A New Guitar Is 30% Lighter Thanks to Multiple Weird Tricks

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could make a lighter guitar, they didn’t stop to think if they should. As TC’s resident guitar lover I have to take all the high-tech in git-fiddles I can get. To wit I present the Enlightened Collection of electric guitars. These guitars, made by Michael Kelly, are 30% lighter than standard solid body guitars but promise solid sound out of a slimmer package.

The key is how Kelly essentially skeletonizes the guitars and uses far lighter materials for the pickups, rods, and machine heads. The most notable difference is in the body. These guitars have been carefully drilled through in order to remove a few pounds of wood weight with no structural compromises. It’s an interesting move to be sure.

The guitars start at $479 and come in multiple styles. All are solid-body pieces and all work just like regular electric guitars. I plugged in a model they sent me to test and found it on par with any mid-level electric but it was definitely lighter and easier to handle. He is shipping the guitars in June.

Could Kelly have made this whole thing out of carbon fiber and goose down? Probably, but I think the sound here is superior to other odd electrics I’ve seen over the years. The only other ultralight guitar I’ve seen worth its weight in fresh strings are the Rainsong carbon fiber models.

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This is a sound demo of the Michael Kelly Patriot Enlightened guitar. This is one of several models designed and offered by Michael Kelly Guitars to be 6 pounds or less. The guitar delivers classic styling, performance and tone despite being 30% lighter than most similar guitars.