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.
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.
Model: | UKM300E |
Manufacturer: | Kentucky |