Michael Kelly Guitars

[Open lane]

What’s the deal with those? I keep seeing them in the store. Really cool/classy looking. I tried one of their teles on a cheap amp, so was kinda hard to say. It didn’t seem to resonate well but i have a couple cheaper guitars that sound ok without a ton of resonance. Otherwise seemed to feel ok


Anyone have experience/ thoughts on them?

 

[silvertonebetty]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

Fun fact of the day. Micheal jelly is nothing more than shamich .


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[Adieu]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

Contract manufacturer offering their own-branded alternatives to licensed branded guitars they build or used to build (LTD or Schecter probably?)

 

[Mincer]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

They always struck me as a brand that look better than they play.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

I've worked on several of them in the last couple years. For the most part, they are okay. The electronics are cheesy, but can be replaced. The actual bones of the guitars are good. Upgrading the hardware is a good move. Some are equipped with Duncan pickups and that's a plus in my book. Fretwork is good quality.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

They always struck me as a brand that look better than they play.

They strike me as a brand that’s too inbred with brands that are already well-known.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

A good setup is a good setup. Let's be honest - they are ten times the guitar available in the price range 20 years ago.

I have played a bunch just to do it - because yeah - they look cool/good. I don't see the need, because, Schecter/LTD/Dean/etc. But for a new player - great budget ax after a good setup.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

Let's be honest - they are ten times the guitar available in the price range 20 years ago.

People seem to forget this fact.

I started playing around 1969. Cheap instruments were crap for the most part! Lol

Things have come a long way.


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[Chris Pile]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

We are in the golden age of good quality, inexpensive guitars. It's easier than ever for a beginner to get something decent to learn on. Most kids guitars were absolute crap for far too long. Nowadays, you can get a mini-Strat or Ibanez Mikro for less than $200 and not hurt your fingers and sound good without working too hard. I used to feel sorry for the kids back in the 80's.... Cheap crap weeded out all but the most devoted within 6 months. Now you can dabble for a long time, and not regret spending a few bucks.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

We are in the golden age of good quality, inexpensive guitars. It's easier than ever for a beginner to get something decent to learn on. Most kids guitars were absolute crap for far too long. Nowadays, you can get a mini-Strat or Ibanez Mikro for less than $200 and not hurt your fingers and sound good without working too hard. I used to feel sorry for the kids back in the 80's.... Cheap crap weeded out all but the most devoted within 6 months. Now you can dabble for a long time, and not regret spending a few bucks.

However, the $999-ish original MSRP stuff you can find for $100-300 used usually still slays that cheapie new gear...

Japanese Jacksons, higher end LTDs, some Ibanez...etc.

What's the point of a mini-strat / ibby mikro? 24" - 24.75" with 9's should do for even the slightest youths... there's a much-reposted youtube vid of a 10yo asian girl shredding around comfortably on a 25.5" grownup ESP, how many kids first picking up guitar are smaller than that???

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

What's the point of a mini-strat / ibby mikro? 24" - 24.75" with 9's should do for even the slightest youths... there's a much-reposted youtube vid of a 10yo asian girl shredding around comfortably on a 25.5" grownup ESP, how many kids first picking up guitar are smaller than that???

My friend’s kids were much younger than ten when I gave them my Mini-Strat. The girl was tiny, but she played it.

But yeah, let’s all compare our children to some kid on YouTube. She’s playing Vai, so we’d better make sure our sons and daughters are, too.

 

[smsuperstrat73]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

I just picked up an older early 2000's hourglass double cutaway with a Wilkinson 2 point trem. Someone had put a super distortion paf 36 pickups in. Sustains for days neck is just enough to be substantial and yet easy to play. Only thing I did was replace the original plastic nut with a wide thin PRS. Plays like any $1500 guitar I've ever played. There was apparently an ownership change at some point, but I'm not knowledgeable on that.

 

[psyclism]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

What’s the deal with those? I keep seeing them in the store. Really cool/classy looking. I tried one of their teles on a cheap amp, so was kinda hard to say. It didn’t seem to resonate well but i have a couple cheaper guitars that sound ok without a ton of resonance. Otherwise seemed to feel ok


Anyone have experience/ thoughts on them?

I just recently purchased a CC55 Flame, which is a dual humbucker Tele clone with flame maple top done in their "Blue Jean Finish".... however mine ended up being more of an aqua color instead of blue, which I actually prefer. I also own one of the spalted maple Patriot LTD models that I purchased new well over a decade ago, and have been quite happy with that guitar. But given how many people knock Michael Kelly guitars, I figured I should bring it to a very reputable luthier and custom builder here in the Denver area (who runs an instrument repair school and used to service Stevie Ray Vaughn's guitars) for an opinion and setup check during the 30 day return period. He was very impressed (his words) with the guitar, the out of box setup, fit/finish, hardware and the quality of build. He was shocked when I told him what I paid for it new and just kept repeating how he couldn't even source the parts to build a similar guitar for that price. Mine came with a baked maple neck, which is something MK is evidently going to with their higher end models. The frets, while not *perfectly leveled*, were very close -- he said this guitar was set up better than virtually any non-custom shop Fender/Gibson he's had come into his shop. Action was set as low as you could feasibly go. Intonation was spot on as well. I was fully expecting him to nit-pick the hell out of the guitar and want to charge me for a setup, but I left with him telling me that I'd gotten a gem that required zero adjustment and that I should be very happy.

So for anyone that says that MK makes junk guitars that are good for nothing but wall art, I respectfully disagree.

 

[Artie]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

Fun fact 2: Michael Kelly guitars are the company of Tracy Hoeft. Michael is his son. Kelly is his daughter.

Still, they look like nice guitars. They even have a couple Rick Turner models.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

Fun fact 2: Michael Kelly guitars are the company of Tracy Hoeft. Michael is his son. Kelly is his daughter.

Still, they look like nice guitars. They even have a couple Rick Turner models.

I had to look him up- he apparently lives in my area. I am surprised I never ran into him, but that explains why I see a lot of his guitars in the stores here.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Michael Kelly Guitars

They really aren't bad guitars. You could do much worse. Someone brought them up in another thread an I said I used to own one. The only reason I sold it was because I wanted a real LP. Had I kept it, I might have just left it stock.