Randall Bramblett and his Michael Kelly N60 acoustic guitar

Michael Kelly® Guitar Company is proud to announce that renowned multi-instrumentalist Randall Bramblett has joined the Michael Kelly family of endorsers. Bramblett is well-known for his touring and recording contributions to artists such as Steve Winwood and Traffic, Gregg Allman, Levon Helm, Widespread Panic, Sea Level and Gov’t Mule.

Bramblett has chosen the Michael Kelly Nostalgia™ Model N60, the company’s first jumbo acoustic guitar design, for his performance and recording work. “I’m currently playing the Michael Kelly guitar for solo shows and it’s great,” said Bramblett. “I think it plays better than my (other brand) and sounds really good too. Lots of comments on it from fans.”

N60 design details include Flame Maple back and sides, a solid Sitka Spruce top, Abalone sound hole rosette and a Fishman® Classic 4T preamp.

In addition to performing with music industry heavyweights, Bramblett tours with his own band, an extraordinary group of pro players from the Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, areas. He has released eight solo albums to date, receiving comments such as:

“Randall is the most talented and prolific songwriter I have the privilege of knowing.”  Bill Berry (R.E.M.)

“…writing the best songs of his career.” Warren Haynes. (The Allman Brothers Band / Gov’t Mule)

For more info, visit www.randallbramblett.com and www.michaelkellyguitars.com.

Blake Shelton Signature Patriot from Michael Kelly

Michael Kelly® Guitar Company is proud to announce that it has teamed up with award-winning Country music artist Blake Shelton to create a unique, new signature model guitar. The Blake Shelton model is based on the company’s popular line of Patriot electric guitars but features a distinctive camouflage design motif on its body and headstock.

Shelton, who has charted six No. 1 Country hits to date, has enjoyed considerable success with his song “Hillbilly Bone,” a duet with Trace Adkins. Shelton recently earned his first Academy of Country Music Award for “Vocal Event of the Year” and is now nominated for a 2010 CMT Music Award for collaborative video of the year.

“We are excited to have Blake endorse our guitars and to present this special instrument to the music community,” said Bill Xavier, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hanser Music Group, the parent company of Michael Kelly Guitar Company. “We believe this signature model reflects Blake’s artistry as a musician and his one-of-a-kind personality.”

The Blake Shelton Signature Michael Kelly guitar is a solidbody electric with a thick, deeply arched Maple top, Mahogany body and neck, Ebony fingerboard, Grover® Rotomatic™ tuners and two Rockfield® humbucking pickups. It produces big, rich tones with excellent sustain and – due to its thick Maple top – an articulate treble response. Its retail price is $999, with an approximate “street” price of $699.

To connect the guitar to Blake’s Country worldview, the instrument features a classic “cammo” design that utilizes green, brown and black colors. Unlike the intent of camouflage, this Michael Kelly guitar will make players stand out in a crowded marketplace.      

Michael Kelly is owned, manufactured and marketed by Hanser Music Group (HMG), a third-generation music products company based in Hebron, KY. Other HMG brands include B.C. Rich Guitars, Kustom Amplification, Traben basses and Rockfield pickups. Davitt & Hanser, the sales and distribution division of HMG, has operated continuously since 1924.

Country Music Artist Blake Shelton

Virgin Records Recording Artists Thirty Seconds To Mars

LOS ANGELES, CA – On October 6, multi-platinum recording artists Thirty Seconds to Mars began a Twitter-powered “30 Guitars in 30 Days” giveaway, rewarding one Twitter follower each day with a brand new guitar for the astronomically low price of one Tweet.

Co-presented by Michael Kelly Guitars and Culture Jam, fans can enter to win one of 30 Nostalgia Series guitars (including fitted hard-shell cases) by sending a single tweet through Culture Jam’s custom application at thirtysecondstomars.culturejam.com.  The band will select one winner daily.

The “30 Guitars in 30 Days” giveaway is the most recent fan-focused initiative from Thirty Seconds to Mars, who will not only release This is War with two thousand different album covers, each featuring a different fan photo, but also held “The Summit” a unique event where fans from around the world joined them, online and offline, in the recording process.   

On October 13, fans will also be able to use the application to become one of the first to purchase Thirty Seconds to Mars’ newest single – “Kings + Queens” – as well as preorder This is War (December 8, EMI’s Virgin Records) via iTunes and Amazon.

ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS:

Formed by brothers Jared and Shannon Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars have over 100 million views on YouTube, 40 million plays on MySpace and more than one million fans on iLike/Facebook. The band have won numerous awards and accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV EMA’s, an MTV Latin and Asia Award, a Fuse Award, and three Kerrang! Awards.

Thirty Seconds to Mars’ sophomore record, A Beautiful Lie hit multi-platinum status after two years of heavy touring and winning fans over, one-by-one, garnering the band a growing and loyal fan base. The record spawned two Top 5 Modern Rock singles, From Yesterday and The Kill and the latter set a radio record for the longest-running hit in the history of Modern Rock radio play when it remained on the national airplay chart for more than 50 weeks following its #3 peak in 2006.

ABOUT MICHAEL KELLY GUITARS:

Michael Kelly, a division of Hanser Music Group, is quickly earning a reputation for crafting high-quality electric and acoustic guitars as well as mandolins and acoustic basses. In particular, they  are recognized for their stunning, figured wood tops, lustrous finishes and easy playability. Find out why Michael Kelly instruments are showing up on stages everywhere. Visit www.michaelkellyguitars.com. 

ABOUT CULTURE JAM:

At Culture Jam we are engineering innovative solutions for digital content marketing. We seek to synthesize curiosity, creativity, and content into web applications built on new value propositions for online audiences. The flagship application PromoJam is driving innovation in the online content market by turning social interactions into a new form of digital curency. Stay tuned for many more exciting updates and initiatives from Culture Jam: http://culturejam.com/

Michael Kelly N60SJCE

Seven new acoustic guitar models are now shipping from Michael Kelly Guitar Co. Called the Nostalgia™ series, the new models span a wide variety of design styles, from Folk to full-sized Dreadnought and Jumbo models. The attractive new instruments, which are also attractively priced, can be seen at Michael Kelly dealerships worldwide.

Starting with a classic Folk-style instrument, the Nostalgia F2 (Retail: $270) is a great choice for fingerstyle players or anyone seeking a balanced clear tone with good definition. Comfortable to hold and play, the F2 is built with Mahogany back and sides, a laminated Spruce top and a bound Rosewood fingerboard. A fitted hardshell case is included.

The Nostalgia F2C (Retail: $400) offers a graceful Folk Cutaway body that brings upper-neck playing excursions within reach, all with a rich, balanced tone. Features include a Mahogany neck, back and sides, Rosewood fingerboard, a laminated Spruce top and built-in Fishman® Ion™ preamp system. A fitted hardshell case is included.

The Model N2 (Retail: $270) is a classic, full-size Dreadnought guitar made with Mahogany back and sides and a laminated Spruce top. Features include a Dovetail neck joint for long-term stability, a bound Rosewood fingerboard and diecast tuners.  For protection, a fitted hardshell case is included.

The Nostalgia 10CE (Retail $410) provides the volume and projection that you would expect from a full-sized Dreadnought guitar, but with a cutaway that provides real-world access to its highest frets. The Model 10CE is easy to play, with tone quality that professionals will appreciate. Features include Mahogany back and sides and a top made of laminated Spruce. For gigs and recording, a built-in Michael Kelly AO3T preamp offers 3-band EQ and a tuner. Fitted hardshell case included.

Featuring an Arena-sized smaller body with a cutaway, the new Nostalgia N40CE (Retail $550) combines a solid Spruce top with a beautiful 3-piece back made of Zebra wood and Bubinga. The neck is Mahogany with a Rosewood fingerboard. Details include a Fishman® Ion™ 301 preamp, 3-Band EQ and a built-in tuner.

One of Michael Kelly’s best traditional Dreadnoughts, the Nostalgia N50S (Retail $460) offers a solid Spruce top, stunning Rosewood back and sides, bound Rosewood fingerboard, Dovetail neck joint for long-term stability and Grover “Butter Bean” tuners.

The N60SJCE (Retail $660) represents Michael Kelly’s first Jumbo guitar design. With distinctive styling touches such as Flame Maple back and sides and Rosewood binding, the N60SJCE is truly elegant. Details include a solid Spruce top, Mahogany neck, Rosewood fingerboard and an Abalone soundhole rosette. A Fishman® Classic 4T™ preamp provides both a strong signal for mixing boards and a built-in tuner.

Click here to View New Photos of Bobaflex in a new photo album.

Michael Kelly Guitars 
Tub Ring

“It is nice to see a world-class songwriter focus on kids without lowering either his sights or his standards.”
The Boston Globe

“Dragonfly Races”: Internationally known folk singer-songwriter Ellis Paul makes a welcome foray into children’s music with his first family album, “Dragonfly Races” .
Paul brings acoustic soul and a light touch to road trips, human ingenuity and heart (“Because It’s There”), unity (“The Million Chameleon March”), racing dragonflies, pinwheels and a fairy-tale exposé about the true difference between heroes and monsters (“Abiola”).
LA Times

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Dragonfly Races

Ellis Paul

Michael Kelly Guitars