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Kay K-62 Type 1 This guitar began life as a K-60 but had been refinished |
Februrary 2024 update, I have revamped this article after threats of legal action by author Michael Wright for using a picture of three line...
Kay K-60 and K-62 Television Jumbo Archtops
1966-1968 Kay with Kluson "double line" tuners About I recently completed a restoration of a Kay jumbo guitar that had bee...
The Bankruptcy Kay Longhorn Jumbo Guitar
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1966-1968 Kay with Kluson "double line" tuners |
About
My work included:
- Filling the divots behind the first fret and in front of the nut
- Redoing the filler around the inlays with rosewood and superglue
- Patching a screw hole in the heel
- Full refret
- Neck reset
- Stabilizing de-laminations on the sides
- Fabricating a celluloid tortoise pickguard to replace the missing one
- Removing the rough, factory x-bracing and rebracing the top with properly oriented spruce
Kay Factory X-Brace
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Original Kay X Bracing |
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In-progress picture of my bracing (not all braces are pictured) |
What is this instrument?
K-6104 "Professional" Country-Style
Note the catalog says "Grover machine heads" yet all of these guitars came with Kluson tuners.
K-8130 Solo Special II
The Instrument
The heel had begun to separate from the body and a bolt had been driven through the heel to keep it in place but the neck had never been removed. I was the first person to steam the neck out which was evident by the original hide glue remaining in the pocket which matched up with all the Kay glue jobs I've seen. The weathering and playwear was consistent on both pieces which meant they had been together for many years.
My Conclusion
I believe that this instrument was built by Kay when they were scrambling to sell their remaining inventory and liquidate their assets. This guitar was thrown together from parts belonging to two different models and then promptly left the factory in a last ditch effort to get their money's worth. It had been assembled in a manner consistent with every other Kay guitar I've worked on and so I had no reason to doubt its authenticity.
Did this instrument get taken home by a worker? Was it shipped out as a factory-second or did Kay send it to an unsuspecting owner who ordered one of the two aforementioned models? Did the owner even notice or care? We'll never know.
Where is it now?
Here is an iPhone 7 video of the instrument that I recorded, unfortunately I didn't think to mic it up and do a proper demo
https://reverb.com/item/31375740-1966-68-kay-country-longhorn-x-braced-jumbo&show-sold=true
This is a Harmony H-1422 which was branded as an S.S. Stewart model 7004 for distribution by Buegeleisen & Jacobson. As of the authoring...
Harmony H-1422
This particular instrument has a floral decal applied to the upper bass bout which I inspected closely and determined to be quite old. Whoever placed it there did so a very long time ago and must've lacquered over it because it exhibits checking. Was it a special order from the factory? Can't really know but its definitely not a recent addition. Unfortunately the instrument was oversprayed and polished so its glossy but there are some visible drips on the sides and the original nitro lacquer is hiding beneath. It was done adequately so I have no intention of trying to remove it.
Age
The tuning machines are Waverly and I have the exact set on a 1936 Harmony I own (confirmed via date stamp).
The fretboard has two slots cut in it which are visible from the dovetail and the nut which I believe are to accommodate two steel reinforcing rods running parallel down the neck. The neck is also extremely responsive to magnets, more so than my other guitars that I know have a single bar. My theory is also supported by a 193(6 or 8) Harmony Supertone, which I owned, that had two parallel steel reinforcing rods.
Construction
The back and sides are solid Mahogany and the top is also solid Mahogany. A typical, winning combination for a pre-war archtop from Harmony.
The top has the typical parallel tone bar bracing that you'd expect to find on an archtop from this era but the back has ladder bracing like a flat top. I've seen that back bracing on a 1930s Kay-built Old Kraftsman and believe it indicates a solid wood back.
Markings
Step 1. Don't 1960s P-bass I photographed at the Springfield, MO guitar show Owner unknown (contact me for credit) Why not? W...
How to Refinish a Vintage or Antique Guitar
Step 1. Don't
1960s P-bass I photographed at the Springfield, MO guitar show Owner unknown (contact me for credit) |
Why not?
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Willie Nelson's guitar 'Trigger' Image Credit: MentalFloss.com |
Value
The neck from the above Fender acoustic *Note the carvings in the neck* |
Amateur Refinishes
What do I do now?
Take it to a decent luthier (not a guitar tech that you would find at Guitar Center) and have them look it over to find an approximate value of the instrument. I've seen thousand dollar instruments that were stripped and became hundred dollar instruments. Especially during the "natural wood" fad of the 70s, that was a rough time for guitar finishes.- Use guitar-oriented polishes to gently scrub dirt and grime off the guitar without losing original finish
- Do NOT use any automotive waxes or polishes
- Do NOT buff the instrument with a machine unless you are very sure of what you are doing
- Has the instrument been refinished before?
- Yes, poorly with drips and runny paint
- Then it is likely well within reason to strip the paint and make the instrument look better
- Yes, quite well but its not my style
- Perhaps consider selling the instrument and buying another that suits your fancy. No need to ruin good work
- Nope but it is ugly/flaky/cracked
- Leave it alone, your instrument and wallet will thank you when you go to sell it. Plus you are keeping the decades of history and character
This was all done in October of 2018 and I've only just now gotten to writing about it. It was 2:30pm when I stumbled across a neat Kay ...
A Kay K6100 Story
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Image Credit: Reverb - Lost Art Vintage Instruments |
The production number is L2834 6100
The Research
I contacted the Reverb seller about the label and they responded "Can’t read it" so I set out to use image editing software to try and decipher it....I returned with:
Stuart M. KlavensBy using the magic (and relative creepiness) of public information, I managed to locate a relative of the owner and some possible contact information. After a couple flops and a talk with a Hispanic lady, I had reached a man who claimed to be the brother of Mr Klavens. I explained what I had found and what I was trying to learn and he said he would pass my information along.
3704 Rosedale Rd.
Baltimore MD
2-22-68
A couple days passed and then as I was driving to work on the 10th of October, 2018 I received a phone call from a gentlemen who claimed to be the owner of the instrument. He had been going by a new name, that I have since forgotten, but explained to me some of the instrument's story. Our conversation was brief and my notes incomplete but this is what I know.
The Owner
He was born in 1938 as Stuart Klavens and picked up this guitar in the mid 1950s.As a banjo player, he was accustomed to the layout and tuning of a banjo so he drove a screw into the bass side somewhere between the 6th or 9th frets and strung it with banjo strings.
Image Credit: 1959 article reprinted in The Bluegrass Reader |
He started playing in night clubs in 1962, changed his name to Stuart Clay in 1964, sold the guitar at some point, and changed his name again in 1984. He did play out and did play a plectrum-style banjo cover of "Wildwood Flower" as this 1959 article reprint illustrates.
He no longer plays but seemed thrilled that I had contacted him about his old instrument and mentioned that he was going to go and tell "all of my friends" and that was good enough for me.
The Conclusion
He had played and owned a lot of guitars and this one had gone and lived it's own life and he was curious to see if I was in possession of it. Unfortunately it was bought up before I could purchase and restore it so it is now off somewhere in the US living a new life and hopefully being rebuilt and played again.The strangest instrument I've come across But built pretty well for being a DIY job. This is a 1920s Bruno & Sons No. 200 ...
Vintage Archtop to Banjo Conversion
The strangest instrument I've come across
Note the pseudo-heel that was made from the neck. It screws to the neck and screws to the neck block. |
Black clay inserts are pressed into the ebonized maple fretboard |
They disguise screws |
Two screws go into the neck block while a makeshift dovetail helps lock it in place. |
Pearl fleur-de-lis hidden under the black paint |
Original Kay tuners chopped and carved to fit on the neck |
https://reverb.com/item/25829831-vintage-kay-archtop-bruno-banjo-conversion
The bridge had already been detached by this point and was just set back onto the guitar for the photo I've have the honor of wor...
Kay K6150 Acoustic Guitar
The bridge had already been detached by this point and was just set back onto the guitar for the photo |
Previous Repairs
Mystery species of Rosewood bridge (7"x1.25") with stock decorative brass bolts |
Issues
I've been asked to fill the neck bolt hole with a strap button which I believe is totally feasible and the strap button is an easier approach to hiding the hole.
Solid spruce top bound with checkerboard binding |
Repairs
The strap button hole will be filled with a dowel and a button will be attached
60s Kay Headstock - Image Credit - Reverb - Chris Robinson's Gear Galore Info from the US Patent and Trademark Office Introd...
1930s Custom Kraft Guitar Models
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60s Kay Headstock - Image Credit - Reverb - Chris Robinson's Gear Galore |
Info from the US Patent and Trademark Office |
Introduction
Update: March 2019
I obtained access to a 1939 St Louis Music Catalog through the St Louis Public Library and took photographs, I cited their website below as [3].
Update: December 2020
Contact me if you are interested in selling your Custom Kraft
Model 12
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Image Credit - AcousticGuitarForum - Slyfox00 |
Seen on a 1935 National Music Catalog pg.4 (Paywall)
14 fret to the body archtop acoustic guitar. Stenciled fretboard markers using a common Harmony design. 3 on a plate tuners (very common for the era) with black knobs. Segmented F-holes. Stamped tailpiece.
Model 18
Image Credit - Mine |
Deluxe 22
This specific example has a mangled headstock but just barely readable underneath the black paint are the words "-stom Kraft" and "Deluxe 22". I could not find a date stamp within this guitar but the design heavily suggests late 30s and early 40s.
Model 23
Image Credit - Heritage Auctions |
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[3] |
Like a Harmony Monterey H1327 as seen on the DeMont Harmony Database
Same headstock design as the Model 18 with tuners that have the same plate style. Herringbone style binding. Treble clef design inlaid into the pickguard. Pearloid headstock veneer.
Model 1134
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[3] |
Model 1136
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[3] |

Model 2248
Southern Illinoisan - December 1972 |
Model 3314
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Image Credit - Ebay - Elrey James |
Model 3317
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1937 Image Credit: Mark S |
Model 3320
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Image Credit: Instagram @wesleygarrard |
Model 4413
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[3] |
Model 4420
[5] |
Model 6615
Model 6616
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[3] |
Model 6617
"While the "binding" is painted on, this guitar has nice solid mahogany back and sides, a maple neck, ebony fretboard, and spruce top."
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Image Credit: Jake Wildwood |
Citations
[3] https://slpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1406110116
[4] https://web.archive.org/web/20190719163128/https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/msg/d/maywood-vintage-harmony-custom-craft/6934395369.html
[5] https://www.newspapers.com/image/138237350/?terms=%22custom%2Bkraft%22
[6] https://www.reranch.com/reranch/viewtopic.php?t=58929&sid=d2059b90bf34596d61cd248c1c9c6e43
[7] https://www.newspapers.com/image/86741664/?terms=%22custom%2Bkraft%22
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I'm a college student who is fascinated with guitars and collecting and repairing them