Now it's Kellys that are a piss off !

[Max Payne]

Once again I'll start with all due respect to all the Jackson lovers out there, especially because one of them is my close friend ! Well I was thinking about how a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a Kelly for the first time. Strumming some power chords went fine but when I tried some runs near the last few frets, I was having alarming difficulty in reaching upto the 24th fret . Also, the guitar's upper horn kept stabbing my chest when I was playing sitting down. When I stood up, it seemed like Iw as carrying a slab of concrete and I'm stronger than most guys I know ! Naturally I got around to thinking about just how Marty shreds so viciously on a guitar that I have trouble in basically everything ! Guys can I have some opinions ?

[Globbits]

It's always stuck me as a bit unbalanced..

[Max Payne]

Well I'm glad that someone shares my opinions !

[ShredHead42]

Yeah, it looks totally bad@$$, like a sleeker, more lethal explorer, but the upper frets are uncomfortable to play. Too bad.

[Ankhnaten]

Despite being "Stronger than most guys you know", the Kelly is a rather awkward guitar. Regarding its weight, lol...I don't know. It weighs less than a real Explorer does, so I'm not sure. The deal with upper fret access is a catch for me too with those, and the deal with Marty is that he actually has spent most of his time below that point on the neck. If you look at his Kellys, some had 22 frets, some had 24. He did a clinic at Moody Music a long time ago, and he had said he rarely even goes to the 22nd. So, the access there wasn't a problem. And you rarely saw him play them sitting down. Even at rehearsals and backstage warmups, he was almost always standing. So, unless you strap your guitars on really high, I don't understand how it's "stabbing" you in the chest with the smallest horn on it. Unless you have some really bad posture. lol...Still, the Kelly is definitely not for everyone...

[Alain]

I saw Marty on a Demo tour from Crate a few months ago.
He isn't playing Jackson Kelly's anymore, the endorsement is over.
Actually he had a demo model from... Ibanez.
Really! It's a Les Paul body-esque type guitar. He still shreds though.

[Max Payne]

Yeah Ankhnaten I definitely agree with you because I soend a little bit too much time sitting down when I play my electrics. Posture's fine but even when I stand up, I have this habit of strapping the guitar quite high....speaking of which, is strapping your guitar up a little high a bad thing technique-wise ?

[WYLD STALLYNS]

i think other than a strat style body, kellys are the most beautiful, and high fret access on the neck thru is just the same as jems, it depends on how you hold the neck and position your wrist, thumb, and arch your hand/fingers because shredders dont have problems with kellys. it is heavy, but so are les pauls, and the stabbing part happens a lot when you sit down to play which makes it sorta uncomfortable, so i guess its really a performance guitar. yet the usa series jacksons (including the ke2) are the best made production guitars you can get but for the cheapest amount, so if you dont like those, try an SL2H.

[Max Payne]

Well I stand corrected once again. Looks liike I'm just too used to playing my Ibanez GSA60 and have developed sort of a fixed left hand position that really doesnt "do it" for the Kelly. Darn I just have to start playing standing up !

[Max Payne]

Well I stand corrected once again. Looks liike I'm just too used to playing my Ibanez GSA60 and have developed sort of a fixed left hand position that really doesnt "do it" for the Kelly. Darn I just have to start playing standing up !

[diablomozart]

just picked up my first kelly, yes it takes some getting used to, no it's not that much different from a regular explorer (i used to play an explorer all the time)...d.m.

[sniperfrommars1]

I dont think they compare to a real explorer in tone. They have alot less wood, and the cutaways are all wrong. My guitarist plays one, religously, but Ive slowly convinced him to use his sambora strat (less trebly too surpisingly)

[diablomozart]

hmmm...i actually like the tone better from mine, more biting and precise (it is a usa model tho...)...my old explorer was an ex2, all mahogany and while it had a great low end the treble was a little muddy for me...d.m.

[sniperfrommars1]

my complaint was always too much treble, but if thats what your looking for look no further. lol, lots of mids too really.

[diablomozart]

yeah, i like mids and a good deal of treble...let my bass player take care of the low end...lol...d.m.