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Vintage guitar detectives! What is this? =)

PatentAppliedFor

New member
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Nov 12, 2001
Messages
11,741
F-HoleGuitar001.jpg

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27sauce

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Jul 9, 2007
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4,415
No problem. You buying it? They are fun, decent sounding guitars for not too much coin.
 

Seoighs

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Sep 17, 2006
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The triangular inlays leave no doubt it was built by Kay in Chicago...BUT...they also private-labeled their guitars to others (Airline, Silvertone, Harmony), so not sure it carried a Kay logo. With respect to 27sauce, this 'may' have been called a 'Value Leader', but I've had two of them in the past also, and most of those that I've seen were thin-line single cut guitars as in the linked example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/KAY-VALUE-LEADE...QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item19b6f8d03b

They DID produce a non-cut Value Leader model briefly, but that one had adjustable TR and single p'up.

If this one sold as a Kay, you would expect to see either a stylized large letter 'K' decal at the top of the HS between the tuners, or else a chrome script word 'Kay' molding attached. Those are D'Armond 'speedbump' single coil pickups. I'd guess it's 1959-60 (Kay serialization was not precise), and the other brands were sold under a hodge-podge of unrelated serial numbers. I've had a couple of these, and still keep one...OK for clean jazz at moderate volumes, but they LOVE to squeal when you bump the volume up, and those p'ups are so microphonic you can sing into 'em.

Lack of an adjustable truss rod (used a steel tube instead) often resulted in neck warping as many were just stored away at tension. The one I have has been in my possession for a Loooong time. it was my first American guitar, given to me by a family friend in the UK, and is always stored with the stings relaxed....low E measures 7mm high at the 12th fret (just checked!). If the neck is wonky, they can sometimes be brought back through (very) careful and gradual bending in an appropriate jig, but the value doesn't really warrant more serious repair.

They are also prone to severe delamination and binding failure due to temp and humidity changes if not careful.

Thanks for the pix...'looks to be in decent shape.
To Greg's question. How did you come across it?
 
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PatentAppliedFor

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I'm the Ops Director for Goodwill Industries in WA state - we'll be putting it up on a site called shopgoodwill.com . I knew one of you guys wwould be able to help with ID =)

If anyone's interested, I'll post the link to the auction once created (not exactly spam as it's for charity at least!)
 

Seoighs

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Sep 17, 2006
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A good cause PAF.

By the way, if you guys ever get an old electric guitar that says something like G-i-b-s-o-n across the top, be sure to let me know. Probably worthless, and a lot of 'em have uneven paint around the body; they almost never got the colours nice and even, and usually did such a poor job that they left bare wood grain showing in the centre of the body. The very worst actually have crumbling tuner keys.

...but they have sentimental value to me; I'm sure you can understand. I'll look forward to hearing from you.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
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Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Has the bridge been glued to the top? :wah

I hope the neck doesn't need a reset.
Please post a pic or two of this thing strung up.
:salude
 

PatentAppliedFor

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I actually haven't even had it in hand - the team who posts items online just shot me over the photos - I'll take a look Monday =-)
 
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