Michael Kelly Patriot Guitar Deep Dive Series

[@craigdetroit]

There are no longer exceptions - guitar quality has gotten so good across the board that you can't really fault anyone for buying a sub-$1000 guitar and not think it's going to be gig-worthy. Michael Kelly, Vintage, the entire PRS SE line...it's just a good time to be a guitar player.

[@duxxxhm]

Take a 100$ guitar give it good setup, no mods, and it will be gig worthy.

[@earthstrong-43.72]

I just picked up a Patriot Standard. I've been a Les Paul guy most of my life, and I'm more than happy to have that Michael Kelly with a real maple cap. Great guitar, no complaints yet.

[@dezmoduo]

I've owned 5 MK's, now down to 3. Love 'em. On gigs and at home, a go -to guitar all the time. Thanks for the review.

[@musicalADD_theband]

I have to Michael Kelly guitars. This is one of them. love them both.

[@RsSquier51]

I own 5 Michael Kelly guitars and love them all. Great bang for the buck.

[@bks252]

I also own 4 of these guitars. They are fantastic. I could not be happier with them all. I only changed pickups in the CC50. I put Greg Koch signature Fishman pickups in it. It’s killer in it. The bang you get for the buck is unbelievable. I have a double Duncan 1950’s that just screams. The company doesn’t get much attention, which is a shame. I’m glad you are highlighting them. Also, each one of mine have been almost perfectly set up and the intonation has been almost perfect too. Frets are great too.

[@daddyg1973]

I've owned a Michael Kelly Patriot Custom in the past. I loved it. It did not have Seymour Duncan's in it. It had some other brand of pickups in it that supplied Michael Kelly at the time. I believe they were Rockfield pickups. Also, I believe mine was made in Korea. I got mine in in about 2008 or so.

[@jesseparrish9198]

I am a fan of the Rockfield pickups 🤘

[@leeasbury7273]

I have the MK Custom Valor from that same year. It's a double cutaway...it looks like they were trying to make something close to a PRS McCarty...from back in the 2000's though. I had a 2001 PRS McCarty Soapbar but I just couldn't get along with that neck. And they were using regular Seymour Duncan P90's anyway, so I just bought a few of the, then newer, SE PRS Soapbar guitars from Korea, an Se One and also a Korina SE One. I Put Lollar P90's and Lindy Fralin P90's in them. I loved those SE One Korina and I remember a vintage cherry singlecut with 2 Soapbars I had, and it might've been a short scale too. I put cream covers on them but kept the stock P90's cause they sounded so good. I THINK MY POINT IS THAT I REALLY WISH THEY'D BRING THOSE SOAPBAR MODELS BACK! MAYBE IN A SATIN, LIKE THE NEW SE CE24 Standards...

[@krystlepyette]

I bought a Patriot Glory about 15 years ago. It’s by far, the best quality for the money that I have ever seen. Didn’t have to change a thing on the guitar. It’s unbelievable that they aren’t more well known

[@RonnieB.JustMe-oi5yg]

This guy does a superb job on letting people know just what they're going to get. Wonderful job. Beats the others by miles. You can definitely trust him .

[@bigmonmagoomba9634]

I have a Patriot Custom, 2 Patriot Standards, & 2 Patriot Vintage. Huge bang for buck & I love ‘em.

[@donbishop6994]

The first neck humbucker tone was amazing, super boomy yet clear as a whistle, i love it.

[@sorenahlback]

Never heard of them but seems very nice,

[@brothersnippy1373]

Sorry Phil those Grover tuners have "Keystone" shaped tuning keys not "Imperial". The Imperials are much larger and art deco styled.

[@slimlinebond]

I have a Michael Kelly 50's mod shop with Seymour Duncan pickups and 4 way switching ,incredible value for a great guitar . Great show by the way , have just subscribed and I am glad I did

[@edrosenquist6541]

Great review Phil! When I pick one of these from you I always know that I will be informed. You have a great style of natural presentation. Thanks again!!!

[@Eric_01]

I'm excited to check these out. I like experiencing off-the-beaten-path brands. I have 19 different brands in my collection, I love this stuff!

[@JAL-cc8jd]

I'm up to 5 Michael Kelly guitars (4 Patriots and a 53DB) and I absolutely love them. And this is coming from someone who has also purchased 7 new Gibsons and a new Heritage this year as well. I still reach for a Michael Kelly half the time. They are really that good. Because I like to tinker, I've upgraded the pickups in 4 of the 5, but I wouldn't necessarily have needed to. One of the Patriots came with SD P-Rails, so I left them alone. I put a SD JB/Jazz set in one, a Bare Knuckle Old Guard set in another, and Tonerider Alnico IV Classics in another. In my MK 53DB, I put a set of SD Psyclones. All of them play incredibly well and sound amazing. They definitely aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

[@jacobpugh4096]

I am up to three Michael Kelly guitars. I have two of the Patriots. One is the Insinct with the Rockfields. One is a Patriot Decree OP with their PAFs. Which are really great. The last is a Tele style 53 Quad Mod. All three are absolutely fantastic. Out my collection, they are my absolute favorites.

[@kevinsparrow34]

Thank you Phil, been looking at Michael Kelly’s for awhile. Really Appreciate the honest review’s you always give.

[@rodgerbell810]

Hi Phil, I have said it before but I absolutely love these extended deep dives. They are thorough and comprehensive. This sounds like a great guitar for the price. One positive, it looks great and is lightweight. Thanks and cheers ✌️🎸

[@robertnilsson8213]

Thanks Philip. Great guitars and i really liked the explanation of different kinds of neck thicknesses compared with PRS models. And i know now why too chunky necks don't fit my smaller hands. And of course that's the main reason why i prefer to play on thinner, narrower necks for quick finger moves on the left hand. Excellent choice of pups as well i think. Beautiful looking! ♥♥

[@neobes]

I've been watching your videos for a few years now. You have gotten WAY better at playing guitar. Nice review!

[@dbreardon]

I own the Patriot model just below this one (rockfield pickups rather than Duncan) and push-pull coil split....same scorched quilted maple top but standard body thickness. Beautiful looking and sounding guitar. There are about 4 different models of the Patriot plus a couple of special custom models from $399 - $1200+. I think they all complete well within their price range against the higher end brands.

[@sammyhaddad]

I know now what guitar I'm buying next. M. K. Tele style! Great review! Thanks!

[@Acousticeg]

I'd buy one of these. Thanks for the review.

[@The72birdman]

Great demo! Will consider adding one to my crew.

[@markthompson7817]

Love my Michael Kelly Patriot decree. Sound is good, the bridge pick up is great, better than the neck pick up which can be a little muddy so it’s not great in humbucker mode. But, the fretboard, neck and frets are outstanding and fit my style and hand size perfectly. It is this that has created a problem when looking to upgrade, nothing seems to sit in my hand as well for me as my MK, even though I now have the money to step up considerably.

[@southernpanda33]

I’ve owned the Michael Kelly Patriot Instinct Bold Custom in Partial Eclipse for almost a year and I love it. Not one complaint about it at all.

[@DavidHBurkart]

These seem like great guitars and Phil, I love how you get banjo sounds out of your fret checks. 😂

[@mikewendeln5218]

Must be a new pedal. Lol

[@finishin.my.coffee8780]

They are, at least the one I owned in 2009 was. It had a black satin finish and Rockfield pickups. It was made in Korea. It played better than an Epiphone. I'd have kept it, except at the time, I'd never owned a Gibson LP Standard and I really wanted one. So I sold it off to get some extra money.

[@k9er233]

@DavidHBurkart If you actually liked the banjo tune, look into "The Wailin' Jennys". They are a wonderful group of ladies that hail from Canada, and have put out several albums over the years. I believe the clip that Phil used may be from one of their songs.

[@countzero5150]

I had two Michael kelly lp style guitars back in around 2008 or so. A patriot glory and a patriot limited bubinga top. They were exceptionally nice guitars and very inexpensive, even at the time. Significantly less than any epiphone or prs se. If I recall they were made in Korea by WMI and came with Rockfield pickups. I definitely regret not keeping them but it would likely cost more to find them used now than it did to buy them new then.

[@eyemduckk]

I scored a Michael Kelly S type a few years ago..and it's awesome....at that time I believe they were made in the same factory as Schecters ..mine has a duncan humbucker in the bridge and 2 single coils with almost limitless sounds!!

[@voyager7]

Very nice, will check these out!

[@gurianboy]

And I agre 20:09 e with the cat who said Phil's playing has improved a lot. He's developed a very nice touch, a sign of lots of playing in the bedroom late at night

[@norseman61]

I agree. But also, the TONE of Phil’s setup is the best of any of the many guitar channels I subscribe to. He really has it dialed in beautifully!

[@jessebatchelor]

Another quality review of a great guitar. Love MK products

[@davidalbert8927]

Phil, never left a comment before, but really appreciate you checking out Michael Kelly. I own 4, love them all. All mine are made in South Korea, and I always thought they were excellent guitars for the money. Kinda sucks, they hold no money at all, but have to be one of the absolute best used guitar deals for a beginner that I know of. Again, thanks for highlighting this wonderful guitar! Hope to see more!

[@Stachtube]

I have an LTD Xtone PS-1000 with a similar neck joint. It feels great when playing but the “handshake” can be a little hard to hold because it’s so smooth. I think of your “handshake and hold it” every time I pick it up.

[@Sainte305]

I’ve always been interested in these, they look beautiful. Obviously cheaply built, but never seen one in person. Looking forward to this video.

[@anthonyward8587]

Great review once again Phil, good alternative to an Epi for sure. Cheers from Oz.

[@PhillipMcKnight]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@akosGTA]

They sounded gorgeous. Can’t remember anything from the last 6 months of you playing that sounded this badass

[@grog5564]

I am kind of limited in that I am left handed and have to have guitars made for me. I bought an Epiphone SG 400 Pro left handed off the shelf. I was surprised. After a few years I decided to upgrade it. I bought Seymore Duncan Hot Rodded Humbukers, had the Pots and resisters put together at a company in Nashville. I now call it the Red Growler. Great guitar, with a long neck.

[@markleadbeatter6196]

I am a big fan of MK guitars, especially their take on a T style instrument with their modern touches like belly cuts and comfort carves. The quality of the Korean made models is right up there imho but I am on the lookout for one of the Indonesian made MK63 models, as I feel the need to fill a HSS Strat hole in my life. Maybe I also need to think about a Patriot too but in truth, my single cut needs are more than fully met by my Agiles, which are similarly great instruments. Thanks for the great content as always Phil.

[@Russell_Optics]

I have heard of these before, but never did any research to buy one. I have to say the fit & finish as well as the quality control is leaps and bounds better than the last Gibson I bought, and the MK sells for a lot less money ! I really love the fact that they are offering an affordable "Les Paul" style guitar that weighs less than 8 pounds, and took no shortcuts on hardware or materials. Plus it looks & sounds AWESOME !!

[@j-man9457]

I have to disagree... I bought an MK 1953 T style guitar, and it was terrible. It needed alot of work to get it gig ready. Frets were unlevel, neck was extremely loose in the pocket, neck was in need of a shim, nut was poorly cut and had to be replaced. Action was abnormally high, intonation? What intonation?! ... The maple neck wasn't properly sanded down and fret sprout was ridiculous! They sent me a free replacement, but it was pretty much the same. The frets were better, only 5 needed spot leveling, but the fret sprout was still an issue. Nut was better but 5 out of the 6 tuners were bad. Neck needed sanding on this one as well, truss rod hole opening needed to be drilled out larger so that the Allan key could actually be inserted into the truss rod, and the neck was loose in the pocket on this replacement as well... Here in Canada, these are over 600$ after taxes. I expected better, much better. I know it's possible to get a bad one now and again, but 2? The QC on both of these was equally bad. Maybe their more expensive line is much better, but if the 2 I received are any indication, I'm not spending more money for this brand name😢 I mean come on, with the CNC tech available today, how do you mess up a tele this badly? It's the easiest guitar style to build lol!

[@zuperdee]

Haha!!!! I was wondering if you’d see this video, J-MAN! I notice Phillip McKnight even found some issues with this LP-style model, much as he seemed to like it. I think a Telecaster is usually easier to build than an LP, at the very least because 1) Tele has a bolt-on vs LP set neck, and 2) The Tele has a flat slab body, while the LP is a carved arch-top design. The latter point, I should think, would add some additional complexity, even if it is a CNC process.

[@richardburkow3792]

Excellent review! Thank you Phillip.

[@zanewalters5606]

I owned a Patriot Standard about ten years ago. Played and sounded great. Sold in when I moved across the country and I still think about that guitar. MK is a solid brand.

[@michaellewis3219]

I used to have a patriot with p90s in it. Loved that guitar.

[@TurfShifter]

Good price. Great look. Sounds great. Definitely something to have on your radar. Great video as always.

[@ripley7t429]

I have 2003 Patriot Q. The binding has aged and yellowed beautifully. The action and neck is great. I have replaced the original pickups with a Gibson 498 and 500t. Also have a bone nut now. This is the one guitar I will not part with ever.

[@aonewitheld9593]

I bought one of these new (deep quilt finish with a dark gradation-part of the top of the line Custom Select Collection), several years ago, when they use to make them at World Music in South Korea. Mine came with a tusq nut, TonePros bridge, Grover locking tuners, a surprisingly great set of Rockfield pickups, push and pull tone controls. I had never heard of the brand, but I could tell it was a very high quality instrument. I believe I paid around $275-$300 +taxes at the the Sam Ash music store (the one near Madison Square Gardens). The quality of the guitar far exceeds the price and it still plays better than my Gibson Les Paul and weighs less. In fact it is stiil my favorite "Les Paul" (eat that Mark Agnesi).

[@rcameron4091]

A friend brought one to a session for me to check out and I really liked it . Well made for the price for sure .

[@NinerFourWhiskey]

What did the relief and nut action measure? I mean to say, "it has relief" and "nut slot is perfect!" is a bit vague. These are easily measured. Nut action in particular is time and labor cost in the factory.

[@jacobbockover1628]

I had a hybrid special for a bit. It came set up well I felt it was too idk muddy but it did a good clean tone. I was unsure if the top was a photo or wood. The neck had a good carve but a thick finish. I sold it to a country girl and hope it serves her well

[@nateg7973]

I own a Michael Kelly Patriot MOD collection with the Bare Knuckle (The Mule) pickups in it. Just love it. Great Value at all their price points.

[@ludvigbydal7812]

Certainly with guitars like this Michael Kelly is not worth maybe paying double or triple times the money on big names guitars. The craftsmanship is well above average, amazingly good for that price, superb manufacturing. Suited with SD pickups and a so versatile wiring, this guitar is a clear winner. It's a great take on a classic single cut electric.

[@Youtubemademeaddahandle]

I've found that if I set the height of the neck pickup at 3/32" with the string touching the last fret I can adjust the bridge pickup to match output volume and then adjust each pickup position for equal output volume of high and low E strings.

[@jray5363]

That’s a beautiful guitar! And it sounds great! I’ve always wondered about them, and this video really moves them up the list. The better you play, the nicer the guitar seems! Funny how that works. You can’t go wrong with Duncan pickups. And last, but not least, the price is in the sweet spot. Certainly fair for the quality. And they make lefties, which always score extra points! Yep, she’s on the radar now!

[@boosterpatrol]

Nice to see MK getting some love. I've got 3 of their guitars (a Tele, an acoustic, and a Patriot) and they've all been great - especially for the price ($400ish each). The Patriot is my #1 go to guitar for soloing, beating out my USA PRS, Am Std. Strat, and my '94 Carvin DC400.

[@JoshuaC923]

Great review Phil! Interesting guitars, but they have almost zero resale value in my parts

[@darylm.stephens9603]

Great guitars great review as always

[@leeasbury7273]

I sometimes put a SD Pearly Gates Brige pickup flipped around in the neck. I'll use a Custom, another PG, or something else in the bridge and wire them up to tripleshot mounting rings, which really give me alot of amazing and a different tones.

[@williamvelez6522]

I really like how the guitar sounds with the Seymour Duncans and split coil... guitar is nicely crafted..

[@douglascormany6902]

Although your podcasts are not for me I really enjoy these deep dives. Thank you so much for your awesome content.

[@TheSavagederek]

One thing I hate about most mid priced modern guitars at the 700-1000 dollar or pounds mark is the lack of bag or case . PRS are to be applauded in this regards. Fender MIM used to come with a bag , but I may be wrong , but I think they have stopped that . Ok on a 200-400 dollar instrument , but at those prices , I'd want at least a half decent gig bag .

[@simonhetherington9077]

I hear you. Just bought a limited edition MIM HSS Fender strat for $1300 CAD (around $950 USD) and no bag or case. Long and McQuade (Canada’s closest version of Guitar Center) wouldn’t give any discount nor include even a cheap gig bag. Sign of things to come, I suppose.

[@garretttweed9951]

Kind of off-topic I need to know how to ground a fender, telecaster neck pick up cover there’s no videos on KZbin about it and thanks for your content. It has helped me out tremendously.

[@kevincothron5089]

I have a T type from them. These guitars are a great value and sound great. I can play it w/o an amp. Real nice resonance in the body.

[@NealStidham]

I just grabbed the Michael Kelly Patriot with Bare Knuckle Mules a couple of months ago. Definitely enjoying it!

[@tonedowne]

That guitar is layer out like a dream. They have this brand in my local guitar shop, but they all weigh a ton. Interesting to see this one is a sensible weight. A treble bleed on the neck pickup would be a helpful addition, as with that massive output the volume is going to be rolled back most of the time

[@davplys]

I bought my Michael Kelly porte 10 koa from Sam Ash in 2020 after waiting months for it to actually be in stock. There were 5 reviews all 5 star and all by people who put in the review they received the guitar as part of a promotion. The set up was horrible out of the box but the guitar is beautiful and once set up fun to play with my smaller hands. I tried to post a review and it was never put up. At that time I thought MK was owned by Sam Ash as in Harley Benton to Thomann's. Makes me suspect about this guitar being set up and frets polished. But, they make some interesting guitars and I wish I hadnt been soured on them with my first experience.

[@danmar007]

Michael Kelly have been making nice guitars for quite a while.

[@norseman61]

I few years ago I was looking at several Michael Kelly models, especially their Teles. I ended up getting a Sire instead (which I LOVE), but I’m sure I would have been happy with MK, as well. This Patriot looks great, but to be honest, if I was going to spend $800-$900 on a guitar, Michael Kelly just wouldn’t cross my mind, especially if I could get a PRS SE or a Schecter (or a Sire) for the same or less money. Looks like a nice guitar, though!

[@offbeatbassgear]

A lot of the appointments on this guitar reminds me of the ESP LTD-401 series, minus the actives, and with the coil splitting feature added.

[@MacawAviculture]

Beautiful and high quality guitars, but I only play/purchase electrics with a Floyd Rose bridge. Did not see any for sale on their website available with a FR bridge. Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@hugoagogo]

My MK Patriot Patriot Custom plays so nice. My only qualm is it's a little heavy for this old dude.

[@timwhite5562]

The only thing i don't like are the mini toggles. They always come across cheap or like a slapdash mod.

[@erneumann3136]

Good job with the video. BTW, I like genuine Gibson Les Paul guitars the best with Kalamazoo Heritage guitars a close second.

[@bacongl]

I like the blue fade alot. I have a few of their acoustic basses and am a big fan.

[@BrentAdams]

I prefer the individual mini Coil Split switches also....as long as the control layout isn't "cluttered" and not in your way.

[@SamuraiFingers]

I'm so happy this isn't a Harley Benton review. I saw the title and I was worried. To me - they are completely garbage instruments. This MK looks pretty nice though!

[@sirtogii5216]

Had never heard of them before but looks great. Wonder if they even exist in the UK?

[@kirkhensley5870]

Big time. If you don't want to break the bank and want to rock out, this is the one. Some of them are perfect right off of the wall. Sam Ash Stores have them mostly.

[@frank-Grimey-grimes]

I like MK for low cost intros to interesting ideas. Specifically, I have a superstrat with a compound radius neck and tons of switching options.

[@edbstrung]

Michael Kelly makes awesome affordable tele’s .

[@taz3672]

I have the Patriot Instinct Bold Custom in fade blue. It is an awesome guitar!

[@monmixer]

Stainless steel provides the perfect balance of heat and corrosion resistance, whereas nickel delivers unique heat, electrical, and magnetic conductivity to specialty applications like model train tracks. I'm curious if the better conductivity it help full to over all pick up out put?

[@robertscotti7970]

This brand has come a long way in the last 8 yrs. With its new adminisration. I had one of their older hybrid guitars but it would not stay in tune very well due to the neck and cheap tuners. The newest version are better.

[@dancrowe7860]

This wasn't on my radar, but this guitar sounds fantastic. Love the two JB combo!

[@TheSavagederek]

The Grover imperials are my favourite Grover's . I had them on my Les Paul Custom . Pity the thing was too damn heavy and I sold it in 2010 .

[@VintageRadius]

Sweet! Can’t believe I’ve never heard of this brand before. Love the neck spec’s. I’d definitely be switching out that neck JB for something PAF-ish.

[@jeffmartinez6073]

That neck pickup (Humbucker) sounds so sweet.

[@lioninthesun8833]

Curious on what pedal you used to get the banjo sound when checking for dead frets 🤪😜😁 . Just goofing, killer deep dive as usual Phil

[@NARSteve]

I have a Chinese made Patriot Decree, and it is a very nice guitar, especially since I got it for $50 at Goodwill!

[@TheTactical6string]

i bought a Kelly PRS clone on amazon 9yrs ago for $130. you dont see the killer deal stuff anymore. i remember Bugera 100 watt heads for under 200 bucks. I only have one regret sell but I sure wish i had half the amps i had over the last 16yrs. It didnt seem like they were going to be inflated like they are now.

[@1956tojo]

Bought a Vantage Les Paul copy Lawsuit guitar in 1981... Did a blindfold test when I went up to put $350 down on a new black Gibson LP Custom... It was winter and in those days I used stocking caps, so I sat down and pulled the front down over my eyes and did the test.... virtually identical in any volume or settings and combinations, it turned out that the Vantage played better, smoother, faster than the Gibson and it came with it's own very nice Vantage hardcase... The Gibson was brand new, the Vantage was "supposedly" used, and the Vantage was/is "gold" hardware and Gibson was chrome/nickel and no case included.... Otherwise the Japanese Les Paul is identical in every way but the Headstock Logo.... i have 3 Gibson Les Paul Customs, 1961, 1972, and a 1985... One Epiphone 1993, and one 1981 Vantage LP Custom and the Vantage plays sweeter than 3 of the others... Japanese guitar makers were making as good or better copies of American guitars than the Americans were making in the first place...for HALF the money so American companies sued and got it stopped, hence, Lawsuit guitars... ....

[@daveparris8123]

It would be good to check to see if the frets are actually level. Epiphone frets very often are not, in my experience. We shouldn't assume. If we want low string height it is even more important. Often a high fret can be tapped down.

[@jimlang9418]

I own a 2009 patriot custom It’s a very nice instrument 👍👍

[@TarnishedViking.]

Michael Kelly Hybrid SpecialS Look Sweet! Gots ta git me one!

[@kentuckywindage222]

I've been 👁 new guitar's and this was one I liked. Looking at investment for my son later though, I have almost settled on a Gibson Les or SG. I love the body contours and feel of a Strat, twang of a Tele, sound of humbuckers, 24 ¾ scale and modern C thinner necks. Any suggestions welcome.

[@blue9404]

Might have to try these…

[@johndaugherty4127]

The first 'nice' guitar I bought when getting back into guitars, was an LTD Phoenix made in Indonesia that blew me away with the quality. Modern machining is incredible.

[@GaveMeGrace1]

Thank you.