Michael Kelly Legacy FSE Acoustic-Electric Mandolin, Tobacco Sunburst

by Michael Kelly

Product Features

• Top: Solid Hand-Carved Spruce
• Back: Solid Hand-Carved Maple
• Sides: Solid Maple
• Construction: Dovetail
• Neck: North American Rock Maple

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 16 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0002DVSCE
• Item model number: MKLFSETBS
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,191 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

The Legacy FSE remains one of Michael Kelly's most requested models. With a solid hand carved flame maple back, and all solid wood construction, it's easy to see why. Throw in a Fishman(R) pre-amp standard on all FSE models, and it becomes obvious why this model is the most popular for players who must "plug in" from time to time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK Mid-level Mandolin purchase, poor electronics, January 22, 2008

By 

Ray A. Morrison "MB" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Michael Kelly Legacy FSE Acoustic-Electric Mandolin, Tobacco Sunburst

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.

4.0 out of 5 stars good for the price, September 8, 2009

By 

Claudia C. Gueiros (Pernambuco, Brasil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Michael Kelly Legacy FSE Acoustic-Electric Mandolin, Tobacco Sunburst

Good mandolin for the price.
The finish had some issues
the painting is beautifull, the playability is ok too... very easy to play.
the bridge seems to be a bit fragile.
I didn't test it pluged, but it's acoustic sound is good.