Wind in the Woods - Posted - 07/24/2011:  08:12:38

I am interested in a comparison between the "The Loar 700VS" versus a Kentucky KM1500. Would anyone out there in mandolin land have any helpful suggestions on which mandolin would best suit me for playing hard-driving traditional bluegrass with as "dry and woody" a sound  as is possible as 

Edited by - Wind in the Woods on 07/24/2011 08:13:23

Skyraider50 - Posted - 07/30/2011:  14:26:02

Well.....nobody seems to be real high on responding, soooo. I do not have either and can offer little.
BUT, I have read.....many reviews of the The Loar 700vs. I have yet to read any negative comments.

mandovoodoo - Posted - 07/30/2011:  18:54:19

I'd think you'd want a tone bar instrument. KM1000 would be an idea, or a really souped up Eastman or Loar tone-bar model. Cumberland Acoustics bridge, whatever optimization you like. I favor mine because I understand it.

I suggest watching out for an instrument that's too polite. Want a bit of treble cut, a bit of edge.

The KM1500 is deeper and I wouldn't think it to be ideal.

TI_USER - Posted - 08/24/2011:  20:11:49

quote:

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Originally posted by mandovoodoo

I'd think you'd want a tone bar instrument. KM1000 would be an idea, or a really souped up Eastman or Loar tone-bar model. Cumberland Acoustics bridge, whatever optimization you like. I favor mine because I understand it.



I suggest watching out for an instrument that's too polite. Want a bit of treble cut, a bit of edge.



The KM1500 is deeper and I wouldn't think it to be ideal.

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I usually agree with much of your comments and advise, but I have to disagree with you on this one.  The OP is looking for "dry and woody".  Wouldn't "treble cut" and "a bit of  edge" be just the opposite?  The KM-1500 has a slightly deeper body.  I recently read on MC a quote from the Kentucky sales rep for Saga (whose name I can't remember) who said the 1500 is slightly deeper than the 1000 and has a deeper, darker tone with more bass response.  I have only heard one KM 1500, but it was one of the finest mandolins I have ever heard with a beautiful warm, dry tone.  I have heard some good things about The Loar's, but if I was given a choice between those two models, I would take the KM-1500 any day.

mandovoodoo - Posted - 08/25/2011:  02:56:13

"Dry" would be v. "Wet." I tend to think of a softer, less distinct, softer attack, slower response, warmer, as a "wetter" type of sound. The opposite is a rapid, crisp, tight sound. More associated with tone bars.

"Woody" I have no idea. Different people tell me different sounds are "woody." I have less idea of the term as time goes on.

The KM1500 is deeper. Darker. More bass response.

"Warm" and "dry" seem the opposite to me.

Goes to show the difficulty with words.

I think of mandolin as a soprano voice, or perhaps alto at best. Thus the raw bass response doesn't seem to be particularly important. I can't hear the bass in a mandolin in the normal performance setting. The bass is eaten up by the other instruments. Not really that much bass radiation from a small box. The perceived bass we think we hear, as with the violin, largely comes from the better radiated harmonics of the bass strings.

I've heard/played the KM1000 and the KM1500 side by side. I preferred the KM1000. The KM1500 (just one example) seemed less crisp and punchy. It did have a feel good warmth, but seemed to be at the expense of the upper partials and mid-range support. Just two instruments, I haven't experienced a statistically significant group of the two models.

mandorocker1 - Posted - 08/25/2011:  14:02:09

quote:

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Originally posted by Skyraider50

Well.....nobody seems to be real high on responding, soooo. I do not have either and can offer little.

BUT, I have read.....many reviews of the The Loar 700vs. I have yet to read any negative comments.

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definItely agree with that...

dont know a thing about the kentucky.

mandovoodoo - Posted - 08/25/2011:  15:22:34

I doubt you'll find valid negative comments on KM1000, KM1500, and LM700. All very good.

Wind in the Woods - Posted - 10/06/2011:  08:42:31

Thank You all for your comments.

Wind in the Woods - Posted - 10/28/2011:  05:25:55

I just received a Rover RM-75 as a part of a bigger swap and after quite a bit of work on the bridge, changing the strings, adjusting the nut and stopping some of the unwanted overtones by dampening the strings below the bridge, I'm actually quite surprised at the tone this mandolin has! I think it rivals those mandolins mentioned above.

mandovoodoo - Posted - 10/28/2011:  13:16:14

I have serious doubts about whether an RM-75 could come anywhere close to the mandolins above, if they're set up well and played by a good player. I'm familiar with all of them.