A bespoke musical instrument
John is a bit of a punk at heart, so the guitar is a pretty important instrument. The Kellycaster is a new type of guitar, which John conceived and developed with technologists and luthiers.
It has an adapted body shape with a short neck. This means John can strum the strings in the traditional way, whilst selecting chords using a keyboard with his left hand. This means that the full range of chords is accessible to him. It also maintains the full expressiveness of the guitar.
And we should say, John is now an Ernie Ball Endorsed Artist.
Where did it begin?
John worked with technologists and luthiers to design and build his bespoke guitar, the Kellycaster, beginning the process at a Drake Music hackathon in 2015.
Image: Emile Holba
Since then he has continued working to develop it in collaboration with a range of technologists. He has also continued to develop it in performance.
The Kellycaster has added to John’s distinct style, both in his live performance and his songwriting.
Read more about the first hackathon here.