Guitar Parts Factory? Need bridge for ‘30’s Kay Kraft Deluxe K2

[Brushwood]

Hi gang, anyone used and have any opinions on Guitar Parts Factory in Millersport, Ohio? I’m looking to order a guitar bridge w/saddle for my 1930’s Kay Kraft Deluxe K2 archtop and concerned that I never got a reply to a couple of questions when I contacted them through email (3 times) and a phone message. I’m a little wary at this point. I’ve included some photos of this guitar ‘cause I thought some of you may dig seeing it. As you can see it has one of the ‘Zorzi’ adjustable neck joints that were used most notably on the Kay Kraft Venetian guitars of that era. Thanks for any thoughts.
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[jricc]

Cool pix Brushwood. Thanks for sharing, I dig the adjustable neck. Good luck with finding bridge/saddle. Maybe AllParts? https://www.allparts.com/

[Mandobart]

I found them to be a great source of parts, especially ebony tuning machine buttons for Grover, Schaller and Gotoh tuning machines.

Now they show many of the parts I've got from them as out of stock. Every order I placed with them was promptly shipped out and received.

[Robin, Wales]

Oh I really love the look of that guitar! And judging by the fretboard and neck wear someone else has really loved playing it too!

A set of monel mediums on that and I expect that it would honk along beautifully for some Carter style song backing. Love the adjustable neck - with that and a floating bridge it would make set-ups easy, as long as the neck hasn't warped too much over the years. But a fretboard skim and re-fret may well sort that if needed.

That would be my campfire sing along guitar for sure.

Hope that it all works out for you.

[Awfulguitarnois]

I've bought multiple times from Guitar Parts Factory and every transaction has been great.

[srick]

Brushwood - I thought you might appreciate the adjustable bridge on a close cousin of your guitar's (Yet another of the KayKraft Venetian variants - I think I have seen at least five or six variations now - never saw a slothead like yours however). The bridge is dark, and it's not made of wood - I suspect it is bakelite.

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The guitar belongs to my sister-in-law and I brought it back to life this summer. Unfortunately, even with the adjustable neck, the action is really high. That's because the unsupported fretboard has a "ski jump" past the 12th fret. Because the fretboard is bound in celluloid, heat is out of the question, unless I am ready to refret and rebind the neck and then age new celluloid.

Having a stiff plywood top, the guitar sounds very 'banjo-like'.

Here's a couple of photos from the 30's of my sister-in-law's Dad and her Uncle Clarence:

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best,

Rick

[Brushwood]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

Oh I really love the look of that guitar! And judging by the fretboard and neck wear someone else has really loved playing it too!

A set of monel mediums on that and I expect that it would honk along beautifully for some Carter style song backing. Love the adjustable neck - with that and a floating bridge it would make set-ups easy, as long as the neck hasn't warped too much over the years. But a fretboard skim and re-fret may well sort that if needed.

That would be my campfire sing along guitar for sure.

Hope that it all works out for you.

Thanks! I bought it off of Craigslist for $100 awhile back and finally ready to get it fixed up and going. There is a slight bow in the neck and the frets need to be replaced, but I’d really like to keep the original fretboard and its mojo with the worn in finger indentations. I’ll always wonder who they belonged to and where it was played. I’ll have to have someone deal with the bowed neck another way. Wonderful dulcimer playing btw!! I recently inherited a mountain dulcimer from my Mom and looking forward to take that journey at some point. It was apparently made in 1985 by a fellow called “The Fiddlin Parson of Pinehurst, NC”...Reverend Max A. Gilmore. I thought that was pretty cool when I saw the sticker on the inside and still do.

[Brushwood]

Originally Posted by srick

Brushwood - I thought you might appreciate the adjustable bridge on a close cousin of your guitar's (Yet another of the KayKraft Venetian variants - I think I have seen at least five or six variations now - never saw a slothead like yours however). The bridge is dark, and it's not made of wood - I suspect it is bakelite.

The guitar belongs to my sister-in-law and I brought it back to life this summer. Unfortunately, even with the adjustable neck, the action is really high. That's because the unsupported fretboard has a "ski jump" past the 12th fret. Because the fretboard is bound in celluloid, heat is out of the question, unless I am ready to refret and rebind the neck and then age new celluloid.

Having a stiff plywood top, the guitar sounds very 'banjo-like'.

Here's a couple of photos from the 30's of my sister-in-law's Dad and her Uncle Clarence:

best,

Rick

Rick, very cool guitar, great info and fantastic photos!
Mine has a basswood neck, solid spruce top and birch back and sides. I’m in the process of finding someone to fix a bow in its neck and get new frets. I think I did read somewhere that the fretboard was bakelite and I hope it’s possible to keep it on there because I love the looks of the finger indentations and wonder who those belonged to and the places they played the guitar. Really lookin’ forward to getting it up and running. Thanks you for your very interesting reply and also showing me the adjustable bridge on yours.

[srick]

If you’re not a purist, and want a playable instrument, luthier Jake Wildwood https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/20...op-guitar.html has one solution for the bowed fretboard:

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The upper part of the fretboard is unsupported and tends to develop a ‘ski jump’. A little light pressure from a countersunk machine screw straightens it out quickly. That area of the archtop is heavily braced and the screw head pretty much looks like a fret dot from a few feet out. It worked really well on mine, but playability is still an issue because the adjustable neck needs even more adjustment than is available. I may have to try to ream out the adjustment channel even more. One other thing that Jake shows on his website is a fixed woodscrew to hold the neck at the final angle and avoid slippage:

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Regarding the fixes, The purist in me says, “Oh no, that’s a little crude.” The practical side in me says, “That’s ingenious!”

[Brushwood]

Originally Posted by jricc

Cool pix Brushwood. Thanks for sharing, I dig the adjustable neck. Good luck with finding bridge/saddle. Maybe AllParts? https://www.allparts.com/

Thanks for the tip jricc! I ordered an archtop one from allparts and it should be here tomorrow.