Michael Kelly Guitars

Specifications CONSTRUCTION: Set-neck BODY: Carved / Chambered Mahogany TOP: Flame Maple NECK: Mahogany FRETBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 22 medium jumbo SCALE: 24-¾” BRIDGE: Rosewood acoustic bridge INLAY: Real pearl dots TUNERS: Grover PICKUP: Rockfield SWC and Fishman ELECTRONICS: Fishman active Powerchip STRINGS: D’Addario HARDWARE: Chrome UTILIZATION This is an interesting entry into the world of hybrid electric/acoustic guitars. There have been all sorts of guitar models that have put a piezo system into the bridge, for acoustic-type sounds. The Parker Fly has been one of the most dramatic and earliest of these type instruments, but there have been many others since the Fly was introduced, such as the Taylor T5 and PRS Hollowbody. This Hybrid from Michael Kelly has a bit more of a Gibson vibe than most other guitars of its ilk - it has a mahogany neck and body, flame maple top, and rosewood fretboard, not to mention the 24 3/4" scale length. The smaller scale leads some "sponginess" to the feel - the strings are very buttery feeling, but in a nice, bluesy bending kind of way. SOUNDS The sounds are fantastic from this guitar. The single Rockfield humbucker is versatile, getting great cleans, crunchy blues tones, and even some saturated lead tones, all with different amp settings. It seems an odd choice with the pickup located in the middle position, but it sounds very good with the guitar's overall sonic package. The Fishman circuit is also a winner - the acoustic tones are very convincing. Plugged into a PA system, one could close one's eyes and not know that the acoustic strumming coming from the speakers actually originated in an electric guitar. The tones were bright and bouncy, but with some good upper midrange sparkle. OVERALL OPINION For the price point of this guitar, I'd rate it a 9. It is an incredibly versatile instrument that looks fantastic, and is equally at home in the studio, stage, or just for bedroom jamming. Highly recommended.

SPECIFICATIONS CONSTRUCTION: Set-neck BODY: Mahogany TOP: Flame maple cap NECK: Mahogany FRETBOARD: Ebony FRETS: 22 medium jumbo SCALE: 24-3/4” BINDING: 5-ply white & black INLAY: Abalone block BRIDGE: TonePros Locking Tuneamatic style TUNERS: Grover PICKUPS: Rockfield SWC - direct mounted ELECTRONICS: 1 tone, 1 volume, 1 three-way toggle, coil tapped STRINGS: D’ Addario HARDWARE: Chrome UTILIZATION The Patriot Custom is a refreshing take on a Gibson-style instrument. This guitar offers many of the amenities that a Les Paul would have: Mahogany body and set in neck, 22 frets, 24 3/4" scale, 2 humbuckers, 3 on a side headstock, tuneamatic-style bridge, arched maple top with binding...the list goes on. The shape of the guitar is similar to a Les Paul, but still distinctive enough to be its own thing. The craftsmanship is good for the price point, and the guitar plays very well, with the fret work being very neatly done. The wood selection and binding are shockingly great for this price point, comparable to a PRS that is 6 or 7 times as much! SOUNDS The Rockfield pickups surprised me. I was expecting them to sound rather cheap, yet they yielded a tonal definition reminiscent of some of the more expensive pickup models from Seymour Duncan. The neck pickup was super buttery - smooth and with a nice vocal quality that would not sound out of place in a Slash guitar solo. The bridge pickup offered worlds of clarity, and it was on the aggressive side, yet not overpoweringly loud. Also, the coil taps allowed me to split the signal and get some neat Telecaster-ish tones, which is a definite plus. OVERALL OPINION This is a very solid guitar in its class that I would recommend to anyone that likes the Gibson vibe, yet wants to be a bit different. The Patriot Custom is also one of the most convincingly "budget boutique" axes I've yet seen. Kudos to the Michael Kelly company.

(Originally written by ledzep2007/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Made in Korea Original Bigsby gold bridge Michael Kelly designed pickups 21 frets Lubricated Grover Imperial machine heads Gibson-style neck UTILIZATION Conceived in the USA by Michael Kelly. Very comfortable and fast neck. Well-profiled frets, wonderfully slim fingerboard, same abalone inlays as on an Epiphone Sheraton II. (same Korean manufacture?) The handling reminds me of a Gretsh or an ES335. But the instrument is a bit heavier than a 335. The Bigsby tremolo works very well. Almost no detuning for a tremolo that is as far as you can get from a Floyd. Very good finish, well balanced guitar both in sitting and standing positions. Reference-class Grover Imp�rial machine heads. Awesome sound... see below, it's the most important thing. SOUNDS There's nothing this guitar can't do. Jazz, blues, rock, heavy rock, rockabilly (Setzer and Stray Cats). The first time I played it unplugged I was impressed by the sound projection, it crunches even unplugged!! As if I were playing with a small overdrive pedal... but unplugged. It was amazing. It probably comes from the hollowbody shaping and size which captures the vibration. Try it out and you'll understand. Inside the body there is a wooden block from the neck to the bridge pickup (the end of the one-piece neck perhaps?). The rest of the body is hollow like an Epiphone Casino, but heavier. You can hear the weight and the sustain of the wooden block. The clean sound blew me away with a Peavey Classic 50. It's round, powerful and ideal for jazz and bossa. With a slight overdriven amp, you get a very good crunch sound. Blues, rock, rockabilly, it sounds great! The best is to add a TS9, TS808 or OD9 pedal. With this setup the pickups really show you what they can. I also tested the guitar with a small solid-state amp (Champion 110) and it was a success. Each of the three pickup combinations delivers a clearly distinctive sound. It shows that the instrument has been well-designed. The sound of most guitars is almost always the same in the neck and the neck+bridge combinations... But here, you've got two distinctive tones. OVERALL OPINION I've been playing it for about 6 months. This guitar has its own sound character and it looks great. It looks like a Gretsh with the Bigsby and its large head crowned with Grover Imperial machine heads. The maple flamed top is wonderful. I give it a 9 only because perfection doesn't belong to this world. But this MK Jumbo nearly reaches perfection. Fabulous value for money! But its availability is a problem... I'm used to Fender guitars but I wanted a king-size guitar with Bigsby and I would buy it again. The sound is incredible, just plug it in and you'll know what I mean. Best-known for its Patriot Series (type LP), Michael Kelly is brand that is gaining recognition due to its high-quality instruments. Nonetheless I think I will sell it. I'm not at all disappointed by this beauty but I currently like Fender-style guitars. But I'm not sure because it's a very appealing guitar. All Bigsby lovers and versatility fans (the main advantage of this MK) ought to try it!