[MrSandMan]

Michael Kelly Patriot Vintage Electric Guitar is a nice, quality, yet priced right guitar. I noticed it's getting rave review, and for the features for the price, this may be the diamond in the rough and underrated.

The guitar is priced at a very modest price at $499 and can be had from MusiciansFriend.com with free shipping.

Dual PAF-Plus pickups and hardware that looks like it's seen some long nights under the stage lights.

The distressed hardware on the Michael Kelly Patriot Vintage Electric Guitar produces a cool vintage vibe. Set mahogany neck on a carved mahogany body with bound rosewood fretboard plays great and looks even better. Triple body binding and solid abalone block fretboard inlays combine with stark, glossy finishes for visual elegance. Coil tapping lets you get knife edge as well as buttery smoothness out of these classic pickups.

Michael Kelly Patriot Vintage Electric Guitar Features:

• Mahogany body
  
• Set mahogany neck
  
• Bound rosewood fretboard
  
• Abalone inlays
  
• Dual PAF-Plus humbuckers
  
• Coil tapping
• Price: $499

Here are some reviews:

5/5
I've been playing guitar since 1962 and played professionally for many years. I've probably owned about 80 electric guitars in my life & own about 40 now. These Michael Kelly Patriots are the best guitar surprise I've had in 30 years.

I can only re-enforce what everybody else has been saying: the quality and materials in these guitars are GREAT! Compare this to an Epiphone Les Paul Standard (about the same price) and the MK kicks it all over the lot. Nothing on this guitar needs to be upgraded. The materials are way better than the Epi.

If you're looking for a Les Paul-like guitar for under a grand you'd really be hurting yourself if you don't check these out. I own both the Vintage and the Custom and am extremely happy with both of them. I certainly don't need any more guitars but if I buy another one I'm betting it will be a Michael Kelly.

Posted by Tulsaslim from Vera, OK on Mar 27, 2009

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5/5
WOW! I was looking for a Gib LP style guitar that was a perfect blend of Quality, Value and Playability. This guitar is a home run in the price range. I tried every LP style guitar $1,000 and under at Guitar Center. I was looking for a guitar to just beat up and play crazy for a change of pace. This guitar makes me smile every time I pick it up. The set up was pretty good out of box, but I had to tweak the tremolo a bit to even up the intonation. It was pretty easy and I am no Luthier. Overall, I would say the best bang for the buck in solid body electric guitars is Michael Kelly. Best value in acoustics is Breedlove. And yes, I enjoy playing Strats (I own one) and the Classic LP's. Both are great guitars with legendary status. However, when you consider value, quality of workmanship and playability. Michael Kelly guitars should be the last guitar you try at Guitar Center, because it will be the one you will want to keep in your hands when you leave. I think there is another Michael Kelly in my immediate future.

Posted by livinthedream from Rock Steady, Michigan on Jul 18, 2008

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5/5
Recently I purchased the Michael Kelly Patriot vintage black. I must say I am very pleased with this guitar. I have played for over thirty years and have had both Gibson and Fender guitars. This guitar compares quite well with both. I spent the last year and a half researching guitars mainly Gibson Epiphone in search of a Les Paul or another comparable guitar. What it boils down to is wood finish and pickups. Gibson's great but way to spendy (hey kids no food but dads got a Gibson) and Epi does make a good guitar but they use a variety of different woods and you will have to change the pickups and tuners and switches etc.I live in the middle of North Dakota and in order to even pick up a Gibson or Epi I would have to drive 400 miles ain't happening. The Michael Kelly guitars use quality wood mainly mahogany and maple(the vintage is all mahogany at least according to their web, very affordable and the pickups are very well built these are vintage p.a.f.s and have a very warm southern rock blues sound. still the bridge will distort very well also. Tuners are middle road grovers mine stay in tune after many house of blues. I play mostly blues and jazz. but do play older rock and this guitar is fantastic very versatile clean and dirty. For the money I think this is probably one of the best purchases I have made in music.

Posted by on her poop list from Mandan, Nd on Jun 30, 2008

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5/5
I recently became a musician again after selling my amps and all but one guitar 10 years ago. Since I kept my trusty Strat I was in the market for a set neck with 'buckers and was starting from scratch. Back in the day I had almost every classic Gibson and some of them were true vintage masterpieces so I knew what to look for. I am kind of particular about paying a reasonable price for a good instrument so I wouldn't settle for anything less than great quality, solid price, and Michael Kelly were the only guitars to live up to that. I have played this guitar so much that the poor Start only sees daylight if I gig, and actually need a backup. I own two of the Patriot Vintage in white and black and I can't say enough about them. Both showed up perfectly set up with .09's with excellent action and in beautiful shape, no manufacturing flaws whatsoever. Even after a few gigs, they were still going strong without having to make any adjustments. Looks are top notch and even the stock electronics sound great. Coil taps were a plus but I have never needed to use them, as just rolling the volume back a little cleans them up nice. I was looking for a specific sound after awhile so I put a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge position and a Custom Custom in the neck and WOW, this thing makes the old vintage Les Paul I sold really tame in comparison. Gibson should really reassess their pricing and product line because these knock the socks off of what they produce and for a much healthier price.

Posted by Jag Man from Minneapolis, MN on Mar 17, 2008

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4.5/5
I took a chance and bought this M K Patriot Vintage after reading many reviews on many axes in this price range. Having over 25 yrs playing experience, I thought this would be a good throw around club guitar, but I didn't expect much more. I stand corrected! I am blown away by the look, feel,and tone this thing has! I got a white 1 and it is beautiful! From the inlays to the paint to the distressed hardware, it looks great! Now about the tone... Sustain and chunk of a LP, but the coil-taps give jangy strat tones also. But it doesn't sound exactly like either one. It has it's own vibe. The pickups are really vintage sounding. Very warm. The Grovers really keep it in tune. Doesn't quite weigh as much as a LP, but almost. I have several nice guitars and this 1 is sweeter than most of them. Really high-end quality for the price. It has become 1 of 3 main axes I use live. The white is great under the stage lights! I converted the 2 vol 2 tone push/pull config to 1 vol 1 tone 2 coil-tap switches. This allows for quicker tonal changes live. But overall this is a beautiful, well crafted, great sounding, and nicely priced instrument. More unique, flexible, and well constructed than any Epi, Squire, or similar priced instrument I've played. If you're considering this axe, don't worry just order.

Posted by Cristofa on Jan 8, 2008

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Another cool Michael Kelly Guitar is the Michael Kelly Patriot Decree, which sell for around $399.