carmen
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2020
Wasn't set up ready to play as some said. So took to Luther and he set up. It plays beautiful, melody and tone is spot on. Stays in tune. Wood is very pretty. Weight is perfect for the mandolin.
JS
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2020
Very good solid mandolin for the price, if you catch it at the right time. The sound continues to open up and is becoming quite excellent (it was very tight at first, but that has changed alot). Mine needed a good setup, as it was delivered brand new, with the bridge in the pocket of the gig bag. Make sure to factor that very worthwhile cost in if you decide to purchase this from Amazon rather than from a specialized instrument dealer.
Guitar Dad
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2020
Really nice mandolin. I’m coming from a Loar lm-520 and this is a giant leap up in quality. Radius fretboard is really nice to play on. It has a super tight bright but woody sound that really responds to dynamics. Great chop sound and just a beautiful instrument too. I recommend in this price range. For double the price it gets better but this is pretty damn good.
おみや
Reviewed in Japan on April 6, 2020
思っていた以上に綺麗な仕上げで気に入りました。音もいいし弾きやすく長く使えそう。ピックガードが付いていないのは分かっていたので後日自分で付けました。これで申し分ないです。
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2019
I have played a lot of high-end mandolins. When I went shopping recently after a couple of years away from the instrument, I tried two Northfield Big Mons, one new and one used, and a new Gibson F5. None of them had the big bark and steely high end I wanted, so I called Dennis at The Mandolin Store and asked him to send the much cheaper KM-1050 since it’d probably be good enough. Surprise: it was better. My recommendation is that you buy yours there also.
Daniel Sandoval
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2017
Great sound and quality.
Drewbacca the Bookiee
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2016
Great mando if you can catch a price break... at $1.5k, it's still a good buy but then I become tempted to pick up a used Collings a-body as the price goes up beyond that.The good: playability is top notch, intonation is spot on, aesthetics are pleasing to the eye, volume is good, incredible resonance and sustain, sound is balanced between the low (g) string and the high (e) string and bass is decent for such a small size. Chops and palm mutes can fill a room with rhythm. This mandolin is excellent for someone that can appreciate subtlety; the slightest pressure on the top (such as a hand resting) has a significant impact on the sound as does the slight difference in timbre as you pick closer to or further away from the bridge. You can get a lot of different sounds out of these mandolins if nuances and decorative playing are desired.The bad: mostly a solid and flawless build, but some of the binding is sloppy at the joints... nothing that detracts from the overall look, but noticeable on close inspection. The nitrocellulose coating is easily chipped on the black-face model. The wood grain is hit or miss. Mine isn't going to win a beauty pageant for bold figuring, but the stripes are there. It's a non-issue for me, as I bought it to play and not hang on the wall.
Recommended Products
