The Custom Collection Element 5R bass is an upgraded version of the standard Custom Collection bass guitars, featuring a Roasted Maple neck and head, Pau Ferro fretboard, and a striking Buckeye Burl top over the lightweight Indonesian Mahogany body. The body still has all the comfort features like the arm and belly cut you have come to expect from Michael Kelly.

The impact of a bridge on the performance of a bass guitar is something that people too often underestimate. In fact, the bridge is key to many aspects of tone and we gave it the full respect that it deserves. Michael Kelly uses a solid molded bridge with tight slots for each fully-adjustable saddle, a big enhancement on its own. Under that bridge is an aluminum tone block, adding sustain and attack. Since it is aluminum, it does not add weight to the bass, but has a similar sonic impact to using a heavy bridge. Michael Kelly calls this bridge-and-internal-block combination the MK Stealth Attack Bridge System.

In addition to the upgraded neck and Stealth Attack Bridge System, this guitar includes an Element Active Circuit electronics, utilizing a push/pull volume pot to switch from active to passive modes. Michael Kelly also added a pickup blend knob in place of the 3 way toggle switch, giving you loads more control over your tones. Add to that separate bass and treble controls, and Rockfield 5SW pickups that are specially voiced for the Element basses, and you have a super comfortable, lightweight, highly playable… read more and fully controlled tone monster. read less