The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-15-2017, 09:09 AM
hat hat is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,371
Default Vintage Kay and Harmony guitars

There are a lot of old vintage Kay and Harmony archtops that always seem to pop up on auction websites, and craigslist. Any clues as to sorting the wheat from the chaf on these?
__________________
______________
---Tom H ---
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-15-2017, 09:12 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

Mostly chaff.

There's some fun ones out there, they'll be priced a little higher, solid pressed tops, can sound pretty good. But most of 'em are just novelties.
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-15-2017, 09:31 AM
hat hat is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,371
Default

so then, did they make good ones - but you just never see those for sale? I've seen some historical data that indicates they made some solid ones, ( maple, rosewood, mahogany,). I've just seen a few lately that looked like they were of better quality. It would be fun to get one or two to play with, but I certainly don't want to waste my time or $$ on a plywood POS either...
__________________
______________
---Tom H ---
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-15-2017, 09:47 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

They're definitely out there, but yes, just not as many. I guess people either hang on to 'em or there just weren't as many of them to begin with. Generally, it seems the smalle bodies tend to be the cheaper ones that are more miss than hit.

I have a 17" Kay "Master Cutaway," and it's pretty cool. Has a huge neck and tiny frets--it's not a guitar I'm going to fly around playing jazz solos on, but for old school swing rhythm, it's great. Solid pressed top, I believe. It's LOUD
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-16-2017, 12:48 PM
zombywoof zombywoof is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,356
Default

Like all other instruments, quality is all over the place. There is a big difference between say an all-birch Harmony Archtone and a Cremona or Brilliant model. Same with Kays. The Kay Television archtops from the late 1930s are, as example, beautifully made, carved top and back plate instruments. I recently picked up a 1935 Capital which was built by Gibson for Jenkins Music to help weather the Depression. 16" lower bout, pressed spruce top and mahogany body, no truss rod. Interesting skunk stripe inlaid down the center of the board. Feel is all Gibson.
__________________
"You start off playing guitars to get girls & end up talking with middle-aged men about your fingernails" - Ed Gerhard

Last edited by zombywoof; 03-16-2017 at 12:59 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-16-2017, 12:57 PM
zombywoof zombywoof is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,356
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by hat View Post
so then, did they make good ones - but you just never see those for sale? I've seen some historical data that indicates they made some solid ones, ( maple, rosewood, mahogany,). I've just seen a few lately that looked like they were of better quality. It would be fun to get one or two to play with, but I certainly don't want to waste my time or $$ on a plywood POS either...
Harmony did not make a "plywood" guitar until just before they closed up shop in the 1970s. While it may have been birch, every Harmony up to that point was built with solid woods. While most Harmonys were fashioned with pressed wood top plates, you can find carved top models if you know what you are looking for.
__________________
"You start off playing guitars to get girls & end up talking with middle-aged men about your fingernails" - Ed Gerhard
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-12-2017, 10:54 PM
PinetopJackson PinetopJackson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: south suburbs of Seattle
Posts: 9
Default Here's a good old cheap one!

if I can get this youtube link to work...

https://youtu.be/6stEmxrwU68
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-13-2017, 04:46 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombywoof View Post
Harmony did not make a "plywood" guitar until just before they closed up shop in the 1970s. While it may have been birch, every Harmony up to that point was built with solid woods. While most Harmonys were fashioned with pressed wood top plates, you can find carved top models if you know what you are looking for.
Those old pressed solid-top Harmony archtops make quite good roots/early acoustic blues guitars - not as refined as a Gibson L-50 or Epiphone Zenith (or even its modern-day counterpart Godin 5th Avenue) but loads of punch and volume - if you can find one where the neck/dovetail joint hasn't gone south. As beginner/budget instruments too many of them were subjected to the ravages of the old New Brunswick (NJ) Black Diamond strings - standard fare when you walked into your local mom-&-pop music store/record shop/hardware store/drugstore and asked for "a set of strings"; you've got to hope for one of those "under-the-bed" specials that was bought in the late-50s/early-60s, played maybe a half-dozen times, and then put away when Junior lost interest - and after six decades those are becoming increasingly rare. If you're after the same visual/sonic vibe with none of the hassles of an old instrument, grab a Godin 5th Avenue acoustic or Loar LH-300, set it up with Martin Monel 13's, and play to your heart's content...
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-13-2017, 06:00 PM
Truckjohn Truckjohn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,307
Default

Also bear in mind that the playing style of old archtops was very different from what we are used to thinking of with "Jazz" today...

Those old guitars were usually strung with heavies and run with a fairly high action. They were played HARD to be heard unamplified in the mix against horns. They are LOUD played this way with a really good tone... String them with lights and try to play technical, modern stuff - and you will be completely unimpressed/disappointed.

Quality wise... Yep.. They had a HUGE range of offerings from cheap beaters to the most expensive on the market.. More expensive than Martin and Gibson offerings. Their good stuff was very very good.. Their cheap stuff was generally pretty uninteresting.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 04-07-2018, 08:35 PM
Gotitmade11 Gotitmade11 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Hendersonville TN
Posts: 9
Default Slingerland Archtop made in the thirties

I have a beautiful Slingerland Archtop natural finish that is in perfect condition with a four bar Grover De Luxe tailpeice on it... Action is low, neck is straight, it's a beautiful guitar... Five piece neck is a little fat compared to my Gibson's, Martins etc. but its fun for that slap rhythm style playing... My wife can't stand the sound of it when she sings... I think she is just used to hearing the bold sound of my other guitars..
Question is, what size and type of strings would you recommend that may change the sound or if changing would help... I have med Elixir's on it now... Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 04-08-2018, 10:21 AM
Jcamp Jcamp is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 500
Default

I use to hang out with a girl whose grandma had a Martin d28. We went to see her one day and she pulled the Martin out and a very old harmony archtop. That Martin was nice but the old harmony was just plain cool. Sounded good and easy to play. Definitely was hard to put down I’ve been looking to find one every since but I’d rather not finding one in need of work
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 04-16-2018, 06:54 PM
terken terken is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 141
Default

I’ve restored a few Silvertones and no name catalog archtops with good straight necks and put mounted neck position humbuckers in.

They are great players plugged in for many styles and have a lot of mojo.

Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 04-18-2018, 01:08 PM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 10,188
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by terken View Post
I’ve restored a few Silvertones and no name catalog archtops with good straight necks and put mounted neck position humbuckers in.

They are great players plugged in for many styles and have a lot of mojo.

Man, I'd love to plug that into a little tube amp and crank it up!
__________________
Jeff Matz, Jazz Guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jeffreymatz
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 04-19-2018, 12:49 PM
terken terken is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 141
Default

I am in rural MN and it has been common to see these old catalogue archtops come in that belonged to a clients grandparents and in many cases were used in old time dance bands. Mostly as rhythm instruments I would guess as the finish is usually completely worn off in the first position.

Here is an old Regal that belonged to the client’s wife’s dad who fronted a dance band in central MN back in the 30’s and 40’s

https://youtu.be/XWXcjh7pAoc
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 04-19-2018, 08:41 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
Posts: 14,983
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by terken View Post
I’ve restored a few Silvertones and no name catalog archtops with good straight necks and put mounted neck position humbuckers in.

They are great players plugged in for many styles and have a lot of mojo.

Something like this might make for a more period-authentic visual/tonal vibe:

https://shop.guildguitars.com/produc...-mount-pickup/
https://shop.guildguitars.com/produc...0rhythm-chief/
https://shop.guildguitars.com/produc...me-knob-amber/
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool"
- Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Archtops

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=