I bought a Kay archtop in 1957 when I first began guitar lessons. I paid $18.00 for it. It was a piece of junk. My teacher had me take it back to the store. It did not have any solid top, it was made of plywood. It was almost impossible to play as the strings were extremely high. The guitars made today by Eastman and many other companies from China and South Korea are very fine instruments. Kay and Harmony were the bottom end of the guitar industry. I had a music store in late 60's and would buy the Harmony Stella for my students. They retailed for $49.00 and I would rent them to the kids who could not afford them for 50 cents a week, and I charged $2.00 for the lesson. I had to file the nut down and adjust the bridge to make them playable. I taught a lot of kids on those cheap guitars.
I think you'd have an audience for the work you do on the guitars there Chris.
A modest audience, yes.
I bought a Kay archtop in 1957 when I first began guitar lessons. I paid $18.00 for it. It was a piece of junk. My teacher had me take it back to the store. It did not have any solid top, it was made of plywood. It was almost impossible to play as the strings were extremely high. The guitars made today by Eastman and many other companies from China and South Korea are very fine instruments. Kay and Harmony were the bottom end of the guitar industry. I had a music store in late 60's and would buy the Harmony Stella for my students. They retailed for $49.00 and I would rent them to the kids who could not afford them for 50 cents a week, and I charged $2.00 for the lesson. I had to file the nut down and adjust the bridge to make them playable. I taught a lot of kids on those cheap guitars.
Nice guitar ... nice job on it!
Thanks very much, David!
i have a couple of these kay guitars
i use electric flatwound strings on em
serious quality considering ridiculous age 😅
do the tuners say "kluson" on them or are they blank like mine? i never could identify a date on either of mine 😅
my action is a bit uncomfortable on one of em, but it makes a 10/10 slide guitar +markley bottlecap
i left my "distressed" finish on both
gives them character 😊
i like to think they are happy to be played often again
i keep both of mine tuned to open Gflat