Non-Fender Telecasters — Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline

When we first saw the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline electric guitar we knew we had to get it in our hands — a semi-hollowbody Telecaster-style guitar with humbuckers sounds too sweet to pass up. And it turned out that the ’58 Thinline’s Great 8 electronics offer up a much wider range of sounds than we expected, with a total of eight distinct pickup configurations to explore. Oh, and you can get one for under $400 — that definitely makes it worth a look. We assembled our No Fear Guides Jay Leonard J and Ryan Burke to plug in, rock out, and see what this Michael Kelly Tele has to offer — here’s what we learned.

Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline — Fast Facts

Most players are at least somewhat familiar with the classic Telecaster design — its basic slab body and dual single-coil pickups have been the go-to instrument for countless world-class players. The Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline takes the classic Tele feel and adds a much wider tonal range to explore, by way of a pair of humbuckers and the Great 8 electronics mod that makes the most of them. And the ’58 Thinline’s semi-hollow body adds a dimension of resonance and low-mid richness you won’t hear in a solidbody electric guitar. 

Michael Kelly '59 Thinline6-String Electric Guitar

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• Chambered mahogany body for warm, resonant tone
• Bolt-on rock maple neck with fast-feeling satin finish
• Roasted jatoba fretboard with 22 frets
• Modern C neck profile for not-too-thick, not-too-thin playability
• Rockfield SWC Humbucker pickups provide beefy, full-range tone
• Great 8 electronics mod with push/pull volume and tone controls and 3-way selector
• Push/pull controls activate coil taps for each pickup to access single-coil-style sounds

It’s very hi-fi! — Ryan Burke

8 Distinct Tones from Great 8 Electronics Mod

The Michael Kelly website claims their Great 8 electronics mod is their most popular guitar mod, and we can see why. Great 8 means you have push/pull volume and tone controls that activate coil taps on the neck and bridge pickups, respectively. With the push or pull of knob, you can take your tone from a snarling rock humbucker tone to a bright, articulate single-coil sound. And between the individual pickup coil taps, and three pickup positions, you have a total of eight distinct pickup settings to rock out with.

Due to the dramatic tonal shift you can create just by pulling up on a knob, you can use the ’58 Thinline’s Great 8 electronics as a clever solo boost as well. If you’re rocking out with both pickups in humbucker mode, try switching just the neck pickup to coil-tap mode for solos — you’ll notice added presence and clarity that cuts through the mix, without losing the powerful low-mid foundation that the bridge humbucker will be maintaining. When it’s time to go back to chugging on riffs, switch back to full-humbucker mode.

On the neck pickup, you can hear it’s fat but might also get muddy — you pull up on the control and you get that articulation back… a bit of pop. — Jay Leonard J

Rock Maple Neck feels Fast and Smooth

A guitar is only as good as its neck, and we have a lot of good things to say about the neck on the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline. In true Tele fashion, you’ll find a bolt-on rock maple neck with 22 frets. The 22-fret neck is an important component to the Kelly Tele tone — it puts the string’s 2nd-octave harmonic directly above the neck pickup, and your sound is much richer for it whether you know it or not. 

The Michael Kelly website describes the neck profile as a Modern C shape, and is finished in satin for a fast, non-sticky feel. We’re Tele fans ourselves, and we know that players have a wide range of neck preferences. If you’re the type of player that demands a super-thin or extra-thick neck, you already know it. Outside of those extremes, we think that Michael Kelly’s take on the Modern C shape will be quite suitable for the majority of players. Chording near the nut felt comfortable, climbing up the fretboard felt smooth, and we had plenty of access to the upper registers — hard to ask for more than that unless you have very specific preferences.

No dead frets, pretty smooth — delicioso. — Jay Leonard J

Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline — Common Questions Answered

How does the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline compare to traditional Telecaster models in terms of tone and playability?

Well, we should start by saying that the Telecaster is one of the most versatile electric guitars ever created. And it’s one of the most-modifiable guitars too — countless players have customized their Tele to suit their particular needs. And a Tele with humbuckers is a completely different animal than a Tele with single-coils. But we can say that the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline gives you the same basic feel as a standard Telecaster right out of the box, although the bridge feels much smoother under your hand than a typical Tele bridge. 

Regarding tone, the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline gives you what you may expect from a typical Tele with humbuckers instead of single-coil pickups. It’s when you get into the coil splitting for access to single-coil tones that things get extra interesting. Some players love Teles with a humbucker at the neck and a single-coil pickup at the bridge: you can create that with the ’58 Thinline too. Some players prefer the beef of a humbucker in the bridge position, with a single-coil at the neck for throaty, vocal-like leads: you can do that with the ’58 Thinline too. In other words, the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline doesn’t sound like one specific kind of Telecaster — it can sound like many of them.  

Can the ’58 Thinline’s Great 8 electronics effectively replicate both humbucker and single-coil sounds?

Yes — pulling up on the volume and tone knobs engages coil-split mode for the neck and bridge pickups, respectively. In the default humbucker mode, the SWC Humbucker pickups give us what we’d expect from a rock-oriented humbucker: plenty of output, wide-ranging tone, and a beefy character with smooth highs. In single-coil mode, we notice an ample increase in brightness and clarity, and an overall snappier response that we could feel as well as hear. 

What are the advantages of the chambered mahogany body in terms of weight and tone?

As gigging guitarists ourselves, we love the lighter weight of chambered-body guitars. With a semi-hollow electric guitar like the Michael Kelly ’58, you can play for longer with less fatigue on your neck, shoulders and back. As far as tone goes, we love the semi-hollowbody sound for the extra bit of dimension and resonance it adds to your tone. Clean tones sound woody and soulful, while adding some overdrive yields an open, lively distortion tone that can sound truly massive. It’s not a night-and-day tonal difference compared to a solidbody Tele, rather a subtle enhancement that gives your sound a bit of a warm glow. 

Why would I get a Kellycaster instead of a Fender Telecaster?

The Michael Kelly Guitar Company actually began as a provider of acoustic guitars and mandolins — Michael Kelly electric guitars would come along later, after they had established a reputation for creating high-quality acoustic instruments at affordable prices. The semi-hollow Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline taps into the company’s experience in crafting acoustic and electric instruments alike, and gives you a custom switching configuration that would require heavy mods to a typical Telecaster. There are countless variations on the classic Tele formula — if sonic richness, lighter weight, easy playability, and sonic versatility are your priorities, the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline was made for you.

What Would You Do with 8 Pickup Configurations?

After putting the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline to the test, we’re very impressed with what you get for under $400. The woods and components felt good in our hands, and the wide range of pickup settings made us excited to explore all of the various tonal combinations. While the richer, resonant semi-hollowbody sound may not be the tightest or most focused sound for heavy metal, it’s a delightfully rich voice for practically any other style. If you’re looking for a new signature sound, or you need maximum sonic versatility in your home studio, we’re sure you’ll be impressed with the Michael Kelly ’58 Thinline.