# Michael Kelly Vex NV Deluxe Review



## MikeH (Apr 16, 2010)

So yesterday I went to Sam Ash to pick up some strings for the Charvel and 7420. Did the usual dicking around, fucking with amps, playing guitars, etc. I came across this guitar and it really grabbed me. I sat and played it for awhile and I dug it extremely hard. So i figured you guys would like a review! 







Specs:
CONSTRUCTION: Set-through
BODY: Mahogany
NECK: Mahogany
TOP: Figured Maple (on blood red and black vapor)
FRETBOARD: Ebony 
FRETS: 24 medium jumbo
SCALE: 25-1/2 
BRIDGE: Tune-o-matic
TUNERS: Grover®
PICKUPS: Rockfield® Mafia
ELECTRONICS: 1 volume, 1 tone, 1 three-way toggle

When I first picked this guitar up, I noticed it was relatively heavy. But this is expected of a full mahogany bodied guitar. The finish is absolutely awesome. And the binding sets this guitar off hard. I plugged it in to a Peavey Vypr 30w and started to play. The first thing one would immediately notice is the neck profile. It's a bit Schecter-esque, so a little on the thick side. The fret access was phenomenal, as you can tell from the pictures. The cutaway is nice and deep so you get up to the 24th very easily. Now to the sound. The Rockfield Mafia pickups are very chunky. They have a nice high gain feel with very nice cleans. The bridge position gives a really nice chunk and attack for rhythms and the neck is great for solos. A nice warm feel to it with just enough balance. I played some VoM and BOO and got a great sound for, dare I say, "djent". The fret ends were a bit sharp and needed filing. But nothing a set up won't fix. I really dug the little tilt on the headstock. It fits will with the aesthetic side of the guitar, which is a major factor for me. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this thing sustains for DAYS! You can easily ring out a note for 10 seconds or more. I was very pleased with the knobs. Had the basic construction of the common metal dome knobs, but with a flat top. And the location was greatly placed as well. Far enough away to not hit them when doing intense picking, but also just close enough to not have to make a drastic move to switch pickup position or volume swell. So my general consensus for this guitar is: WIN. Sam Ash only wanted $480 for it. If I would've had the money, I'd have walked out of the store with that thing. I highly suggest atleast trying one out if given the chance. Definitely a great one from MK!


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## Esp Griffyn (Apr 16, 2010)

It's a pretty guitar and the price is pretty low, but I can't stand Rockfield pickups. Bad memories of cheap, crappy sounding Bc Richs I suppose. The binding is a bit bling too, but I love the headstock shape.


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## Daggorath (Apr 16, 2010)

Looks like a Schecter with cheap pups and a dodgy headstock. Price sounds good however.


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## pink freud (Apr 16, 2010)

Daggorath said:


> Looks like a Schecter with cheap pups and a dodgy headstock. Price sounds good however.



I bet it _is_ a Schecter. Or made right next to them.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 16, 2010)

pink freud said:


> I bet it _is_ a Schecter. Or made right next to them.



Pretty much. 

Though, I think these are MIK, and Schecter has now moved to Indo. 

Also, they aren't tied into Schecter, that would be ESP, they are owned by HHI which in turn owns B.C. Rich, Kustom, Traben, and Rockfield.


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## PirateMetalTroy (Apr 16, 2010)

the upper fret access looks good. everything else is kinda meh.


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 16, 2010)

My friends I give you the new stereotypical Metal guitar look:






















Trans-red/Black Cherry has taken over and dethroned Black.


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## lefty robb (Apr 16, 2010)

Daggorath said:


> Looks like a Schecter with cheap pups and a dodgy headstock. Price sounds good however.


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## Ultraworld (Apr 24, 2010)

I have worked on a lot of Micheal Kelly's for a while now. I found it curious that there is no Michael Kelly. A lot of really cheap components inside & really cheap hardware. I don't know what they cost, but a Shecter C-1 Hellraiser is a much better guitar. Brand name EMG pickups & hardware. EMG owns Schecter, so the build quality is on par with the 1000 series LTD's. I found myself fixing Schecters way less ofter. I also owned one


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## MaxOfMetal (Apr 24, 2010)

Ultraworld said:


> I have worked on a lot of Micheal Kelly's for a while now. I found it curious that there is no Michael Kelly. A lot of really cheap components inside & really cheap hardware. I don't know what they cost, but a Shecter C-1 Hellraiser is a much better guitar. Brand name EMG pickups & hardware. EMG owns Schecter, so the build quality is on par with the 1000 series LTD's. I found myself fixing Schecters way less ofter. I also owned one



Micheal Kelly is actually owned by Hanser Music Group, the same folks who own B.C.Rich, Traben, Rockfield, and Kustom.


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## Andromalia (Apr 25, 2010)

MaxOfMetal said:


> Trans-red/Black Cherry has taken over and dethroned Black.



That's actually not a bad thing. All-black guitars aren't that omnipresent though. When I started playing I got a black Ibanez RG 250 because of all the rock stars I had as posters in my room, it was the only one that looked like one of them used that I could afford. (Was a poster of KH using one)
An explorer was out of my budget, and it was the big black album metallica boom. Litterally *everyone* in hugh school doing metal had a black guitar. That's much less the case now.
Seems even at the budget level they often make the effort to at least add a wood print on the top.


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