Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone, need your help identifying this guitar i bought from a guy . That thing has got no serial number, no brand name or logo whatsoever and it has been built or repaired by some construction guy, cuz it's got screws in all the wrong places. There seems to be a fainting gold letter K on a screwed PICKGUARD. 3 screws at the end of the back near the heel! And for the bracing, when i put my hand inside, to feel, they were cut square. Around the soundhole, there is tortis and used it for binding too. For 25$ what can you expect huh? That thing sounds loud though, oh and there is a very tiny sticker at the back of the headstock and i'm reading
Drouin Music Bar, Timmins Ontario, so maybe Mario could pitch in as well!









Thanks

SergeSerge Poirier38724.3257291667

Looks like an old Kay import, from the '70?

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

yes, it's a Kay. It probably has a solid top. They were over-braced, but the wood used wasn't bad. It's too bad that you got a bolt-on neck because the older ones used a standard dovetail.
I've actually rebuilt quite a few of these, and old Harmony guitars too. They turn out like a pretty good 000 if you take them apart and re-brace them properly, surprisingly good. They were good learning guitars for me, I bought them cheap around town and on eBay and then I'd pull them apart and rebuild them. I realized after a while that building a new guitar wasn't that much more work!
But it is fun to break out an old Kay or Harmony at a jam or something, where folks are sitting around with expensive Martins or Taylors, and the old guitar sounds as good or even better than the others!

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

I'm rebracing an old Silvertone right now - they can be fun guitars to
tinker with. Lindy Fralin had an old '50's Silvertone cutaway that we
rebraced for him up at Bryan Galloups about 10 years ago. When it was
done it was probably in the top 25 best sounding flat tops I've ever
played.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

It is real similar to one my wife bought in the late 60's a Vox Serenader. Same factory I bet, but this one of yours has the K.

My wife's guitar has the bolt on neck through the back just like this. Her's is plywood all over. Is this one?

Yes Dickey, it is plywood all around and can't see no serial number unless taken apart but wouldn't do !

Is this what you call a OOO or what is it exactly by the shape you see? Cause if it's a OOO, i'd use the shape and build one with real wood.

Thanks

SergeSerge Poirier38724.5308564815

Man, the bottom of the heel is sure a long way from the back.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Too bad yours is plywood, it must be a newer one then. The bolt-on neck ones must be ply.
Ron, the reason why there is no heel on the neck is because it's a bolt-on job. The necks attach just like a telecaster. The neck block inside must be huge.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Yup, 21/2" x 2", quite a neck block!

Serge

Serge, rather than use this Kay, which is O-Kay if you want to, why not let one of us trace a real 000 for you?

I sold mine, but could trace my mold for you.

Hey that sure would be appreciated Dickey! Could i PM you and give you my coordinates?

TIA Serge

Thanks Mark and Bruce for all your input!

Serge