Classic styling impeccable wood selection and attention to every detail makes the Kentucky FM-1050 mandolin an ideal choice for the professional or the committed enthusiast. In terms of appearance it invokes the best of the 1920s mandolins that are so treasured today. With its gradually fading tobacco sunburst finish its impeccably rendered scroll and its ornate headstock it bears all of the pride in craftsmanship a player wants from his or her instrument. You will however notice some distinctions between those highly favored 90-year-old mandolins and the Kentucky FM-1050. Mandolin players especially those proficient in playing other fretted instruments with wider string spacing will appreciate the new KM-1050. At first glance this new master-level mandolin shares similar specifications to the popular KM-1000 but looking more closely you will discover a few more player-friendly features first pioneered by Saga and Kentucky mandolins in the late 1970 s as a result of collaborations with the best mandolin players of the day. These features include an ebony fingerboard with a compound radius a wider nut and saddle for more comfortable string spacing frets that are taller and wider than those found on vintage instruments and a skillfully scooped fingerboard extension with inlaid nickel-silver fret markers to retain a traditional look. All combine to make for a mandolin with a playability that is unmatched. Like other Master Model Kentucky Mandolins the body of the KM-1050 features a hand-carved and graduated Adirondack spruce top and a back sides and slim comfortable neck made of select Northern maple to assure the best tone possible. it will be hard to find a better F-model mandolin on the market today that represents the quality and value of America s new Favorite...the KM-1050!