1940s Kay K-46 Jumbo Archtop Guitar

This press-arched, 17"-wide brute sure has the looks, yeah? I did this one up for its owner -- a neck reset, level/dress of the frets, setup and seam work -- and it turned-out awesome. It's throaty, loud, proud, and punchy as heck. It's not a particularly "nuanced" sound but it's bold and to the point.

These old Kays have long, almost 26" scale lengths, so I strung it up with flatwounds in 50w-11 gauges to suit its swing-ability rather than the 54w-12 I would string most archtops up with. It certainly doesn't need the extra thickness to get its get-up-and-go together, either.

This one's almost entirely original but it does have a replacement bridge and various small scratches and scuffs throughout. The top is solid, press-arched spruce while the back and sides are ply figured maple. The neck is maple and it has a rosewood board with pearl inlay. All the binding is slick-looking multi-ply stuff.

While most of this style are from the early '50s, this version appears to be a mid-late '40s instrument as it has the non-screwed-in gears on the Kluson tuners and a few other older-style treatments.