Used Kentucky KM300E 4 string Mandolin

The Kentucky KM-300E 4-string Electric Mandolin is a distinctive instrument, as it's a solid-body electric mandolin rather than a traditional acoustic-electric. It's designed for players who want to incorporate mandolin sounds into genres like blues, jazz, rock, country, or fusion, and who need an instrument that can handle amplification and effects like an electric guitar.

Here's a breakdown of its key features, especially relevant if you're looking at a used model:

Core Design and Purpose:

• Solid Body Electric Mandolin: This is the defining characteristic. Unlike acoustic or acoustic-electric mandolins (which typically have 8 strings in 4 courses, or 5 string pairs), the KM-300E is a 4-string instrument. It's tuned G-D-A-E, just like the lower four strings/courses of a traditional mandolin, making it familiar to mandolin players but offering a very different feel and amplified tone.

• F-Style Inspired Body: While not a true F-style acoustic mandolin (it doesn't have the internal air chamber or elaborate carving), its body shape often takes inspiration from the F-style, featuring a distinct scroll and points, giving it a cool, vintage-electric look.

• Vintage-Inspired Aesthetics: It's typically offered in a Sunburst high-gloss finish (often a 2-color tobacco sunburst) with a tortoise-style pickguard, giving it a classic and stage-ready appearance.

Construction and Materials:

• Body Wood: Solid Basswood for the top, back, and sides. Basswood is known for being lightweight and having a balanced tonal profile, which is good for an electric instrument as it allows the pickup to define the sound. It often features an arched back for comfort.

• Neck Wood: Solid Maple (One-piece, Set Neck). A set neck (glued into the body) generally contributes to good sustain.

• Fingerboard: Rosewood (often with a 14" radius) with pearl dot inlays. Rosewood is a common and durable fretboard material.

• Scale Length: 13 3/4" - 13.87" (approximately 350-352mm). This is a standard mandolin scale length.

• Nut Width: 1 1/8", a comfortable width for many mandolin players.

• Truss Rod: Adjustable, allowing for neck relief adjustments.

Electronics:

• Pickup: Features a single chrome lipstick-style pickup (neck position). This type of pickup is known for a bright, clear, and somewhat "chimey" single-coil sound, reminiscent of vintage electric guitars.

• Controls: Simple Volume and Tone knobs (chrome-plated), allowing for basic tonal shaping of the amplified sound.

• Output Jack: Standard 1/4" output jack.

Hardware:

• Tuners: Die-cast or mini-Schaller style nickel-plated tuning machines (often 14:1 ratio), providing accurate and stable tuning.

• Bridge: Compensated Ebony Bridge, adjustable for intonation and string height.

• Tailpiece: Nickel-plated brass tailpiece.

Sound and Playability:

• Amplified Tone: The KM-300E is all about its amplified sound. The lipstick pickup delivers a bright, clear, and articulate tone that responds well to effects like overdrive, distortion, delay, and reverb. It's designed to cut through a mix in an ensemble setting.

• Acoustic Tone: As a solid-body instrument, its acoustic volume and tone are minimal and not its primary purpose. It's meant to be plugged in.

• Playability: Often praised for a comfortable, fast neck (medium C profile) and good upper fret access due to its cutaway body. The 4-string setup can feel very familiar to mandolin players but also open up new possibilities for guitarists crossing over.