c.1955 Kay Tenor Guitar

Well how about that! This is a crack free, straight-necked, near-closet classic condition (minus a bit of pickwear) Kay tenor, probably from the late 50s or early 60s. Solid woods throughout: good spruce top, one-piece mahogany back, with mahogany sides. Fretboard and bridge are rosewood, bone-simulant saddle and nut (which look a lot like bone and act like it, but don't smell like it!). Original tuner pegs, original bridge pins. And an original case to go with it!

It also plays great, too!

This fellow fortunately still has its little pressed headstock decoration. Most are missing this.

The body is big -- like a normal 6-string size with big old 15" lower bout and 19" height. The scale length is 23" and gives a nice shout to its current tuning -- GDAE and octave below mandolin. I know it sounds "rad" in CGDA, too, as it had strings on it for that when I received it.

Rosewood bridge. Those little decorative motifs on the edges hide (original) bolt heads. The top is perfectly flat, bridge is perfectly attached, and essentially it's like the guitar was put away since a little after it was built.

Tortoise binding top and back with b/w/b purfling.

Japanese-made tuners -- original, though.

Nice one-piece mahogany back.





...and an original end pin!

This guitar is plenty loud and sounds great strummed, picked, or fingerpicked. Plenty of bass response -- but then again I'd expect that with such a big body!