Michael Kelly guitars question

[richpeax]

I was checking out Guitar World on Comcasts on demand service and saw the Patriot custom being demo'd. Looks like a nice guitar. Where are these guitars made, anyone know?

[rich-96db]

I'm pretty sure they're made in Korea.

[richpeax]

Well then that ends my interest. American or Japanese is all I'd do.

[theraygun]

I'd recommend checking one out. I have the Patriot Phoenix, and the craftsmanship is excellent and the tone is great. It's my favorite guitar.

[BadAssBill]

I've played a few, and almost bought one a few times. They are good quality.

[HarryJ]

Well then that ends my interest. American or Japanese is all I'd do.

Some of the Korean stuff is very good. Once they got the CNC computer driven routers, the quality went way up.

I used to work for Hoshino (Ibanez) years ago. Their stuff comes from

1. Custom Shop (USA Bensalem PA)
2. Japan
3. Korea
4. Indonesia
5. China

The quality control was pretty much in that order as well close to 10 years ago. Now, they are catching up

Companies like Kelly, Samick, Raven West, Dillian (Korean not Vietnamese) etc... are all quite good for the dinero

HJ

[daddyo]

The build quality is great for Korean guitars. Negatives are "equivalent" woods and dodgy electronics. Their alder, mahogany, etc isn't "bad" wood, just not the wood one expects when mahogany is spec'd.

[gdomeier]

The Korean wolfgangs are great guitars too. I think I owned a Brain Moore i2 that was Korean. It was excellent.

[bynt]

The Korean wolfgangs are great guitars too. I think I owned a Brain Moore i2 that was Korean. It was excellent.


Not to highjack the thread but I played one of those i2's myself and was instantly pissed that I had just put a Les Paul Studio on layaway. I couldn't believe how freakin' awesome that guitar sounded, felt, and played. Good luck on the Michael Kelly hunt. I was trying to find some input on them myself but couldn't get any responses (That's why I ended up putting the Les Paul on layaway). It's such a boone in our modern age to be able to aquire stuff so easily but I don't want the hassle if I get a big fat P.O.S. of having to send it back, pay before playing, blah blah.

[Tonerider]

One wierd thing about Korean manufacturing is the fact that they arent allowed to use Nitro under a recent Volatile-Organic-Compound law. Shame.

[cheesey]

I got my son a Valor custom for xmas , grover tuners , tone pros wrap around, split coil HbB's , nice flame Black finish. He wanted a Prs but this is close in looks and I am hesitant to drop 2 grand on a teenagers first guitar .
This thing beats the snot out of my first guitar a Vantage strat i paid $175 for when I was 15.:D
I cant wait to hear this Kelly guitar , may end up borrowing it for the odd gig!:AOK

[Dave B]

Was looking into this line recently, doing a little magazine and online gear review research. I found a traded-in used Patriot Custom in a local store and got a chance to test drive it back in January (not there anymore though). It has all the features I need on a guitar. It appears that the quality of a lot of foreign-made instruments has gone up considerable over the last few years.

You guys who have, or have had, a Kelly, what would prevent me from getting a Patriot Custom? My one concern is if I ever decide to replace the pickups, how easy is that to do? Since these are bolted to the body, and don't have the normal humbucker mounting ring assembly, I'm not sure what would be involved.

[Axemeister]

This may be a little outside of the thread, but the overseas factories are doing great things these days. Modern machinery and computerized equipment can do wonderful things. I spoke with a couple of industry people at NAMM who told me that a great deal of the Korean stuff is shifting production to new factories in China. These newer Chinese factories are doing high quality work for many of the major guitar brands, along with some of the lesser known importers.

Apparently, some of the Korean builders have gotten deeply involved in Chinese production facilities with the latest CNC woodworking machines, modern fret installation gear, and state of art finishing. Meanwhile, production costs, regulations, etc., have pinched the Korean factories, so going to Chinese production is controlling costs.

[bdegrande]

I have a lot of USA made guitars, and have no complaints at all with my Michael Kelly Valor Special.

[sector9]

I bought a korean made reverend and love it! the quality is A+. now my strats and les pauls just sit in their cases.

[Axemeister]

I bought a korean made reverend and love it! the quality is A+. now my strats and les pauls just sit in their cases.

I understand....I have tons of nice guitars, including many $$ costly U.S. guitars. However, I have been playing an imported Minarik Lotus this week (I bought it for my son) and it is a killer axe that looks and plays like a high end piece.

[Dave B]

Well then that ends my interest. American or Japanese is all I'd do.Did you see the Guitars Under $500 Review in the new GP? Check out where they are made. It looks like there are a few manufacturers in there who got the design and parts right and maintain excellent Quality Control. In the New World Order, it looks like they are here to stay.

I drove 300 miles roundtrip last Friday to go to a Michael Kelly dealer in Scranton to get a new Patriot Custom. Took a day off of work for tone. Imagine that? :NUTS My 1996 Les Paul Standard is going up for sale as soon as it gets back from the shop in a couple of weeks for cosmetic repairs.

I can have any three guitars in that review for the price of my used LP, and any five guitars for the price of a new LP. That's just ridiculous, and I'm going to take advantage of it before their costs start to go up. My G.A.S. is going to soon be satiated, because after I sell the LP, I can get another guitar, another amp, and have money left over. (That's my wife smiling! :D )

[saxophonist56]

man that thing was sweet and only 300 bones. most likely it was stolen tho...like the last used guitar i got from gc!? ! of course they sold it out from under me. i tried to put a deposit but they said just wait till it came out of police hold?? anyway

that's a separate issue.

look forward to finding another patriot!

[Mrgearguy]

Gotta love that slave labor! Great for authentic blues.

[soldierscry]

I know this thread is old but I just picked up a club custom 5 fretless bass and man is it ever sweet sounding and plays great