Old Kay classical

[RussL30]

I helped an aunt of mine get rid of some junk and clean out her storage shed a few years ago. She gave me this old dumpy looking beat up classical guitar that she had bought her son way back in the late 70s or early 80s. Well he never took to guitar. It's been sitting on my guitar rack exactly how I received it, beat up, stringless and nutless for a few years now. After recently buying a house and moving it for a third time I started thinking its ridiculous to have this useless guitar so I ordered a nut, installed it and put some strings on it this weekend. I don't know much about classical guitars so I put ball end strings on it for right now. It actually sounds really mellow and projects well and is finally staying in tune after a break in period of about a day.

I just wanted to see if any knew anything about this ugly duckling as it's been tough to find anything on the Internet. It's a Kay starter series, model K303N. I'm pretty sure the back and sides are laminate but I'd like to know if the top is solid and what species. I'm no classical player but I've been strumming with my fingers and fingerpicking it and it sounds nice. Also sounds good with a thin nylon pick. Here are some pictures of this ugly mess. Thanks for any help.

[redir]

Wow... That... Yellow





It's most certainly a plywood top. But jsut so you know. The way to tell for sure is to look at the edge of the sound hole. You should see the grain lines (annular rings) of the top go right through the sound hole. IF it looks like there is a sandwich in there then it's plywood.

Some sound holes have binding or in the case of yours probably ugly yellow paint so you will not be able to see it. In that case you need a mirror to look on the bottom of the top from the inside. Look around on the top for an unusual grain wiggle or pattern to make it easier and then from the inside if you see the same wiggle then it's solid.

Looking from the inside on a cheap guitar like that I would not be surprised if you can obviously tell that it's ply.

[Dave T]

Your description of "It actually sounds really mellow and projects well..." is a bonus considering its age, how it looks and the maker's declaration that it is a "starter". Count your blessings and don't ask too many questions (smile).

Dave