Kentucky Mandolins

Kentucky Mandolins

Also known as: Kentucky, Kentucky Mandolin Company

Unclaimed

Kentucky is a mandolin brand owned and distributed by Saga Musical Instruments of San Francisco, California. Launched in 1977, the line was created to make traditionally styled, hand-carved mandolins available at working-musician price points, and it now spans entry-level instruments through master-grade models. Production has shifted over the years from Japan to Korea and then to China, where ...

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Kentucky is a mandolin brand owned and distributed by Saga Musical Instruments of San Francisco, California. Launched in 1977, the line was created to make traditionally styled, hand-carved mandolins available at working-musician price points, and it now spans entry-level instruments through master-grade models. Production has shifted over the years from Japan to Korea and then to China, where Saga established a dedicated hand-carved workshop in 2012 to bring the build process under closer supervision.

The Kentucky catalog is built around traditional A-style and F-style designs, with model numbers from the KM-120 Army-Navy Special and the popular KM-150 Standard at the affordable end up through the KM-1000 and KM-1500 Master F-Models at the professional tier. In the early 1980s, Saga collaborated with mandolinist David Grisman and luthier John Monteleone on a series of Monteleone-designed Kentucky instruments that helped establish the brand's reputation in the bluegrass world.

Kentucky mandolins are widely stocked by U.S. acoustic specialists such as Elderly Instruments, Gryphon Stringed Instruments, and Folkmusician, and the brand is a common recommendation among bluegrass and old-time players looking for a serviceable carved-top mandolin without the price of a boutique build.

Kentucky Mandolins has 19 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Mandolins. Their gear is featured by 4 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Electronic, and Folk, World, & Country. Notable users include Al Jourgensen, Mauricio Durán, and Jeff DaRosa. Most Kentucky Mandolins products sit firmly in the high-end, boutique range.

Artists Who Use Kentucky Mandolins

Mauricio Durán uses 1 Kentucky Mandolins product

Mauricio Durán

Singer, Guitarist · Los Bunkers

Al Jourgensen uses 1 Kentucky Mandolins product

Al Jourgensen

Guitarist, Keyboardist · Ministry

Jeff DaRosa uses 1 Kentucky Mandolins product

Jeff DaRosa

Guitarist, Composer · Dropkick Murphys

John Jorgenson uses 1 Kentucky Mandolins product

John Jorgenson

Guitarist · Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

Gear Guides featuring Kentucky Mandolins

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