This is a Kelly 2, then manufactured in the United States (6 month delay after choice of the color cobalt blue and black-box-handle-on-card). Neck-impressive bridge / vibrato Floyd Rose original, Seymour HS 4 (bridge) and SH 2 (handle). Chrome hardware, two knobs (volume / tone) + dial a microphone.

UTILIZATION

From the outset, one is impressed by the handle gigantic highway format, giving you an immediate feeling of infinity. It's a little awkward at first, because the frets 26 (!) Push you to lose your bearings traditional, the octave being the coup positioned much higher than usual ... For cons, the handling is automatic. The jumbo frets are very large caliber round and give this a highly technical nature, which might put off newcomers. We therefore assumes that EC is not an instrument for beginners, OK? ... (At this price, we understand a little ...). The hardest part with this instrument, ergonomics. The unit is relatively light for a vehicle of that class, but unlike the original Gibson Explorer, very balanced because of their large body, the Kelly, a direct descendant does not have copies of this balance. The oversized handle and cutting of the body, significantly smaller than the Explorer, there is probably something ... Therefore some practice time to feel really comfortable. Solution: buy a good strap, although large, mobile, and do not hesitate to play a little higher than on other instruments. It changes many things, and anyway, it's not the kind of guitar to just play punk on the knees ...
Question her, no fear: the fun to dork! ... The intelligence of the people of Jackson, is not to be equipped with microphones mess too powerful, like Seymour HS 6 that turns your Telecaster vintage rocket ... In the bridge position, the HS 4 is clearly sufficient (and very powerful anyway ...) because we must not forget that Kelly has a driver handle, which increases sustain significant proportions. So, we get a heavy sound and solid from the start, but still perfectly defined, never generates frequency "dirty" blurring the signal excessive and always respecting the volume declines ...
In the neck position, the SH 2 is also particularly prolific. Amazing experience: 0 to set the tone and make some bends in G 12 ... You will get a smooth bluesy than I was expecting to hear a few (very few ...) Flying V Vintage ... Of course, the blues is not the first kind of music make you want to play with such a monster in the hands ...

SOUNDS

I play prog-metal in a group and covers of rock 70's and 80's in another. Kelly found the place perfectly in my park guitar which has yet already some success stories ...
I use a rack amplification particularly homogeneous, because I had the chance to buy new, there are now ten years, a Hafler T3 preamp and power amp Mosfet W 2x75 of the same brand particularly found today ... The gain of the T3 is huge and the MOSFET, while transistors (wringing the blow to popular belief!), Colors effectively all the media volumes. The Kelly case therefore essential to the ecosystem: the width. It's bold, powerful, virile, and it does not support the approximation. Highly recommended for lovers of guitar sounds bitter, psycho-billy genre ...

OVERALL OPINION

I have this tool since early 2005, so it's still new. But I play so much with it as if I had for years ...
In +, sound, handle and finish are exemplary. In - (and again! What - ?...), this small adjustment difficulties due to special ergonomic ...
I had never played on Jackson before, so I completely trusted the reputation of seriousness of American manufacturing. I was not disappointed, far from it. I am fortunate to have some prestigious instruments for many years (Gibson, Hamer, Kramer and BC Rich) and that Jackson then part of the very high end.
Only downside: the price ... 25OO €, even by his connections, it's steep! But good. Must know what you want ... And then I go back to what I said at the beginning: it's definitely not a beginner's instrument. Maybe the guitar of a lifetime? ...