ksdaddy Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 As the link to my site will explain, I picked up a basket case Kay recently. At first I thought, wow, a rescued hippie guitar. Once it was in my hands I realized it's not an objet d'art, it's a disaster. Tell me I'm doing the right thing by stripping all this crap off it. Kay Value Leader not in a dumpster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Owl Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I think whatever "relative" decided to "decorate" it should be arrested on charges for war crimes. Because they waged a war on music, art, and the human eye. Good luck with that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevef Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Maybe you should submit this one to OneWilyfool's "guitar contest" on the Acoustic forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Ouch! Man, that's hard on the eye's. You're gonna have yer hands full. I think it'll be a cool piece if you can work it back somewhere near where it was. Did it come with the original parts, or are you gonna have to get inventive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I would say the only value of that guitar is ART. And not very attractive art at that. I do have a Kay built Silvertone archtop that I spent WAY too much time and effort restoring, or at least making PLAYABLE. Among many other things, not only did it need a neck reset, I had to completely make and install a new dovetail on the heel of the neck. It was a fun project and put my woodworking skills to the test. When I finished and strung it up, the first chord I struck JUMPED out of that guitar with an incredible sound. It had just been waiting to sing again. So, maybe you should proceed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witmer Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 As the link to my site will explain, I picked up a basket case Kay recently. At first I thought, wow, a rescued hippie guitar. Once it was in my hands I realized it's not an objet d'art, it's a disaster. Tell me I'm doing the right thing by stripping all this crap off it. Kay Value Leader not in a dumpster Absolutely right. Clean that poor thing up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted September 24, 2010 Author Share Posted September 24, 2010 There were no parts with it except the tuners, which are trash. The good news is that the original pickguard was just a trapezoid shaped piece of metal and the pickups were flat-mount... so it's almost like a blank slate. They came in one, two, and three pickup configuration and they all had the same routing. I have no clue as to what I will fit it with.... depends on if I can score one or two flat mount Kay pickups or if I rout it for a single P-90. Too early in the game to decide. At this point it's a rescue mission to make it into something playable and decent looking. It's a foregone conclusion that the end will not justify the means, I'll just try to keep the budget in line. I 'impulse bought' a brand new set of Ping Schaller copy tuners a couple months ago, still in the package, for $10, so now I have a home for them. I have plenty of bone nut blanks and the local pawn shop has a handful of NOS flat-mount adjustable bridges from the 60s. I already have pots, caps, and knobs, so that's covered. I might still have an old Egmond pickup that looks like a Kay 'speed bump' pickup. I'll have to dig around in my junk tonight. Gawd, I get excited over little things..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 You're doing the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantha Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I say... strip it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 I'd go ahead and build it out, but no way would I restore it to OS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 It's that labor-of-love crap. Might keep you from spending money on something else for a while though, so I say go for it. Make it like brand new. Then sell it to dem00n for $2,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky scott 29 Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Strip it! It's a lot of work, but if you follow thru, you will like be glad you did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackie Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 Make a clock or lamp out of it. Does not look as though it will ever be playable......if it ever was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PartsPvt Posted September 24, 2010 Share Posted September 24, 2010 yep...it's a Planter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Sometimes the dumpster really is the right place even for a guitar, and yep that's not art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 Stripping it was the right thing. Although, I seem to recall seeing that piece somewheres? I think it was Life magazine lay out of some artwork done by some cat called... Picadillo? Pilasso? Piganno? ... I dunno. Some unknown, I guess. Although stripping it on the coffee table probably got you in dutch with the missus. You might, however, want to rephrase that last statement. ... I'll have to dig around in my junk tonight. Gawd, I get excited over little things..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted September 26, 2010 Author Share Posted September 26, 2010 No point in denying a true statement, be it literal or innuendo. Some of the ZipStrip leached through the newspaper on the coffee table and removed some finish. That may be a blessing in disguise. Our coffee table is one of those big thick dark stained pine ones from the 70s, may or may not have been 'relic'd' at the factory (remember those days?). It was beat to crap when I bought it used in '87 for $15. At some point I laid a cost of polyurethane onto it and it's been slowly peeling and chipping off. This may be the motivation to strip the top and do an oil finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 Looks like it had a neck reset - er - rescrew. If worst comes to worst, you can use it as a paddle or a bear fender-offer. Or just hang it on the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted November 25, 2010 Author Share Posted November 25, 2010 Anybody got any flat-mount pickups laying around? I'm ready to make the new nut and install the tuners... http://www.angelfire.com/me4/ksdaddy/kay_value_leader.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 Anybody got any flat-mount pickups laying around? I'm ready to make the new nut and install the tuners... http://www.angelfire.com/me4/ksdaddy/kay_value_leader.html $100 in 1963 was a lot of chedder :blink: So far it looks good. BTW I have some old New York mini humbuckers floating around here somewhere. If you want them lemme know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Owl Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 You know, KSdaddy, even if she isn't playable at the end of the project at least you know you gave the guitar a chance to die with dignity. I know I wouldn't want to be caught dead painted that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted November 25, 2010 Author Share Posted November 25, 2010 Duane I can probably use them and I'm sure we can hammer out a deal. I'm just stuck wondering what to put in for pickup(s). They came with flat mount, possibly made by DeArmond, which are getting hard to find and have a cult following and a corresponding price. A simple answer would be to put humbuckers of some sort; it will need to be routed regardless. If you find them, just PM me with a cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 Will do boss I could use some new bass strings for my Hofner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 Ouch! Man, that's hard on the eye's. You're gonna have yer hands full. DITTO..... Man That's UGLY! Best of luck to you sir..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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