Michael Kelly - Hybrid

[Jampy]

Hey all,

Just picked up a Michael Kelly http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/ Hybrid http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/hybrid.html last night on a trade for my Godin LG Series (which I barely played) Pretty fair trade and I am pleased with the guitar.

I wanted something different in my little collection and this certainly fits the bill.

The looks of this guitar are great and the fit and finish is top notch, my only complaint is the cheap black plastic nut, which works but looks like ***, the frets are smooth on the sides but feel a little "steep" on top and are a difficult to slide on with out hearing "fret" noise. Also a slight "buzz" was felt on the 7th fret might be due to a high spot on the frets.

The Controls are sweet & simple and work 100%, you basically get a three way switch and 2 volume controls, 1 for each pick-up. the wooden knobs add a nice touch and at first I was worried about the small 3-way but it feels very solid and well made.

The Sound is both good and bad to me, the acoustic (1st position) merits of this guitar are a little bit of a let down they don't really measure up to what the video's shows and tells (see below) you and they feel twangy and thin, also the high E has little to know volume which is a known and fixable problem with the bridge and the piezo pickup. (I'll be looking into that)
I have no idea what strings are on it and sadly forgot to ask : but that could be part of the problem I'll be emailing the manufacturer today and see what they recommend and try it again. The 2nd and 3rd postions to me is where this guitar really shines with a slight volume turn you can go from a jazzy Strat sound to a warm Les Paul tone or anywhere in the middle, this guitar really seems like a casual jazz type guitar to me and most likely won't be seeing and country or bluegrass numbers due to it's lack of acoustic fullness.

The neck is slightly wider than most electrics so finger style is a breeze and with the acoustic feel it is a enjoyable guitar to play and experiment on.

For the price I doubt you'll find anything out there to compare to it and I feel with a tweek here and there I'll have a real keeper on my hands.

Thanks !!

[Jampy]

After my first post, I decided to email Michael Kelly customer support and within 5 minutes had a reply with all my questions answered, see below.

Hello all,

just picked up a used hybrid last night and I am very happy but I have
a few questions you maybe able to answer.

#1 - How do you read the serial number to find out date of manufacture

A =You don’t...we do not track by serial #. The hybrids are all within 2 years old. If it’s a special its within 1 year. These are imports so also date of manufacture has nothing to do with value.

#2 - What brand & Gauge of strings do you recommend

A = We use Dadario Medium lights. It’s a preference but you must use electric strings.

#3 - Do you make a case for this guitar and if not any idea where or
what to get

A = We do not make a case specific for the Hybrid. Any universal open shell case will work fine. You can find these at any dealer

#4 - The high E strings has little to no volume in first position
(acoustic) and I was wondering if there is a fix for this.

A= This is normally pressure from the strings. Change stings and pull out the plastic saddle lightly sand the bottom “sides” to make sure it fits without binding in the saddle channel…Then you can also use a shim under transducer if its still an issue in that area.

Hope I didn't fry your brains with all my questions, any help would be
great and if you need any more details please write back.

Thanks !

Best Regards,

Todd A. Rockfield
Hanser Music Group
Marketing / Artist Relations
727-793-9149

Very pleased with the level of support..

[just strum]

Jampy,

I played one briefly at a music store near work and liked the sound that it produced. I didn't do any special set-up with amps, just plugged it straight into the nearest amp and found it an interesting guitar. Definitely one that would be cool to have as part of a collection, whether it's a small or large collection.

I would say you got yourself a nice addition.:

[Jampy]

Thanks, I feel the same way. now that I am a bit older, wiser and Grey-er I tend to keep things I actually use and enjoy.

As I get more into this Geetar I'll try posting a sound bite.