Help on Kay Guitar Identification

[jimkarl]

Does anyone know what model Kay this guitar is? I've looked around and can't find one like it. Not sure if the bridge is original or not.Similar ones I found had a tailpiece style floating bridge.
Idea of value?





https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jrC...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C5B...ew?usp=sharing

[Osage]

Kay changed model names/numbers almost yearly on a number of their guitars and I'm sorry but I don't know exactly what they called this one. You can look through old distributer catalogs and probably nail it down but it honestly won't matter much to a potential buyer. It was made in the mid 60's and the bridge is original. It's a very entry level guitar and if it's somehow in good playable condition, it's worth maybe $100. If, like most of these I have seen, it needs work it's probably worth closer to $50.

[zombywoof]

I have been playing Kay Krafts/Kays for decades and still keep a few around. The quality of Kays was all over the place. I would take a late 1930s Kay Television archtop over a Gibson L-50.

As noted, Kay changed model numbers, logos and headstocks more frequently than most folks change their socks. Then add to that a rather large number of un-cataloged models and it becomes a "Who's On First" thing. There might be two numbers stamped inside. The first will be a series ID and will start with an "L", "P" or "N". Totally useless in identifying anything. There also though could be a second number which will be the model.

If it is a spruce/maple laminate guitar best guess is you have a K3500. That logo was used around 1960. Your looks to be in really nice shape. But it all comes down to the neck.

Here is one of my smaller body Kays - a K6. Solid spruce top and mahogany body with top and neck binding. Based on the headstock, logo and blue label, this one dates to 1937-1939 or thereabouts.

[menhir]

Try here...

http://www.kayguitar.com/link.htm




I'm in the process of searching for info on an old guitar myself, not a Kay, so I know what a confuzzing process it is trying to identify these old guitars.

[J Patrick]

....that’s not an overly desireable Kay...likely the original bridge...definitely late model...maybe late sixties.....and worth very little...maybe 60 to 100 bucks or so..at least around these parts....rare model likely because the company was waning by the time that guitar was made and production numbers were way down from their peak years...I don’t reckon that many were made...likely because imports were flooding the market...not bashing the guitar....for all I know it’s a killer little axe...I know my three Kay’s are killer..

[zombywoof]

Kay, of course, went belly up in 1968 and the name and assets auctioned off. The catalogs will not be much help though as they often picture the same guitar for several years. Given what appears to be the spruce top, dot inlays and pin bridge, if it is a 3500 it could have been made anytime between the later 1950s and around 1965. Again, that particular logo was used around 1960. While these were not the lowest end Kays, they are still considered a "student" model so not terribly prized and bring very little on today's market. The most valuable Kays out there would probably be the Oahu Deluxe jumbos with the vine inlay. These cost just shy of $160 in the 1930s and a factory round neck version (most were square necks) today can run you north of $3K. I own the model below it. Not as fancy but with snowflake inlays, X bracing and a deep Nick Lucas style body.



In terms of post-War Kays the most sought after would be the K-27 Solo Special. I own the model right below it, a 1950s K24.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by jimkarl

Does anyone know what model Kay this guitar is? I've looked around and can't find one like it. Not sure if the bridge is original or not.Similar ones I found had a tailpiece style floating bridge.
Idea of value?





https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jrC...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C5B...ew?usp=sharing

Looks just like my first "store-bought" Kay. Can't tell you what it's worth today, but it cost my mom 2 books of S&H green stamps when new in the early 60's.
I can tell you that it's simply amazing that I stuck with guitar after struggling through a few years of playing it.

[jimkarl]

There is a number inside. The first part is clearly L4 the rest "may" say 105. See pic Is 4105 a known model number? Does that help with value identification?
The neck is actually quite good. Wen I picked it up I was surprised how playable it was, even with very old strings on it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K9V...ew?usp=sharing

[Edgar Poe]

Closest I could find was the Kay K3500, the only difference I could see was the oval shape around the headstock logo.
I have a photo from Kay's catalog, but I don't have a photo hosting site anymore, so I can't upload it to the forum.

Ed

[zombywoof]

Figuring out Kay guitars is not for the unwashed. They make Harmonys (which often even had a date stamp) seem like a breeze.

There is a Kay 4000 which came out just before Kay closed its doors and which is virtually the same instrument as the 3500. The only difference would be the logo style and pickguard. But again, Kay released a bunch of guitars that do not appear in any catalog. As example, my jumbo cutaway is a model 8234. You can search catalogs all day long and not find it. What you will find is an 8224. The only difference between the two models is the headstock, mine having an older style feather inlay design. Apparently that was enough for Kay to assign it a different model number.

I cannot make out the number in the photo but for all anybody knows Kay, with the end drawing near, might have been trying to use whatever parts they had laying around so slapped the guitar together and gave it a Model 4105 number.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by jimkarl

There is a number inside. The first part is clearly L4 the rest "may" say 105. See pic Is 4105 a known model number? Does that help with value identification?

Not really. It's a good bet that 99% of people who owned these originally never even knew the model number and no one really cares now. As mentioned above, it could have several names/numbers depending on the year. It's just not a valuable guitar anyway that you slice it.

[zombywoof]

Here Ya Go.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

Here Ya Go.

You can usually find 'em for the same price at garage sales today.

[jimkarl]

Thanks for all the help!