I only watched your video because I was friends with Bradford Kelly, the guy that designed the “Kelly” guitar legendary guitarist from Australian band Heaven. No one ever called him Brad we all called him Kelly. He was a fantastic guitar player and a nice fella. Kelly loved Gibson Explorers, but he wanted a whammy bar, so he designed his own guitar and Jackson made it for him. It’s amazing that the guitar is still in production and that it’s being manufactured and three countries. If Kelly was still here he’d be pretty impressed. I last saw him in 2003 he passed away in 2004.
I've wondered about who he is but never really got around to researching it, thanks for that. I'll have to check out the band, never heard of them, but I'm not very familiar with Australian bands in general now that I think about it.
@@brians1793 Heaven started in Adelaide South Australia under the name Fat Lip. They relocated to Sydney and were eventually discovered by Micheal Browning who at the time managed AC/DC and INXS. Not long after that they relocated to the US and were active right up until the singer Allan Fryer passed away. I’m also good friends and play in bands with the original drummer Joe Turtur and can tell you that he’s in the process of organising a few shows in the US later this year with a line up of former members. There’s a Wiki page that’s fairly accurate. Google Heaven band.
The Kelly looks like they're trying to make a knockoff Ibanez Iceman, so flipping it around to make a knockoff Paul Gilbert signature Ibanez makes sense.
I always appreciate when people have a unique approach to their guitar, whether it be modding it in an interesting way or just going against the grain and flipping it upside down. I'm a lefty and I was eyeballing this exact guitar for a few weeks soooo I'm a tiny bit jealous haha. Just couldn't justify the price at the end of the day. Enjoy it! Left handed Kellys are rare as it is and this one is absolutely killer. I've flipped right handed flying V's upside down to use lefty on a few occasions. Having the Floyd helps to be able to intonate properly as opposed to a tune-o-matic.
The market is really small! When I saw the listing I had to buy after 3 long years of searching. All I want is for Jackson to open up the custom shop. Everything lined up for me to get my hands on this amazing piece of art
Jackson makes beautiful guitars. I own two of them - A Warrior and a Mini Dinky - both fairly cheap - but the necks are amazing, the hardware is solid, the tones are versatile, the looks are superb
I almost offered to trade my Martin Sigma acoustic with Marty Friedman for his Jackson Kelly at a guitar clinic in 1996. Instead, I got him to sign the acoustic, which he asked 3 times if I was sure if I wanted him to sign it.
Neato. Reminds me of how Paul Gilbert flipped an Ice Man into his "Fire Man" model. There are a few other models that have used the ol' flip-a-roo trick to great effect, starting with Hendrix himself. Cheers!
I am left-handed and it is very difficult to find this type of guitar that is suitable for me, I will buy one for right-handed people to play like you, thanks for the idea 💡
@@ApathyBM It's incredible what you can do, and the most incredible thing is that a right-handed person uses a left-handed guitar, it's almost always the other way around
Paul Gilbert did the exact same thing with the Fireman. Flipped the Iceman so that it makes more sense. I've never understood why most of these "pointy" designs are made that way. I agree with you in principle but the Kelly would need some redesign, like moving the pickups and neck upward and routing a lower cutaway. It would be an interesting CAD design study.
Let me build you one, and improve a few things. Seriously. It's not a bad idea, but there is a mass distribution problem going there, which is primarily not making visual sense. The neck pickups bridge throughline needs to be shifted towards the horn, and it needs access on the high register treble side. Since the Ibanez Fireman exists, there is a design precedent for doing this kind of flip and having it make sense.
I am always thinking this about offset guitars. I play a fender jaguar and its also this way, as opposed to the flipped Gibson explorer. It always seemed off to me.
I will build you one. I'm starting a guitar company this summer with my own standard suite of designs but I am open to one offs. I'm in Canada, and I'll do it for under 2 grand.
I'm also left handed and learned to play right handed. I write left handed so that hand was stronger for fretting but everything else i do is right handed
its may look cool but the volume knob on top is a handicap . plus id hate the cutaway on top you wont be able to reach the high frets which is what this type of guitar is made for - metal
The beauty of a new guitar is learning how to play it. I went from a Telecaster to a Randy Rhoads - had to completely change the way I played. New challenge, new lesson.
I haven't watched the whole thing, but I'm really hoping he brings up modding the electronics to get those out of the way. I've considered Assembling a left handed diy kit into right hand orientation, but have never entertained the silliness of not moving the knobs.
That's an eventual goal. Of course it will play and even look nicer if the knobs fill in the empty space on the bottom area. But because this had EMGs put in the body has already had major surgery and my immediate goal is to get the guitar in playing shape for recording. I want to replace the Floyd with a fixed bridge, which at that level of modification, probably might as well reroute everything. But the main point of the video is to drive interest so that Jackson opens the custom shop for Left Handed Kelly's again. As a fairly rare vintage, this guitar should be preserved as much as possible.
@ApathyBM Have you looked into getting a tremol-no system for it? Has all the benefits of a fixed bridge, but cheaper and you won't have to heavily mod the guitar any further.
I only watched your video because I was friends with Bradford Kelly, the guy that designed the “Kelly” guitar legendary guitarist from Australian band Heaven.
No one ever called him Brad we all called him Kelly. He was a fantastic guitar player and a nice fella. Kelly loved Gibson Explorers, but he wanted a whammy bar, so he designed his own guitar and Jackson made it for him. It’s amazing that the guitar is still in production and that it’s being manufactured and three countries. If Kelly was still here he’d be pretty impressed. I last saw him in 2003 he passed away in 2004.
Incredible story, thanks for sharing!
I've wondered about who he is but never really got around to researching it, thanks for that. I'll have to check out the band, never heard of them, but I'm not very familiar with Australian bands in general now that I think about it.
@@brians1793 Heaven started in Adelaide South Australia under the name Fat Lip. They relocated to Sydney and were eventually discovered by Micheal Browning who at the time managed AC/DC and INXS. Not long after that they relocated to the US and were active right up until the singer Allan Fryer passed away. I’m also good friends and play in bands with the original drummer Joe Turtur and can tell you that he’s in the process of organising a few shows in the US later this year with a line up of former members. There’s a Wiki page that’s fairly accurate. Google Heaven band.
The Kelly looks like they're trying to make a knockoff Ibanez Iceman, so flipping it around to make a knockoff Paul Gilbert signature Ibanez makes sense.
I always appreciate when people have a unique approach to their guitar, whether it be modding it in an interesting way or just going against the grain and flipping it upside down. I'm a lefty and I was eyeballing this exact guitar for a few weeks soooo I'm a tiny bit jealous haha. Just couldn't justify the price at the end of the day. Enjoy it! Left handed Kellys are rare as it is and this one is absolutely killer.
I've flipped right handed flying V's upside down to use lefty on a few occasions. Having the Floyd helps to be able to intonate properly as opposed to a tune-o-matic.
The market is really small! When I saw the listing I had to buy after 3 long years of searching. All I want is for Jackson to open up the custom shop. Everything lined up for me to get my hands on this amazing piece of art
Jackson makes beautiful guitars. I own two of them - A Warrior and a Mini Dinky - both fairly cheap - but the necks are amazing, the hardware is solid, the tones are versatile, the looks are superb
I almost offered to trade my Martin Sigma acoustic with Marty Friedman for his Jackson Kelly at a guitar clinic in 1996. Instead, I got him to sign the acoustic, which he asked 3 times if I was sure if I wanted him to sign it.
Neato. Reminds me of how Paul Gilbert flipped an Ice Man into his "Fire Man" model. There are a few other models that have used the ol' flip-a-roo trick to great effect, starting with Hendrix himself. Cheers!
Nothing new. Guild already did this with the X-79. Glad you are enjoying your guitar.
Nice shirt bro, the new album rules.
I am left-handed and it is very difficult to find this type of guitar that is suitable for me, I will buy one for right-handed people to play like you, thanks for the idea 💡
It changed the way I looked at guitars, literally doubles the number of options you have available. And Hendrix did it 60 years ago
@@ApathyBM It's incredible what you can do, and the most incredible thing is that a right-handed person uses a left-handed guitar, it's almost always the other way around
Basically why you've created there is a more pointy Schecter Synister Gates ... Have to admit it does look kinda cool though!
Paul Gilbert did the exact same thing with the Fireman. Flipped the Iceman so that it makes more sense. I've never understood why most of these "pointy" designs are made that way. I agree with you in principle but the Kelly would need some redesign, like moving the pickups and neck upward and routing a lower cutaway. It would be an interesting CAD design study.
Definitely, this is an engineering experiment
Let me build you one, and improve a few things. Seriously.
It's not a bad idea, but there is a mass distribution problem going there, which is primarily not making visual sense.
The neck pickups bridge throughline needs to be shifted towards the horn, and it needs access on the high register treble side.
Since the Ibanez Fireman exists, there is a design precedent for doing this kind of flip and having it make sense.
I've always wanted a reverse iceman bass.
I'm sold, reverse Kelly looks sick
I am always thinking this about offset guitars. I play a fender jaguar and its also this way, as opposed to the flipped Gibson explorer. It always seemed off to me.
I’m a fender offset player and I’ve always wondered what a “metal” offset would look like and this video scratches that itch
For 5k you could have ordered a full custom to basically any spec.
Jackson Custom shop doesn't produce Left Handed Kellys last I tried.
@@ApathyBM Seems its not a real custom shop then.
I've always though the same about Explorer tipe guitars, I wish some brand would make a reversed Kelly of some sort.
I will build you one.
I'm starting a guitar company this summer with my own standard suite of designs but I am open to one offs.
I'm in Canada, and I'll do it for under 2 grand.
Best you can get are knockoffs, or wait until someone resells second hand (2 a year at best if lucky, between $3500-$5000)
I’m left handed and learned to play right handed too 🎉
I'm also left handed and learned to play right handed. I write left handed so that hand was stronger for fretting but everything else i do is right handed
its may look cool but the volume knob on top is a handicap . plus id hate the cutaway on top you wont be able to reach the high frets which is what this type of guitar is made for - metal
The beauty of a new guitar is learning how to play it. I went from a Telecaster to a Randy Rhoads - had to completely change the way I played. New challenge, new lesson.
damn bro you better get locking strap bolts
Ha! I was using a bad cheap backup strap
Dude just get the right guitar. Having to change the way you play to avoid the knobs, it’s just doesn’t make sense.
I haven't watched the whole thing, but I'm really hoping he brings up modding the electronics to get those out of the way. I've considered Assembling a left handed diy kit into right hand orientation, but have never entertained the silliness of not moving the knobs.
That's an eventual goal. Of course it will play and even look nicer if the knobs fill in the empty space on the bottom area. But because this had EMGs put in the body has already had major surgery and my immediate goal is to get the guitar in playing shape for recording.
I want to replace the Floyd with a fixed bridge, which at that level of modification, probably might as well reroute everything. But the main point of the video is to drive interest so that Jackson opens the custom shop for Left Handed Kelly's again. As a fairly rare vintage, this guitar should be preserved as much as possible.
@ApathyBM Have you looked into getting a tremol-no system for it? Has all the benefits of a fixed bridge, but cheaper and you won't have to heavily mod the guitar any further.
No.