Cool old Kay guitar

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fishy68

fishy68

Tyr Fryr's Inc.
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Several yrs. ago when my Great Grandma died I inherited her old guitar. I remember when I was a kid she would try to play it but sadly she couldn't play very good anymore because she had arthritis in her fingers so bad. I'm not musically inclined but I proudly display Mom's (I called her Mom because she raised me) guitar in our family room. Last week I was watching American Pickers when they happened onto an old guitar that ended up being worth a small fortune. I have searched for the model I have for hrs. and can find some similar but can't positively identify it. I don't expect it to be worth a fortune by any means and have absolutely no intention of getting rid of it but it'd be neat to positively identify it and have an idea of it's value, if for no other reason but to know it's properly insured. What little I know is it's a Kay acoustic archtop and it's real old. From there I'm lost. I've read there should be a # inside somewhere identifying it but I've looked and looked and the only thing I see is a tag that says Kay Musical Instrument Co., Chicago, IL. I've attached several pictures of it and you can see it's in good condition for it's age although it does have a crack on the main body.

Oh yeah, I remember her saying she bought it right around the time my dad was born which was 1940. It's approx. 17" wide at the lowest part of the main body and 12-1/2" wide on the upper part and 21" high. The neck is 17-7/8" total length. The head is 6-1/2" high by 3" wide on the lower part and 2-5/8" wide on the upper part.

Any help is appreciated.
 

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That's pretty cool.

I don't know much about guitars and can't help you...
 
Interesting inlays.

I have a 50's version. Same "f" holes, but is more of a sunburst color.

Has a distinctly "twangy" sound. great for counrty or rockabilly.

Not so much for anythng else.

No idea on value, but the companion Kay upright basses are REAL popular with the current rockabilly crowd, and valued accordingly.
 
I would bring it by a reputable guitar shop. Theres a wealth of knowledge available if you find the right shop and tech....
Shes a beauty- make sure to keep it stored well and protected... out of the humidity.
Did it have a case? If not, Im sure you could find a generic case for it to fit into.

Good luck!
 
Wonderful guitar, man. I love the 40's and 50's acoustics. Mostly used for jazz and country music back then.

I have a 50's Estrada (made in Spain) classical. It's still playable, but well used.
 
Nice guitar i play banjo and Kay makes banjos or made them that ive seen that have lasted years upon years and are in good condition.
 
I would bring it by a reputable guitar shop. Theres a wealth of knowledge available if you find the right shop and tech....
Shes a beauty- make sure to keep it stored well and protected... out of the humidity.
Did it have a case? If not, Im sure you could find a generic case for it to fit into.
Click to expand...
x2!
 
DA69RT GT said:
I would bring it by a reputable guitar shop. Theres a wealth of knowledge available if you find the right shop and tech....
Shes a beauty- make sure to keep it stored well and protected... out of the humidity.
Did it have a case? If not, Im sure you could find a generic case for it to fit into.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

I've thought about taking it to a guitar shop but at the moment I don't even know where any are, much less one that's reputable/knowledgeable. I'm pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I'll do some searching in the St.Louis area to see what's there. It's about 45-50 miles away. She never had a case for it. It's amazing it's in as good condition as it is considering it has never been cased and until about 1990 she never had air conditioning and the weather here gets real humid in the summer. I've had it since 99 and always keep it in doors where it's air conditioned. Thanks
 
YY1 said:
Interesting inlays.

I have a 50's version. Same "f" holes, but is more of a sunburst color.

Has a distinctly "twangy" sound. great for counrty or rockabilly.

Not so much for anythng else.

No idea on value, but the companion Kay upright basses are REAL popular with the current rockabilly crowd, and valued accordingly.
Click to expand...

Cool! I've seen pics of the 50's versions on the net so I have an idea what yours looks like. Yep sure does have that twangy sound. Several yrs. ago a rockabilly player live close by and I took it to him and he tuned it and man could that guy play. It has a real good sound to it when in tune. He told me if I wasn't going to play it to loosen the strings so it wouldn't warp the neck so I did.
 
Very beautiful guitar,Fishy.Those hallow bodies have a great sound.
 
I'm the last of ten and I remeber my Dad playing old country tunes on his Martin. Turns out it's worth a pretty penny but my oldest bro has it, can play it, and won't let it go till the day he dies which is just fine by me. :)

It's about the memories Tracy, and may God Rest Her Soul.
 
I love old guitars. I'm not saying that this is the same guitar, but it VERY similar and he's asking $499 for it.

eBay link

If I had my Grandmother's guitar, I would say it was priceless!! My grandmother played the violin, piano and ukulele (the most fun!!). I miss her...
 
ramcharger said:
I'm the last of ten and I remeber my Dad playing old country tunes on his Martin. Turns out it's worth a pretty penny but my oldest bro has it, can play it, and won't let it go till the day he dies which is just fine by me. :)

It's about the memories Tracy, and may God Rest Her Soul.
Click to expand...

Your exactly right Joe. The memories are priceless. I know it sounds crazy but I think if someone offered me a million bucks for it I couldn't sell it.
 
BrianT said:
I love old guitars. I'm not saying that this is the same guitar, but it VERY similar and he's asking $499 for it.

eBay link

If I had my Grandmother's guitar, I would say it was priceless!! My grandmother played the violin, piano and ukulele (the most fun!!). I miss her...
Click to expand...

Yep, it's priceless to me. I tell ya what Brian the one in your e-bay link is the closest one I've seen to mine. Except for the color on the back, the slightly different wear guard and saying Silvertone on the head instead of Kay it's nearly identical. If I'm not mistaken I read that Kay made the Silvertone for Western Auto stores but it's same guitar as the ones that say Kay on the head. Thanks a bunch for the link.
 
I believe Silvertone was a Sears store brand.

They also sold radios, phonographs, etc under that name.

I have a mid-60's Silvertone made by Danelectro, lipstick pickup and all.
The naming is the only difference.
 
I believe silvertone was sears but the name is now used by Washburn/Sammick

I use to have an old Kay my uncle had found in the garbage. That was about 15 years ago.
 
That is very cool. The crack really hurts the value, but can probably be fixed. My guess is between 500&1000, depending on the buyer. I'm glad you are keeping it. Too many people try to turn a quick buck, then rue the decision after. In the future, try not to store it some place too dry, and try not to let the humidity flux too severely. This will prevent more cracking. Take some lessons, and enjoy it. :thumbup:
 
Great idea Adam. We put our son and his good guitar on a plane for the left coast this morning. I hope it makes the trip undamaged:prayer: I have a very old Hoeffner, and I think I will buy some of that stuff.:-k
 
Thanks for the information and tips guys. As for taking lessons and learning to play. I took some when I was a teen but it just never interested me much and I don't have much of an ear for music so I'll just enjoy it for it's esthetic (sp) beauty. I'll think about the case. I don't doubt it'd help to keep in better condition especially if used with the Herco humidifier Adam posted but I kinda like to display it for all to see, kinda like an antique. My house is air conditioned but I don't run it super cold and real low humidity so I think I'll be ok. I've had it for over 12 yrs. stored like this and I don't believe it has changed for the worse. Thanks again, Tracy
 
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