Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Out of the box, the instrument sounded great. The playability was OK. The nut had to be filed down and the bridge had to be adjusted to get the action down to an acceptable level. The overall acoustic sound was above average.
The bridge is a piece of junk. Multiple pegs broke on the bridge and I replaced it within 2 months with an allen tailpiece from stewmac ($120), which not only increased the durability and looks of the instrument, but made it so it resonated a little better too! Also, when I sent the bridge back to michael kelly, I never even received a response from them. No letter, no replacement, nothing.
The electronics are poor. Fishman is a great name, but after multiple conversations with Michael Kelly & Fishman, I could not troubleshoot the extremely low output I am getting from the mandolin when plugged in. Honestly, both companies couldn't tell me much about the pickup & electronics except for that it was designed specifically for MK. It has an active preamp and EQ, and I've tried running it through another active preamp & active DI, but we just can't get it up par. Mandolins are a hard sound to reproduce anyway, but the output sounds thin, even when you crank it. My buddy tested one at a local music store and had the same results.
The fretboard is on the smaller side. This can be a little tough to get use to, but it still has great playability. I was pleased with the radiused fretboard and I think most players would appreciate it.
Overall, the instrument has great craftmanship (very beautiful), good acoustic sound, poor electronics and some cheaper hardware (tailpiece). For the money this is a good purchase, but if you plan on playing it live, be sure to incorporate an open mic to blend your acoustic sound with the thin, low-ouput pickup sound.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Michael Kelly Legacy FSE Acoustic-Electric Mandolin, Tobacco Sunburst
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