Guitar Lessons by Taurus

The Quest for Playability: Repairs, Shops, and a New "Michael Kelly" Arrival

​Part 1: The Repair Dilemma
​Both of my go-to guitars recently developed some issues, and my search for a reliable repair shop turned into quite the saga.

I checked around for quotes, and the results were all over the map:

​Shop A: Quoted $80 plus strings for a setup, with an additional $1.50 per minute for labor.

​Shop B: Offered a more reasonable $50 for the setup plus strings, with a $45/hour labor rate.

​The "Shade Tree" Option: A private individual offered to do the work but was vague on the cost, promising to "let me know the price" only after I dropped them off.

​While I understand not wanting to commit to a price sight-unseen, I’m not in the habit of handing my treasures over to a stranger and simply hoping for the best. More importantly, none of these options seemed particularly eager to take on the work.
Honestly? I think it’s finally time I learn to solder!

​Part 2: The New Arrival

​After crunching the numbers, I realized that for the cost of repairing both instruments, I could explore getting a "new-to-me" guitar instead.

I checked the local stores, but the selection and service in my price range were... to put it mildly... underwhelming.

​Since I needed something for recording pronto, I turned to Facebook Marketplace. After a few great exchanges with a solid seller, I scored a fantastic deal on a Michael Kelly Custom Collection 65 Strat. It features upgraded pickups and a high-end bridge, making it a total powerhouse.

​This guitar is an absolute blast to play, sounds incredible, and looks stunning. It’s exactly the spark I needed to get back into the studio.
​Stay tuned... a full review of this Michael Kelly 65 is coming soon!

New horse in the stables!!!

Upgraded MIK Michael Kelly Custom Collection 65 Strat.10.5 to 16 neck radius, 22 fret, Grover locking tuners.

CTS Push Pull volume to split the bridge pickup,fender 5 way switch,toggle for fulltime neck pickup. Planet tone hand wound made to order elite pro single coil pickups in the neck and middle position,very sweet sound. Purly Gates Trembucker at the bridge when you want to rock!.

Fender trem with bar, This is one of their early models ,the body is two piece Alder wood.Striped dark ebony top ,Spalded maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard.

Frets have a little wear from me playing it.comes with hardshell case and original pickups and original trem bridge. There might be a scratch somewhere if you can find it,but its in excellent condition.very nice looking guitar.You can try it out I have amplification. $425 with hardshell case.To sweeten the deal I'm throwing in a TC Eletronic g sharp guitar and multi effects rack unit for free. Its like new as well.

Working in the recording studio today... It's been a long few years of recovery. Hurricanes, roofs and recording studios are not a good mixture :/ will at least be up and running again. Anybody here do any home recording???

Command thy strings to breathe a melody.
Or in layman's terms
PLAY YOUR GUITAR!!!