tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post267514847548702191..comments2023-09-12T08:09:46.104-05:00Comments on S. Nathaniel Adams: Identifying and Dating Kay Guitars The Amateur Luthierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09578566787534754669noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-19228045356194933552022-04-02T07:24:50.316-05:002022-04-02T07:24:50.316-05:00I have a parlour size KAY. Fret markings on 3, 5, ...I have a parlour size KAY. Fret markings on 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 and 15. White plastic pick guard. Number L9860 AND N-3 stamped inside the body. A solid white emblem on the headstock with KAY in capital letters and the K tripod under it. It does not have an adjustable trussrod. It appears to be BIRCH top and sides with a plywood back. The bracing is just three straight pieces spaced 6 inches apart. The back and sides are painted black with a sunburst top and adjustable bridge. There appear to be Klusen strip open back tuners.kwcampbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08159721191624092993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-34235462602074627172022-01-30T00:36:08.259-06:002022-01-30T00:36:08.259-06:00HI, I have my dad's Silvertone/Kay all mahogan...HI, I have my dad's Silvertone/Kay all mahogany archtop that I am pretty sure is late 40's/early 50's with the Silvertone logo. Inside it has P4 as you described. I have a pic of him with a resonator guitar dated 1938 and his Sears Home Study guitar books also dated 1938. Near as I can tell is must be one of the K-models sold under the Silvertone name, but no steel reinforced neck indication, the neck is like a 2x4, but the action is really low, and no bowing. I am figuring that he got it when he came back from WWII around the time he and mom starting having us kids 47-49, and I have another jazz guitar book dated 1955, so I am thinking that might be when he bought this all mahogany one, perhaps a leftover model. He worked close to a Sears. Thanks for the info, it helped me narrow down an approximate time of purchase.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11926349169651857000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-85179758915206423712022-01-27T13:50:20.620-06:002022-01-27T13:50:20.620-06:00Is there any Guitar Company that is making a versi...Is there any Guitar Company that is making a version of the 60's Kay Vanguard II Guitars. <br />I would be grateful in any assistance you can give.<br /><br />Thank you kindly,<br /><br />Hector R Uriarte Jr.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18276612433003233670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-7094682314093036812022-01-23T10:52:42.755-06:002022-01-23T10:52:42.755-06:00https://www.facebook.com/silvertoneworld/photos/ju...https://www.facebook.com/silvertoneworld/photos/jumping-on-the-folk-revival-bandwagon-a-bit-late-this-silvertone-661-4-string-te/1889208987838223/Nick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01881926990747095170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-66812539889051288492022-01-23T09:03:16.880-06:002022-01-23T09:03:16.880-06:00I have a tenor with Silvertone on the headstock. I...I have a tenor with Silvertone on the headstock. Inside is the only markings, that read L 871. Is this from the mid 60's ?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10010266217713717248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-5809453137730597912022-01-22T19:27:45.014-06:002022-01-22T19:27:45.014-06:00I have a Kay520, hummingbird I purchased as I was ...I have a Kay520, hummingbird I purchased as I was leaving Parris Island, South Carolina in 1973. One of the inlays has disappeared, but otherwise it is in fairly good shape. I haven't played it in forty years so I'm giving it to a young man who teaches piano and has three kids so they may choose to learn to play. I learned a lot from your website, thank youTHClarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17725769352067024554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-20787055510838248192022-01-21T09:06:23.043-06:002022-01-21T09:06:23.043-06:00Hi. Great page. Very useful. I was given an old ac...Hi. Great page. Very useful. I was given an old acoustic in surprisingly good condition. I'd love if you could date it and maybe discover a model number. The head stock has a sticker. The bridge was never glued down, or has come off (no glue marks). I imagine I'll sell,... is there a Kay collector site you might know of? Thanks again. Email me at info -at- bradthepainter dot com. Here is my axe: <br />https://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1602692009&posted=true&adActivated=trueAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05511983191894397470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-30245204601194373152021-05-23T18:57:07.349-05:002021-05-23T18:57:07.349-05:00Hi, I have 2 Vintage Kay guitars. One is the Kay ...Hi, I have 2 Vintage Kay guitars. One is the Kay 6868, and it is in excellent condition. It is an archtop style and is complete, but it is rather large for me. It is curly maple (laminate) and it looks pretty, but I'll sell it. Not sure what it is worth. The one I'm very interested in learning to play is a Classical Kay Model 7005. This guitar is really beautiful. I found it in one of your links to the Kay Vintage Catalogs. This guitar has a Brazilian rosewood back, sides, and fingerboard. It is quite striking. The spruce top is quite dark, very reddish colored. It appears different than catalog shows, which is a very light spruce. I plan to have it restrung, so I may learn to play it. Do you have any idea of the value? ThanksArtistic Woodshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13034281496462630829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-48226273760018852352021-05-10T14:00:22.468-05:002021-05-10T14:00:22.468-05:00When was the K-312 made and was it all solid woods...When was the K-312 made and was it all solid woods?Skelterzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08912985000803262943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-51668968547078490162021-05-09T14:50:56.890-05:002021-05-09T14:50:56.890-05:00Kay 0112 - 12" wide lower bout. (Late 50'...Kay 0112 - 12" wide lower bout. (Late 50' early 60's) My understanding is these are solid spruce top with solid mahogany back and sides. I really enjoy small body guitars, but not a laminate. Does anyone know if this model is solid wood ? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02603121181950755943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-81895982296061073842021-04-16T23:37:30.965-05:002021-04-16T23:37:30.965-05:00Any information... i have a Kay 12 strings KD 28-1...Any information... i have a Kay 12 strings KD 28-12 Made un Korea <br />What year is Made this guitar ? <br />Thanks Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01289517498846291187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-87594670661808514942021-03-08T15:07:34.735-06:002021-03-08T15:07:34.735-06:00I found a K7120 in fair to good condition. I could...I found a K7120 in fair to good condition. I could barely see the model #. What kknd of value am I looking at for this guitar?TREDAWGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13420626221700371709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-27044107357979154742021-01-13T07:14:51.606-06:002021-01-13T07:14:51.606-06:00Guy found this KDG-88 in a dumpster and I bought i...Guy found this KDG-88 in a dumpster and I bought it. It needed cleaned, a tuning mech gear, and new strings... its one of the best sounding acoustics I've ever played. (its rosewood I think). Any other info would be appreciated. Thanks.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07915189205916159634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-82418298553005381732020-12-12T15:51:47.973-06:002020-12-12T15:51:47.973-06:00I have a 3 pickup Vanguard with the cleaver head. ...I have a 3 pickup Vanguard with the cleaver head. The pickups date 1962 but you have the Cleaver head not used till 65?Kylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17733750646830356178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-48151569488530585762020-12-08T14:31:44.843-06:002020-12-08T14:31:44.843-06:00K-100 acoustic?K-100 acoustic?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09338548107238036899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-51796187805487262212020-11-30T14:38:59.638-06:002020-11-30T14:38:59.638-06:00Montgomery Ward in the mid to late 1930s and possi...Montgomery Ward in the mid to late 1930s and possibly the very early 40s had a month and year stamped into the instruments it sold. I have seen those stamps in instruments made for the company by Gibson, Regal and Kay. I have a feeling that Wards may have done this themselves, possibly for guarantee purposes. On that basis, I think any Kay guitar with such a stamp- right way up or upside down, was an instrument sold by Montgomery Ward. Kay used lamination to strengthen necks in more Ritzy models and a steel rod as strengthening was mention in the advertisement by Sears for the 1941 Silvertone Crest archtop that was made by Kay. Nick Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01881926990747095170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-52032458248164229982020-11-12T01:17:27.953-06:002020-11-12T01:17:27.953-06:00Yatahe. Ilive in Alaska. I have a thin hollowbody ...Yatahe. Ilive in Alaska. I have a thin hollowbody archtop electric. It has the klenex box pickup near the end of the fretboard. The tailpiece looks like a trapeze except has a bar running down the center (so 3 bars running same way as strings) and a flat bar running perpendicular to the strings halfway between the pivot and where the strings attach. Sunburst pattern. Les paul design the cutaway has a sharp point. 3/8 pearl dots in a single line on fretboard. Brass frets. Metal cursive logo. Bolt on neck Didnt see it in the 66 or 68 catalog. Looks like someone scribbled their initials inside on the back near the cutaway. Thank ylu in advance.<br />Boot<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09491987599611680942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-73583970344829915422020-11-06T21:00:06.574-06:002020-11-06T21:00:06.574-06:00Thanks for all the kool Kay info & catalogs ! ...Thanks for all the kool Kay info & catalogs ! I'm getting a 59 or 60 cutaway jumbo.cant wait.peteUnclecracker1peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12956081925599976095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-69137190114003146112020-10-03T10:17:09.508-05:002020-10-03T10:17:09.508-05:00I am restoring a 1960 Kay Style Leader K1983 and n...I am restoring a 1960 Kay Style Leader K1983 and need to get a bridge. Might anyone know where I could look to find one?Very Zanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03746890181234950807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-79248320042735349482020-09-21T20:46:52.226-05:002020-09-21T20:46:52.226-05:00I have a sunburst flat top and I don't think I...I have a sunburst flat top and I don't think I have a truss rod. There was a sticker on the head stock. It reads p4 but also "L2450 6110" and I'd really like to know what it is. It had messed up action so I took strings off and was going to get a new bridge or something. tonyschultz1986@gmail.com if you could email me. I could shoot some pictures too. Thank you for this pageAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02259235946710752053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-18563783352186688712020-08-24T15:16:21.591-05:002020-08-24T15:16:21.591-05:00Thank you for the wealth of information. I have ha...Thank you for the wealth of information. I have had and have Kay and Harmony guitars. I find most of them at "best" are pretty terrible unplyable instruments. The necks were falling off, the necks were warped on some. The pickups were like 4.17 Ohm so really quiet. The budget instruments of today are head and shoulders above theses old guitars. I have paid as little as $8 for some of these to as much as $150. That was all before the collectors got all crazy. The reason I have owned so many is they were cheap and plentiful. So I would buy them and practice my guitar repair skills trying to make them playable. I have a couple of playable nice ones. Some became firewood. I bought a really nice looking Orpheum King arch top with a solid spruce top for $150. Turns out someone had used 2 part expoxy to set the neck and I destroyed the things trying to get it apart. The action was like 1/2" at the 12th fret and the neck had no truss rod and was warped. That was just a sad dream of a guitar that never lived up to what it could have been. bartenationalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17675227411974021677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-28717144934644480412020-08-22T13:46:03.895-05:002020-08-22T13:46:03.895-05:00My Father's old Kay K - 27 Circa 1952 - 1956 ....My Father's old Kay K - 27 Circa 1952 - 1956 .<br /><br />Definitely a project guitar. I have most parts which are not existing / installed. He never had or used a guitar case for this guitar - played it often - didn't really maintain it as well as he could have.<br /> <br />I wrote you earlier and sent some photos which may be of help to offer a realistic " as is " value NOT INCLUDING any body neck finish.<br /><br />Thank you.Mo https://www.blogger.com/profile/06290578092040812468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-79055549096245720962020-08-18T13:39:36.751-05:002020-08-18T13:39:36.751-05:00Thanks for this. I was able to ID my mystery guita...Thanks for this. I was able to ID my mystery guitar with no logo or label as a Kay from the 60's. I found the headstock and you supplied the fret marker info. The stamped serial number was a tantalizing lead that of course led nowhere.Tom Fitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11680787173578241410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-71985544608588862592020-06-12T14:13:46.921-05:002020-06-12T14:13:46.921-05:00Hi! I have a red K model K117 but can't find a...Hi! I have a red K model K117 but can't find anything about it. What can you tell me? Thanks in advance!Grahamaster Flashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13371171319794928957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2409320719945980354.post-83588434715613692702020-05-27T01:01:56.887-05:002020-05-27T01:01:56.887-05:00OI have a korean made kay 360 or 369 hard to tell ...OI have a korean made kay 360 or 369 hard to tell like sa parlor guitar ive seriously hotrodded check it out on my fb page<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433386945075436511noreply@blogger.com