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Michael Kelly is running a Kickstarter to finance a new line of ultra-light electrics ("Enlightened") that weigh around 6 lbs.
The innovations include:
While Gibson gets flak for modern weight relief, Michael Kelly are going all-in, making the weight-relief holes externally visible. Wow!
The strap button placements interest me. The traditional endpin strap button moves upwards slightly, and the other strap button moves to the neck heel (like a 335 or SG). I am curious how this feels while standing compared to traditional button placements.
It's also interesting that they are making ultra-light T-style guitars. I have a Michael Kelly 1957, a damn fine T-style axe that, for me, is a little heavy - almost 9 pounds. However, it balances only just OK while I'm standing.
I think this is because (1) the Tele, like an SG, is inherently unbalanced, with the front strap button occurring around the 15th or 16th fret (closer to the headstock = more naturally balanced), and (2) 6-in-line headstock is longer than 3x3, so you have more metal and wood extending out there = more perceived weight in terms of balance on strap. So a Tele *needs* more body weight in order to balance properly.
If my almost 9-pound T-style guitar balances just OK, I'm curious what reducing the weight to 6 pounds will do to the balance. My first thought is to make the neck lighter by roasting it - but if one wants a chunky neck (as I and probably many Tele players do), then "more wood" might negate "lighter wood". But maybe aluminum tuners would lighten the headstock noticeably. My first thought there is the Gotoh Stealth tuners, but those are perhaps too $$$ for this price point.
A lighter LP-style guitar is a no-brainer for me. By LP, I mean set neck, mahogany back, maple top, humbuckers, 24.75" scale. I don't doubt that changing the mix of mahogany vs. maple top would affect the tone, but I would gladly accept the trade-off. I have played sonically dead heavy guitars and lively lightweight ones, so I don't equate weight with tone. Gibson has had some Lite (Studio, Custom) LPs over the years, but those are few and far between.
The PRS Singlecut is probably the closest thing to a lighter weight LP right now, but there are some heavier ones, and also, 25" scale and 10" radius aren't traditional LP spec.
I just pledged for one of the lightweight LP-style Patriots. I like Michael Kelly as a company and applaud them for trying to do something new and useful.
My current #1 is a PRS SE Santana, which is pretty light, as conventional guitars go, around 7.4 lbs. And yet my neck/back aches after a few hours of playing it while standing. Why don't I get that feeling after playing a heavier S-style guitar (over 8 lbs.)? I think this is because the S-style balances better. The Santana has the strap button around the 16th fret and thus balances like a Tele. Ironically, the Santana's balance would probably feel better if the body were *heavier*.
The innovations include:
1. Unspecified lightweight mahogany-like wood
2. Thinner bodies
3. "Ports" (weight relief swiss cheese holes)
4. Aluminum hardware
5. New strap button positions to prevent neck dive
2. Thinner bodies
3. "Ports" (weight relief swiss cheese holes)
4. Aluminum hardware
5. New strap button positions to prevent neck dive
While Gibson gets flak for modern weight relief, Michael Kelly are going all-in, making the weight-relief holes externally visible. Wow!
The strap button placements interest me. The traditional endpin strap button moves upwards slightly, and the other strap button moves to the neck heel (like a 335 or SG). I am curious how this feels while standing compared to traditional button placements.
It's also interesting that they are making ultra-light T-style guitars. I have a Michael Kelly 1957, a damn fine T-style axe that, for me, is a little heavy - almost 9 pounds. However, it balances only just OK while I'm standing.
I think this is because (1) the Tele, like an SG, is inherently unbalanced, with the front strap button occurring around the 15th or 16th fret (closer to the headstock = more naturally balanced), and (2) 6-in-line headstock is longer than 3x3, so you have more metal and wood extending out there = more perceived weight in terms of balance on strap. So a Tele *needs* more body weight in order to balance properly.
If my almost 9-pound T-style guitar balances just OK, I'm curious what reducing the weight to 6 pounds will do to the balance. My first thought is to make the neck lighter by roasting it - but if one wants a chunky neck (as I and probably many Tele players do), then "more wood" might negate "lighter wood". But maybe aluminum tuners would lighten the headstock noticeably. My first thought there is the Gotoh Stealth tuners, but those are perhaps too $$$ for this price point.
A lighter LP-style guitar is a no-brainer for me. By LP, I mean set neck, mahogany back, maple top, humbuckers, 24.75" scale. I don't doubt that changing the mix of mahogany vs. maple top would affect the tone, but I would gladly accept the trade-off. I have played sonically dead heavy guitars and lively lightweight ones, so I don't equate weight with tone. Gibson has had some Lite (Studio, Custom) LPs over the years, but those are few and far between.
The PRS Singlecut is probably the closest thing to a lighter weight LP right now, but there are some heavier ones, and also, 25" scale and 10" radius aren't traditional LP spec.
I just pledged for one of the lightweight LP-style Patriots. I like Michael Kelly as a company and applaud them for trying to do something new and useful.
My current #1 is a PRS SE Santana, which is pretty light, as conventional guitars go, around 7.4 lbs. And yet my neck/back aches after a few hours of playing it while standing. Why don't I get that feeling after playing a heavier S-style guitar (over 8 lbs.)? I think this is because the S-style balances better. The Santana has the strap button around the 16th fret and thus balances like a Tele. Ironically, the Santana's balance would probably feel better if the body were *heavier*.
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