Owen Kelly's Avatar

Owen Kelly

@kellyguitarco

Luthier and owner of the Kelly Guitar Company in Boulder Creek, California. www.kellyguitar.com for more information.

118
Followers
63
Following
82
Posts
22.01.2025
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Owen Kelly @kellyguitarco

What wood are you using for the body?

23.02.2026 00:53 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

My schedule's opening up a bit in a few weeks. If anyone has some music they're making to benefit Minneapolis and/or people negatively impacted by the fascist nightmare we're facing, I'd be happy to do some pro-bono mixing and/or mastering. Hit me up with your project and let's talk details.

10.02.2026 01:06 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 35 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
Post image

True temperament fret work takes some TIME. #guitar #repair #shellac #Frenchpolish #guitarrepair #guitarshop #luthier #wood #woodshop #classicalguitar #kellyguitarco #Truetemperement #California

30.01.2026 07:34 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image

A custom pick guard for this guitar made to meet the requirements of the customer. #guitar #repair #shellac #Frenchpolish #guitarrepair #guitarshop #luthier #wood #woodshop #classicalguitar #kellyguitarco #California #pickguard

30.01.2026 07:25 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image

Another broken V-joint repair. #guitar #repair #shellac #Frenchpolish #guitarrepair #guitarshop #luthier #wood #woodshop #classicalguitar #kellyguitarco #California

30.01.2026 07:21 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Super fucking stoked for this since Grant is hands down the best audio engineer I know. Also, chuckling at the wholesome use of this white Ibanez after its blasphemous debut here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufRj...

23.01.2026 18:57 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
It has a short 630mm scale, spruce top, and Birdseye maple body. The ebony bridge was cracked and someone had botched a saddle slot routing job. It also had odd action and low nut slots. Everything is in order not.

It has a short 630mm scale, spruce top, and Birdseye maple body. The ebony bridge was cracked and someone had botched a saddle slot routing job. It also had odd action and low nut slots. Everything is in order not.

Post image

This Jerome Thibouville-Lamy guitar from Paris around the year 1900 needed some bridge repair and action help but plays very well now. #classicalguitar #romanticguitar #guitar #kellyguitarco #luthier #history #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Frets #Action #service

23.01.2026 04:30 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

1979 Conde Hermanos guitar. I made a new nut and a new saddle to adjust the action. I then gave it a fret job and some new D’Addario flamenco strings. Wonderful guitar.
#classicalguitar #guitar #kellyguitarco #luthier #Conde #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Frets #Action #service

02.01.2026 01:14 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

Building Shellac on a Kelly Zayante model I am building. Redwood on black acacia with a Spanish cedar neck and ebony fretboard. Available soon www.kellyguitar.com #luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking #redwood #tonewood #oldgrowth

31.12.2025 21:01 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

Rough sanded Kelly Zayante model I am building. Redwood on black acacia with a Spanish cedar neck and ebony fretboard. Available soon www.kellyguitar.com #luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking #redwood #tonewood #oldgrowth

18.12.2025 21:50 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Nice straight grain on that back

13.12.2025 20:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Don’t we already have a solution for stand up playing? Use a strap and you get to move around the stage too. What an odd product. Maybe it’s exactly what someone is looking for though.

13.12.2025 20:03 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Looks nice. Do you have your own shop?

13.12.2025 19:59 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

#classicalguitar #guitar #performance #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #AFTrio #Almagro #Guitarsolo #Guitarplaying

02.12.2025 23:04 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Scherzino Mexicano - Free Sheet Music and TAB included
Scherzino Mexicano - Free Sheet Music and TAB included YouTube video by AF Trio Music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyBG...

AF Trio enjoying his new Kelly Guitar. Check him out on Youtube for great music, sheet music, and TABS.

02.12.2025 22:51 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

On my bench today a re-fret and action adjustment

#classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Frets #Action #repair

05.11.2025 19:35 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image

On my bench, a Custom Hill guitar 40th Anniversary getting its last French polish session. I will install the bridge and complete the setup before delivery back to Hill. #classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Shellac

05.11.2025 19:27 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image

On my bench today, a custom Kelly Parlor guitar curing after its last lacquer application.

#classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #lacquer

05.11.2025 19:23 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

On my bench today Hill Master series Fleta from 2004. It got a completely re-carved heel, neck, and headstock, a fret job, and French polish repair on the top and body. #classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Shellac

05.11.2025 19:21 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
This is a 3/4 size fan braced classical guitar with a spruce top, black acacia back and sides, ebony fretboard, Spanish cedar neck, ebony armrest, redwood rosette, truss rod, 12 hole rosewood bridge, compensated bone nut and saddle, tapered neck, slightly radiuses finger board, and lacquer finish.  I call it a parlor guitar.

This is a 3/4 size fan braced classical guitar with a spruce top, black acacia back and sides, ebony fretboard, Spanish cedar neck, ebony armrest, redwood rosette, truss rod, 12 hole rosewood bridge, compensated bone nut and saddle, tapered neck, slightly radiuses finger board, and lacquer finish. I call it a parlor guitar.

Kelly Parlor custom order with its first coat of shellac. #classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Shellac

22.10.2025 06:54 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

Custom Kelly Almagro ready to ship featuring
French polish, cedar top, Indian rosewood b/s, Sloane deco tuners, compensated nut and saddle, ebony fretboard, 640mm scale, tapered Spanish cedar neck, double action truss rod, burl rosette.
#Kellyguitarco #Guitar #classicalguitar #shop #custom #CA

02.10.2025 04:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

It certainly was!

24.09.2025 04:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

Gibson L1 archtop from 1920 needed work on the tailpiece and saddle. I built a new one out of rosewood and nickel. It blends in well and sounds good. 105 years old and going strong!
#luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking #Gibson

23.09.2025 23:33 πŸ‘ 36 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

Found this old clip of a friend tooling around on one of my guitars and had to share.
#classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #AlexisAlvarez #Almagro

05.09.2025 18:09 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

I just finished French polishing this beautiful flame maple guitar.
#classicalguitar #guitar #frenchpolish #kellyguitarco #luthier #wood #guitarmaker #guitarrepair #California #SantaCruz #Shellac

03.09.2025 17:39 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
This is a closeup shot of a coastal redwood soundboard. I harvested this from an old growth stump that was originally cut over a hundred years ago. It was protected by fire which sealed the wood inside a charcoal skin.

This is a closeup shot of a coastal redwood soundboard. I harvested this from an old growth stump that was originally cut over a hundred years ago. It was protected by fire which sealed the wood inside a charcoal skin.

Very old redwood from the Santa Cruz mountains.
#luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking #redwood #tonewood #oldgrowth

14.08.2025 00:08 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

The line up

#luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking

08.08.2025 06:31 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
I am unsure if these are the original 98 year old tuners but they certainly could be. You can see the difference between the two gears in the foreground. One is cleaned up and the other is in it original state.

I am unsure if these are the original 98 year old tuners but they certainly could be. You can see the difference between the two gears in the foreground. One is cleaned up and the other is in it original state.

The tuners from a 1936 Santos Hernandez. Tuners were rough and uneven. This was caused by extremely worn gears so I cleaned them up and removed the burs. Working well now with smooth action.

#luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking

04.08.2025 21:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Another ebony armrest cutaway.

#luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking

31.07.2025 02:24 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
These Parlor guitars are small 3/4 size with short 630mm scales. They are all solid wood with very simple design but with some unexpected features for their low price.

These Parlor guitars are small 3/4 size with short 630mm scales. They are all solid wood with very simple design but with some unexpected features for their low price.

Siblings.
Two Kelly Parlor guitars at different moments in the process.

#luthier #guitarbuilder #Guitarshop #classicalguitar #music #wood #California #kellyGuitarCo #woodworking

29.07.2025 06:12 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0