BARNEY KESSEL - A JAZZ LEGEND
"The Greatest American Guitarist" as rated by John Lennon, George Harrison, Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix, Barney Kessel brought much needed innovation to jazz in the mid fifties and quality to the exploding sixties pop scene.
Barney Kessel was the "go to" guitarist in his day and can be heard on such classics as the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" and monster hits such as The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" and The Monkees "I'm A Believer".
When it came to rock, pop, r&b and blues recording sessions with the most popular performers of the early '60s such as Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Connie Francis, T-Bone Walker, Ike & Tina Turner, Phil Spector, Dinah Washington and Bobby Darin, Barney Kessel turned to his Kay "Artist" guitar.
THE KAY GUITAR ERA
Barney Kessel, in 1956, was approached by Kay Musical Instruments (now known as Kay Guitar Company) to endorse a new line of professional level guitars. Who better to call upon than the greatest American guitarist to compete with other popular brands of the time.
Kay made 3 signature guitars for Barney Kessel. The Pro, Artist and Jazz Special. All 3 bore his signature engraved in the injection molded Lucite pick guard and came equipped with the now famous Gold "K" Kleenex Box pickups. The Barney Kessel line also gave birth to the unique "Full Kelvonator" headstock.
Barney Kessel
"Pro"
K1700V
Barney Kessel
"Artist"
K6700V
Barney Kessel
"Jazz Special"
K8700V
Pictured from left to right: Barney Kessel Signature Models, Kay Reissue K1700V "Pro", K6700V "Artist", K8700V "Jazz Special"
Barney Kessel & His Kay Signature Guitar
Video & Photo Gallery
Barney Kessel appears on the hit television show "Johnny Staccato: Television's Jazz Detective"
playing his signature K8700 Jazz Special guitar.Barney Kessel 1957 NAMM Show - Anaheim, CA New Kay "Jazz Special" Guitar Demo (no audio)
The Introduction Of The K8700!1959 - Barney Kessel in concert, unknown location, playing his signature K8700 Jazz Special guitar.
Photo Courtesy of The Phyllis Kessel Collection, Photo By: Walter Wachter 
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TESTIMONIALS
- "Kessel is as lyrical a guitarist as we have in jazz... a rhythmic natural who can out swing any man in the house." - Jazz Critic, Leonard Feather.
- "Kessel is a player who is never just standing still at one level." - Guitarist, Wes Montgomery.
- "One of the most extraordinarily consistent and emotionally huge musical improvisers of our era." - Writer, Nat Hentoff.
- "Barney Kessel is a unique guitarist. He swings like every member of the rhythm section wishes he could. He is a true artist." - Musician / composer / conductor, Andre Previn.
- "I'd listen to Barney Kessel records and my jaw would drop. I was awe-struck by the nature of his ad-libs. I followed Barney Kessel's musical stories like a kid following a fairy tale." - Guitarist, B.B. King.
- "Kessel is #1. His style of guitar is copied so much, but never equalled. Barney Kessel is the greatest guitarist in the universe!" - Producer, Phil Spector.
- "Barney Kessel is incredible. He's just amazing. I mean it's crazy. Nobody can play guitar like that. What else can you say?" - Guitarist, John Lennon.
- "Barney is the greatest." - Drummer, Hal Blaine.
- "When I was on the road with Bob Wills, the Texas Playboys and Tommy and Glynn Duncan, often times Barney would come to the country dance halls to visit. His very presence inspired us to play better." - Guitarist, Jimmy Wyble.
- "Barney Kessel was a very special man, a good man and a great, great legendary talent." - Bassist, Carol Kaye.
- "Kessel is transcendental in his artistry." - Composer, Henry Mancini.
- "Barney Kessel is the Sir Laurence Olivier of the guitar." - Actor, Mickey Rooney.
- "Barney Kessel is definitely the best guitar player in this world, or any other world." - Guitarist, George Harrison.
- "Barney Kessel nailed me to the cross, twelve ways to Sunday." - Pianist, Oscar Peterson.
- "Those who have heard my music can sense that I learned a lot from Barney." - Guitarist, Tal Farlow.
- "Barney Kessel has become the American jazz icon. He reached the same status as Louis Armstrong." - Guitarist, Mundell Lowe.
Barney Kessel "PRO" Premier Guitar Magazine "First Look" Demo
BARNEY KESSEL
Gold "K" Signature Series Guitars
Barney Kessel Gold “K” Signature Series Guitars are instruments with built-in sound and response. They are specifically engineered for brilliant performances!These guitars feature nickel silver frets, particularly calculated to sustain chords and notes with ease. The neck is perfect in it’s slimness, steel-reinforced for strength… and adjustable too. And, of course, it is guaranteed.
The newly-design, professionally-conceived pickups with their individual output adjusting posts provide a perfect union of power, balance, sensitivity and style. They are modern and smart in appearance… powerful… and they deliver the modern guitar “sound” to perfection. Lightning picks, rhythm beats, brilliant highs, rich low tones-or the combination you desire-are all properly handled through the selector switch on these models. Naturally, each pickup has its own tone and volume controls, that can be pre-set and individually adjusted.
The sum of all these components is this: tone as brilliant as today’s music and musicians want… response that is quick and true, to do justice to the artistry of the best!
Barney Kessel "Pro" - K1700V
Features:
* Body: 13" wide, single-cutaway, arched top hollow body
* Back: Parabolic arched flame maple
* Sides: Flame maple
* Top: 3-ply flame maple
* Purfling: 4-ply black and white celluloid binding, top and back
* Pick Guard: Silver-backed acrylic with gold leaf Barney Kessel signature
* Neck: Set cantilevered dovetail, one-piece, straight-grained Canadian maple with single-ply binding
* Frets: 22 medium nickel-silver
* Inlays: 9 block mother of pearl
* Fingerboard: 24 3/4" scale rosewood fingerboard with 12" radius
* Tuning Machines: Grover "Sta-Tite", 3 per side, chrome with chrome buttons
* Bridge and Tailpiece: Chrome individual saddle-style mounted bridge with height adjustment thumbwheels, rosewood base and unique chrome "crosshair" trapeze tailpiece
* Top Nut: Bone
* Headstock: Original 3-D raised gold "K" chevron on a "Full Kel-von-a-tor" headstock face
* Finish Coat: High-gloss polyester protective polymer. Black finish no longer available. Please consider Blonde or Tobacco Sunburst
Electronics:
* Pickups: 2 Kessel "Kleenex Box" Gold K single-coil with adjustable pole pieces
* Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle selector
* Output Jack: Side-mounted
Pro Guitar Specs
Barney Kessel "Artist" - K6700V
Features:
* Body: 15 1/2" wide, single-cutaway, arched top hollow body
* Back: Parabolic arched flame maple
* Sides: Flame maple
* Top: 3-ply spruce with f-holes
* Purfling: 4-ply black and white celluloid binding, top and back
* Pick Guard: Silver-backed acrylic "Bat Wing" with gold leaf Barney Kessel signature and gold "K" chevron emblem
* Neck: Set cantilevered dovetail, one-piece, straight-grained Canadian maple with single-ply binding
* Frets: 22 medium nickel-silver
* Inlays: 10 block mother of pearl
* Fingerboard: 24 3/4" scale rosewood fingerboard with 12" radius
* Tuning Machines: Grover "Rotomatic", 3 per side, chrome with chrome buttons
* Bridge and Tailpiece: Chrome individual saddle-style mounted bridge with height adjustment thumbwheels, rosewood base and unique chrome "crosshair" trapeze tailpiece
* Top Nut: Bone
* Headstock: Original 3-D raised gold "K" chevron on a "Full Kel-von-a-tor" headstock face
* Finish Coat: High-gloss polyester protective polymer
Electronics:
* Pickups: 2 Kessel "Kleenex Box" Gold K single-coil with adjustable pole pieces
* Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle selector
* Output Jack: Side-mounted
Artist Guitar Specs
Barney Kessel "Jazz Special" - K8700V
Features:
* Body: 17" wide, single-cutaway, arched top hollow body
* Back: Parabolic arched flame maple
* Sides: Flame maple
* Top: 3-ply spruce with f-holes
* Purfling: 4-ply black and white celluloid binding, top and back
* Pick Guard: Silver-backed acrylic "Bat Wing" with gold leaf Barney Kessel signature and gold "K" chevron emblem
* Neck: Set cantilevered dovetail, one-piece, straight-grained Canadian maple with single-ply binding
* Frets: 22 medium nickel-silver
* Inlays: 10 split-block mother of pearl
* Fingerboard: 24 3/4" scale rosewood fingerboard with 12" radius
* Tuning Machines: Grover "Super Rotomatic", 3 per side, chrome with chrome buttons
* Bridge and Tailpiece: Chrome individual saddle-style mounted bridge with height adjustment thumbwheels, rosewood base and unique chrome "art deco" trapeze tailpiece
* Top Nut: Bone
* Headstock: Original 3-D raised gold "K" chevron on a "Full Kel-von-a-tor" headstock face
* Finish Coat: High-gloss polyester protective polymer
Electronics:
* Pickups: 2 Kessel "Kleenex Box" Gold K single-coil with adjustable pole pieces
* Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way toggle selector
* Output Jack: Side-mounted
Jazz Special Guitar Specs
