# Project: Budget Jackson KS2 Pro Kelly Star



## Citrus (Dec 19, 2012)

First post here, I'm the original owner since 2000, still have the manual, case, and goodies. Its a somewhat rare Japanese KS2 Pro Kelly Star in trans blue. Duncan Design pickups (replaced bridge PU with a Gibson dirty fingers several years ago, but I've got another guitar that will be going in), Jackson Floyd Rose, reverse headstock with pearloid sharkfins, brushed aluminum hardware. It's been my go-to axe for years, but its time for an overhaul. The pots are shot, the 3-way switch is shot and the Duncan Design pickups are muddy garbage. Forgot to snap a pic prior to teardown, but whatever. 

Inspiration:






The plan: Combine parts off a DK2M donor with this guitar along with new hardware/electronics and refinished body. 

Body - Natural finish clear gloss front, sides, back
Neck - Maple neck + maple fretboard with black binding (DK2M)
Hardware - Floyd Rose Bridge (re-use Jackson FR off the DK2M if compatible between the two, otherwise, brand new Schaller FR)
New CTS volume and tone pots, 3 way switch
New input jack
New wiring
New black knobs and switch
Copper shielded cavities
New Seymour Duncan PU's - TB-6 (distortion bridge) and SH-2 (jazz neck)

Progress thus far: 



























Currently still looking for a suitable DK2M donor with neck in perfect condition, but will be ordering the new hardware after Christmas. The rest of the DK2M will become another project combined with the leftover parts from the KS2.


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## Andromalia (Dec 19, 2012)

Gold hardware on that man.


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## Ironbird (Dec 19, 2012)

Andromalia said:


> Gold hardware on that man.


I never would agree with that, but on this guitar, YES PLEASE.


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## ittoa666 (Dec 19, 2012)

Big props for the body style. It's one of Jackson's coolest.


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## Force (Dec 20, 2012)

This is gonna be so cool, best of luck with the neck. The prices for not so perfect ones are idiotic to say the least.

Oh, & black hardware.


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## Swyse (Dec 20, 2012)

Looks like you got through the veneer on the top in a couple places, bummer. Going to keep the bevels black?


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## Citrus (Feb 4, 2013)

Updates... 

Donor neck is on its way:





About the sanding - the maple top on this thing is ridiculously thin and some of the spots around the pickups sanded through. However, I don't think these spots will be very noticeable in the long run because 1) the fretboard extends basically all the way to the neck pickup and 2) the strings/shadows/pickups will darken the area anyways.

I've changed my mind on the natural finish as well, the Alder body pieces are not uniformly colored for such a finish. However, I still want to keep it light colored and interesting, so I am going to go for a subtle whiteburst, something like this:





If the whiteburst doesn't turn out so well, I'll go full white. I'm still a bit undecided on black pinstripes or bevels, I may get some black vinyl to experiment after everything is assembled.

Also, doing a few photo-chops, I am really liking the idea of gold hardware on white, so we'll see about that.


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## groverj3 (Feb 4, 2013)

I like


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## sell2792 (Feb 4, 2013)

Did you order that from the Guitar Center in Toledo?!


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## Citrus (Feb 4, 2013)

sell2792 said:


> Did you order that from the Guitar Center in Toledo?!



The DK2M? Sounds about right, somewhere in Ohio if I remember. Sales guy said the body was pretty beat up but the neck was in decent shape and didn't have much fret wear at all. Worst case I can ebay the neck and pickups for more than I paid for the entire guitar and keep looking for another donor neck.


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## sell2792 (Feb 4, 2013)

Citrus said:


> The DK2M? Sounds about right, somewhere in Ohio if I remember. Sales guy said the body was pretty beat up but the neck was in decent shape and didn't have much fret wear at all. Worst case I can ebay the neck and pickups for more than I paid for the entire guitar and keep looking for another donor neck.



I can pretty much guarantee it was. I saw the same picture online, went there, and played it a few days ago. LOL Body is pretty rough, but nothing a paintjob couldn't fix, however, there are two small cracks on both sides of the neck pocket. Electronics work fine, but one pot/knob is a little iffy if I remember correctly. Trem was in decent condition. Also, some of the black binding is missing off the headstock (you can see if you look closely at the picture), and their is a very small crack on the back of the neck near the scarf joint.


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## Citrus (Feb 7, 2013)

Yep, pretty sure that's the same one. Being that I am ridiculously indecisive, I'm also contemplating keeping the original neck + body, but still going with new hardware, etc. Pretty sure I can either part out the DK2M or combine it with another parts guitar and sell it for profits to fund the new hardware. Couple more photochops:


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## smfcbow (Feb 7, 2013)

CHROME, the chrome hardware just looks great. I have a thing for white jacksons with chrome hardware


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## Corpsegrinder88 (Feb 7, 2013)

i like that rhoads quite a bit. but i dunno the all natural look on that kelly star would look good too!


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## Citrus (Dec 20, 2013)

Almost a year later, finally making progress on this.

Body is out for paint. Pickups on the way. Different neck acquired that will be going on this. Not really a "budget" build any more...


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## s4tch (Dec 20, 2013)

Awesome. Show us some pics when it's done!


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## Citrus (Dec 30, 2013)

Parts have started arriving...


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## Force (Jan 1, 2014)

Oooooh shit, this is exciting


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## TauSigmaNova (Jan 1, 2014)

AWESOME. Subbed, keep us updated!!


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## Citrus (Feb 25, 2014)

Progress!


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## Citrus (Feb 25, 2014)

Assembly to begin soon, just waiting on a few more parts from KGC.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Feb 26, 2014)

Missed this at the beginning of the project, glad I found it now! This is gonna kick some serious ass


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## Dawn of the Shred (Feb 26, 2014)

Looking good man!


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## Kaickul (Feb 27, 2014)

Looking good man! I dig that shape!


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## Critical Problem (Feb 27, 2014)

Wow. can't wait to see the final result! i think that you made good choice with the gold hardware.With the white finish it'll be sexy as hell =]
And I still claim that the jackson headstock designer is a genuis! 

How did you make those designs?Is there some software or in Jackson's site?


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## groverj3 (Feb 27, 2014)

Sad that you won't have that DK2M neck to put on it.

They pop up on ebay fairly often by themselves, so there's a pretty good chance you may be able to find one eventually. This thing is just begging for a maple fretboard, IMHO.

Then again, I'm sure it's going to play and look great regardless! Awaiting some final pics!


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## Devotee (Feb 27, 2014)

Subbed. I'm so jealous, i've been wanting a Kelly Star for AEONS!


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## Citrus (Feb 28, 2014)

I took screenshots of the Rhoads and Kelly guitars off Jackson's old website with different color/hardware combos and used paint.net to cut and paste the bodies and hardware together. It's a bit weird to mix them in paint.net because the actual Kelly Star body is stretched an inch or two longer than the two bodies just pancaked on top of each other.


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## alessandroarzilli (May 4, 2021)

Citrus said:


> Progress!



Hello, awesome guitar, really, I've been hunting for a Kelly star since forever, lo, but they're almost impossible to get here in central/southern Europe.
One thing I would really like to understand is how the output jack wiring was made on these type of guitars (and on RR models that have the output jack plate on the longer horn, also as well). I'm sure you need a very long drill bit, but where does the hole point to? Is it towards the pots cavity, or towards the bridge pickup cavity and routed together to it? Or maybe under the floyd rose cavity? can't understand....
P.S. sorry for resuscitating such old post, I didn't see it was from the pre-covid19 era.


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## Shoeless_jose (May 4, 2021)

As far as Necros go this was fun all the images still hosted haha. Sucks never got to see it complete.


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## 73647k (May 4, 2021)

Dineley said:


> Sucks never got to see it complete.



You want another one? I came across this thread just last night

https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/esp-ltd-sc-607b-refinishing-project.189160/


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## alessandroarzilli (May 7, 2021)

Anybody has a clue about the output jack route?


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