I compile the information in the blog from research of various sources on the internet. I don't guarantee everything to be 100% accurate and you are encouraged to do your own research.
This is probabaly a late 1960's Kay model based on the information I've found. It is a Vanguard model K102 with two DeArmond pickups (sometimes called the Vanguard 2) and they also came as the K100 with a single DeArmond pickup. Kay also produced these guitars for the Western Auto chain and badged them with the Truetone name and for Spiegel Catalog and badged them with the Old Kraftsman name.
Kay became the second-largest producer of inexpensive guitars and related instruments in Chicago behind Harmony. Both Harmony and Kay mass-produced many thousands of instruments under catalog brand names such as Silvertone (Sears), Airline (Montgomery Ward) and many others. The original Kay Musical Instrument Company in Chicago went out of business in 1968, but the name is still active, licensed to a line of cheap instruments from Asia.
You can find a lot of information on Kay guitars at the King Of Kays
I acquired this guitar in the fall of 2008 and it has a market value of $36.37. This appears to be the 7078 Model which was based on the Harmony H942 Stella Grand Concert size flat top acoustic from about 1969. Red toned mahogany shadded back with natural finish top. The frets are in good shape and the neck is straight. As far as I can tell, this guitar is all original and complete. This guitar is in very good condition, just a little dirty and only minor corrosion on the metal parts.
Montgomery Wards brand of instruments were made by Kay, Harmony and Valco. Montgomery Wards began to use the Airline brand in about 1958-60. Before that date, Harmony made guitars sold through the Wards catalog had a generic logo without any brand marking. Some "Roy Smeck" signature models were sold as Harmony branded guitars (H58, H73), but most of "Roy Smeck" guitars were sold only through the Montgomery Wards catalog, wearing only the "Roy Smeck" logo. This includes many acoustics and electrics, among them the famous Stratotone Roy Smeck H7208.
I acquired this guitar in September of 2008 and it has a market value of about $36.00. This is a 1960's vintage single pickup electric guitar that looks similar to some Silvertone, Kay, Airline, Teisco guitars from the era but it has no markings indicating USA or Japan build. The original gold color was removed from the front and back but it does remain on the edges and a bit on the headstock. The wood underneath looks almost like a mahagony and maybe that's what it is. The neck was straight and had good fret life and nice action with adjustable bridge. As far as I can tell, this guitar was all original and complete except for the finish being removed.
I acquired this guitar in September 2008 and because of the modifications it only has a market value of $100.00. It's a 1960-1961 vintage single pickup Kay Value Leader electric guitar. Looks similar to some Kay, Airline, Old Craftsman guitars from the era. The original finish has been removed from the front and back and neck. As far as I can tell, this guitar is all original and complete except for the finish and pickguard.
The Kay Value Leader thinline guitars are from the late 1950s/early 1960s. This guitar features a metal "checkerboard" style pickguard and a sunburst finish. It has a 15' wide single cutaway, flat top semi hollow maple body with 2 pickups. It has a laminated maple top and maple fingerboard
This guitar is one of the "Thin Lone" family of guitars produced by Kay based around the same basic body style, that includes the Style Leader range and the famous K-161 Thin Twin Jimmy Reed or Howlin Wolf model. The pick ups on this guitar are single coil De Armond "hot" pickups, with the coil wound directly onto the magnet and in fact are a bar magnet under the strings.
This guitar is a good player and a cousin to the classic Kay K-161 that features in many photos in the hands of the legendary Jimmy Reed.
Here's what a Kay Value Leader should look with the original pickguard and finish.
And here's a video to someone playing a single pickup version.
I did a little more research and the Kay Sizzler was produced from 1956-1958 (which matches the Kluson tuner dates) in a brown or black Zolotone finish. The single pickup model was the K4140 and the dual pickup model was the K4144.
Here's a video of Tony Gilkyson who used to be in the Los Angeles band X playing a vintage Kay Sizzler.
Paul, a reader of this blog, sent me this picture of his single pickup Kay Sizzler. He picked it up in Abilene TX for only $60.00 in the mid to late 80's.
Posts
