1960s/2022 Kay/Overhaul X-Braced Conversion 00-Size Guitar

While this guitar is outwardly an L-00-shaped, Kay-made, cheapy "parlor" guitar from the '60s, as soon as you play it you realize that it's like a drag-race sleeper. It's been completely gone-through by Overhaul Guitars out of Athens, GA -- it's received entirely new bracing for the top and back (scalloped, x-braced pattern on the top), has had neck reinforcement added and a board plane and refret done, a new rosewood pin-bridge fit with a bone saddle, a new bone nut, and new repro/aged-style tuners of the openback Kluson persuasion installed.

Suffice to say, it handles perfectly, is stabilized and "modern" in performance, and it sounds like a cross between a '30s Martin (velvety, rich-sounding mids and good bass) with the cut and snap of a '30s Gibson L-00. I'm not used to this much bass response and warmth from a small body unless we're talking Santa Cruz or Froggy Bottom instruments, which are braced similarly.

Anyhow, I'm impressed! My only concern for anyone who wants this instrument is to be sure that you're fine with a narrower nut width. It's a bit like playing a '60s Gibson from around '66 to '68 -- it's narrow-width at the nut but medium-C on the back and has a fairly tight board radius. I like it a lot, but then again I play a lot of thumb-wrap, closed-position chords these days when playing backup.

Repairs included: a quick setup.

Weight: 3 lbs 10 oz

Scale length: 24 3/8"

Nut width: 1 1/2"

Neck shape: medium C

Board radius: 10"

Body width: 14 1/8"

Body depth: 3 3/4"

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: birch

Bracing type: x, scalloped

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: poplar

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 54w-12 lights

Truss rod: non-adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-modern

Condition notes: it's in really good shape for its age -- there is one small "punch-in" crack near the endblock on the side but otherwise it appears crack-free. As it's been "Overhauled," not much of the original guitar's "running gear" is there -- the frets are new, it has side dots added, the tuners are vintage-style but new/aged from StewMac, the bridge is non-original, and the bracing has been entirely replaced. As you'd expect for its age, it has plenty of small scratches, scuffs, small dings, etc. here and there throughout. Overall it looks nice, though! I did move the pickguard over slightly so it wouldn't poke out past the body's edge.

It comes with: no case but I will try to at least include a gigbag.

Consignor tag: BMC