Mod Shop 55 Duncan

1955 remains one of the top-selling guitars in the Michael Kelly product line. Players love the sonic versatility that it delivers and the modern features that make it fun to play. This Mod Shop version is a collaboration with Seymour Duncan, we worked to find the right pickups to best leverage all the sonic potential of the ’55. Our Mod Shop crew carefully installs a Seymour Duncan Stag Mag in the bridge and a potent Seymourized Mini-Humbucker in the neck. Both can be coil-tapped using the two push-pull pots to access a more vintage-inspired single-coil tone. Here is a closer look at those great pickups: 

Stag Mag Bridge pickup 

The Stag Mag is a high output bridge pickup designed specifically to give players a true classic “double-cut” single-coil tone when switched into a split mode which is part of our Great 8 wiring mod (details below). The Stag Mag has alnico 2-rod magnets with a traditional single-coil pole stagger, and a specially designed high output coil wind so the sound is bouncy and bright when coil-split. When both coils are active in full humbucker mode, the tone is fat and smooth. Hand built in Santa Barbara, CA, the Stag Mag has a nickel silver bottom plate and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance. 

Seymourized Mini Humbucker Neck pickup 

The Seymourized Mini Humbucker has been described as Seymour’s favorite pickup. The neck model in the Mod Shop 55 is designed so that each coil contains a high-carbon steel blade coupled to the bottom-loaded Alnico 5 bar magnet. The tone has more midrange and clarity, and provides nice, even sounding chords with just a hint of snarl. Clean tones have a clear, snappiness, and distorted tones have a nice midrange growl. Hand made in Santa Barbara, CA and is vacuum wax potted for squeal free operation. 

Boutique Electronics Mod: Great 8 

The Great 8 wiring mod allows either (or both) humbucking pickups to be coil-split via 2 push/pull switches included on the master volume and tone control knobs. This combined with the 3-way pickup selector switch provides the player with 8 distinctive tonal options for covering a variety of musical styles. 

Great 8

The Great 8 electronics mod is one of our most demanded mods. With this mod, we double the sonic spectrum of our two-humbucker instruments. You still have the full-powered tone of each humbucker and the traditional settings to give you neck, bridge, or both. With Great 8 we add two push-pull switches to the volume and tone knobs, that when pulled up one coil of the humbucker is disengaged giving you a cleaner single-coil tone. You can control each pickup separately, maximizing your options. 

Seymour Duncan Pickups

Probably the best-known pickup company in the world, Seymour Duncan is a leader. They earn that position daily with great pickups. We have enjoyed teaming with them to find just the right Duncans for our model. 

Specifications: 

BODY

• Top: Quilt Maple, Flame Maple on Blue Jean Wash.
• Body: Swamp Ash.
• Binding: Genuine Flame Maple.
• Construction: Bolt-On. 

NECK 

• Neck: Roasted Maple.
• Fretboard: Blue Jean Wash = Roasted Maple | Caramel Burst = Pau Ferro.
• Fretboard Radius: Compound 10.5" to 16".
• Number of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo.
• Inlays: Dots.
• Headstock: 1950.
• Scale Length 25.5 in / 647.7 mm.
• Truss Rod Type Dual Action.
• Neck Profile Modern C.
• Nut Material: Synthetic Bone.
• Nut Type: Standard.
• Nut Width: 43mm.
• Strings: D'Addario EXL120 (.009 - .042). 

ELECTRONICS 

• Boutique Mod: Great 8 Mod - Master Volume (push/pull coil tap) - Mastertone (push/pull coil tap) - 3-way blade switch.
• Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan® Seymourized Mini-Humbucker.
• Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan® Stag Mag. 

HARDWARE

• Hardware Finish: Chrome.
• Tuning Keys: Die Cast.
• Bridge Type: Traditional. 

NOTES

• New for 2019: Roasted Maple Neck and Fretboard!