Kelly 27

Just seen this after browsing the Jackson homepage to look for short scale basses. 27 fret Kelly with an HS pickup combo, single volume knob, Duncans... nice. But not into the gold hardware & the fact that it's a signature (Brandon Ellis) model.

Pic: Jackson

Pro Loomis

A new one from Jackson - Jeff Loomis' Pro-Series Kelly got a hard tail treatment. That's about it. Should it be more interesting than merely featuring a non-whammy version? If it should, then Jackson would be wise to hold it off till 2024. Nice body grain there & it's not ash.

Pic: Jackson USA

Ritter for Kelly

I bought a Ritter bag for my Jackson Kelly.

If you are looking for a travel-worthy bag with lots of carrying comfort, Ritter is the brand name to check out.

The interior neck-headstock compartment features a strap to buckle down the neck so that it stays put & not wobble in transit.

The lower compartment features a canvass patch to prevent the guitar's strings/ other hardware protrusions from scratching the surface. This is indeed one of the many oversights when it comes to entry-level bags for the traveling musicians.

PS: This bag also fits other Explorer-type guitars of which the Kelly is a derivative.

Kelly drop

More mods for my Kelly:

• Orange Drop cap (pic)
• Coil split switch (@ tone pot)

I have no particular preferences for caps but I have Orange Drop & Mallory in my guitars because they give off what I want to hear. I took pains to have them installed even in my inexpensive guitars because I am basically a guitar + amp person, I vary my guitar volume settings to get that little difference which matters. This isn't quite beneficial if you have pedals in between your guitar & amp.

Kudos to Beez for keeping the cavity layout very near & tidy even with an over-sized cap in there.

Kelly's make-over

What's done today:

• new humbuckers installed: TESLA Plasma II
• modified 3-way switch- Jackson had it, by default, activating the bridge pickup when it points neck-wards. I simply asked Beez to reverse this so now it's 'normal'
  

Loving my Kelly

I have always wanted to own an Explorer-shaped guitar but I don't fancy what Gibson & Epiphone have to offer. This year, Ibanez's fabled Destroyer model makes a come back but after handling & knowing how heavy it is, it's a no-go for me. This year also, Jackson's JS series are made available @ Swee Lee & despite these guitars being the entry-level offering, the fact that they are well-made (not stellar, just above average) remains unquestionable. However, do keep in mind the possibility of getting a lemon from any of the selections, is very real; these are budget instruments anyway, yes?

I had a hard time choosing between the Dinky & this Kelly because both appeal to me in terms of tone & playability. There were tolerable blemishes between them but those aren't detrimental to worthiness. I went with the Kelly because:

• I wanted an Explorer-esque outline
• it's avaialble in white, a finish which I have yet to own...
• also, the Kelly's outline is such that there's much elbow leeway for the picking hand

Those default humbuckers won't do wonders for cleans, I didn't buy this guitar for some sparkling cleans, mind you. All in all, the JS series (particularly this India made batch, not referring to its predecessors) join LTD's Series 50 as great, inexpensive guitars to own. No regrets on my part. Loving my Kelly.