mandolin converted to electric

March 25, 2016

Quick question, I am interested in purchasing the Kentucky Mandolin KM-150-S All Solid A-Model. I plan on doing a lot of gigging, so I was wondering how easy it would be to attach a pickup or if that would even be possible? Any suggestions? Thanks. Jay

Hello Jay,

There are a couple of different styles of pickup available for mandolins. Some come imbedded inside a replacement bridge. These are difficult to install since the bridge must be custom fit to the mandolin. This means fitting the bridge foot to the top and setting the string spacing. The benefit to this style of pickup is two-fold. First the pickup is right inside the bridge where all the strings vibrations travel. Secondly, pickups such as the Fishman, come installed in high-grade bridges. Not only are you getting a pickup, but you are also getting a bridge upgrade. Unless your mandolin has a top grade bridge (most do not), you will notice a good improvement in the mandolin’s acoustic tone.

Many of the mandolin pickups are stuck on with special adhesive. These are much easier to install if the installation is external. Some testing is done to find the best spot to stick the pickup and then it is attached. Cable routing can be a headache, but this is generally something you can install yourself.

Some of the stick on pickups are meant for internal installation. This can be more difficult as you have to install it through the F-holes (not an easy task). You would then route the cable out the endpin with a special jack. This will usually require drilling your bridge and mandolin. It may also involve soldering.

We can install pickups on any of the mandolins that we sell. If you would like a quote please email or call.

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