Been sniffing around Sam ash even though I don't need anything. I've looked at these tone port kelly acoustics for a couple years. I really liked the looks of the ebony model but for the price I just wasn't sold. Nice playability and tone but not stellar. Well the store is closing and these guitars just aren't around much. I decide I'm going in there lean much more on finding a new impressive tone. Imr comparing the ebony Kelly to 200 series Taylor's and some solid wood martin Jr that has impressed me before. The Kelly is nice but not really keeping up in tone or playability. Another that really rang for me was a new Gibson g45? W a side toneport. Like a Taylor on steroids and solid wood iirc. At $1k it was impressive compared to Taylor's. The Martin gpc just wasn't hitting the tone I wanted. After having dreads my whole life Martin's are just seeming old tone to me.
So im thinking do I really want to go $1k plus?
Do I stick to $300 for a distinctive looking also ran?
Do I just not bother?
I see another higher end Kelly. Solid spruce top w offset hole. Not as distictive looking but cool and gorgeous back and sides w flame maple binding. It's a higher end so I try it and it rings very much Iike a taylor. It lays great and anything played random still sounded like music.
I recompare to the Taylor's and I still love the tone.
I still like the Gibson tone better, maybe but it isn't a cutaway and no electronics. Plus my brother has one and I don't want to be a copycat
Anyway I'm surprised to see this upscale kelly is at the same closeout price to the darker model and everytime I pick it up I don't really want to keep looking so I bought it.
So far I keep liking it. Almost surprising me with how good it sounds.
