duane v Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 They're Grover Super Rotomatics.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golem Posted December 28, 2010 Share Posted December 28, 2010 ` .... I still need to address the secret pickup under the fretboard because it sounds like crap .... But that would require another fretboard removal..... ` Check out the Dave Wendler 'Magpi' system @ http://www.electrocoustic.com/products.html The MagPi system uses a humbucker to buffer a piezo. He embeds a piezo PU into a wooden floating bridge, and the windings in the humbucker act as the buffer so no battery powered circuit is needed. The humbugger need not sound great, cuz thaz not it's job in his system. No single coil PU will do, however. Gotta be a HB. His prices are reasonable and there are plenty of sound samples on his website. IIRC, he can also work with an existing piezo PU in a guitar, thus not requiring his custom made bridge. Also, there's tone magic in the combining of humbugger and piezo, so even a crappy HB can blend signals with the piezo can be amazing. Therefore, he provides a blend control [mag+piezo]. I play a Wendler bass in an acoustic string band. I'm the only player thaz amped, and the other 3 players [fiddle, guitar, mandolin] really dig the sound. It just fits right in, very acoustic. ` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I'm guessing Harmony. Kay, at one time was bought out by and marketed by Harmony. Check out the Broadway Music's Harmony web page: http://www.broadwaymusicco.com/harmony26.htm The head stock shape is consistent with some models of Harmony arch tops, as is the three piece "f" holes. Harmony made many brands of guitars during it's long history. You probably won't be able to sell this guitar for what it would cost to hire someone to restore it, but it is a cool looking guitar. It may be worth it to keep as a player, or just a nifty wall hanger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 The body part of my Musima is built like a tank as well... I was surprised the neck bowed because it feels like a baseball bat in comparison to my Epi Casino :blink: (see comparison) I hope this was a before shot of having the neck repaired? I'm not surprised that it bowed. Wood is going to do what it wants to do regardless of thick it is. And the thicker it is the more wood you have to move the way it wants to. It most likely wasn't moisture checked as well as the Epi was before it was built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Evol... Those tuners - or at least the identical style of Grover "buttons" - appeared even on a few 1950s Harmonies. I had one myself. m Pretty sweet looking, weren't they? As Duane pointed out you can get Grover Super Rotomatics now with the same buttons. Had a pair on old SG Special I sold. Very sexy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 As Duane pointed out you can get Grover Super Rotomatics now with the same buttons. The original tuners with the stair-step art deco buttons were Grover "Imperials", and are still avaiable. You can now also get Rotomatics with "Imperial" buttons, and you can retro fit other Grovers with these buttons, which are available through AllParts. I wanted to doll up the old "Gibson" branded Grover "no-screw" tuners on my L-5, and fitted a set of AllParts "Imperial" buttons to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 That guitar looks a lot like my neighbor's Kay archtop. I'll take a picture for you to compare if it helps. But that guitar's a splitting image of her father's Kay he left her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellion102792 Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 That guitar looks a lot like my neighbor's Kay archtop. I'll take a picture for you to compare if it helps. But that guitar's a splitting image of her father's Kay he left her. Please do! That would be cool, I'm still waiting for a reply from Dan Erlewine so any comparison pics could help. I may not even have to steam the neck off (if I were to attempt a reset), I discovered yesterday that I can rock it back and forth so it might just fall off by itself! Of course I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with a cracked joint, I haven't had a chance to take it to my luthier so no worries, I'm not about to just rock the neck out of the joint haha. Light humidifying doesn't seem to be causing any harm so far so I'm gonna stick with the whole gradual system of doing that. And thanks for the link Tommy, that site helped me ID the Harmony 12 string before it passed on to Guitar Heaven. I'll poke around on there and see what I can find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 My neighbor was quite busy this afternoon. I'll see if I can take care of that for you sometime Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellion102792 Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 Much appreciated, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellion102792 Posted January 1, 2011 Author Share Posted January 1, 2011 Got a reply back from Dan Erlewine: Andrew: I'd say it's a Kay — but it could be a Harmony because of the F-holes I think (I'd have to resort to some books which I will after these holidays are past). It's been stripped and refinished, and parts of it seem to say it's a fine old guitar (solid mahogany, the top could be solid too). I'm as curious as you are! Let me know what you find out if you will. Thanks, Happy New Year, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Here's those photographs of the old Kay Depression era guitar (at least that's what I was told). Any way. Enjoy. I believe it's mostly mahogany. I don't know what the neck wood is although it looks quite unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Got a reply back from Dan Erlewine: Cool I'm glad Dan replied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 My uncle had an old living room suite that looked like that fingerboard. I assume the fingerboard and neck are one in the same. I think the living room furniture was either dark oak or walnut. A bit darker than the fingerboard shows up on the pic. Being a Kay, I doubt they imported any wood for it's manufacture. Back then there was plenty of wood to go around. Chestnut is one wood you don't see much of that may have been used around the time of "The Big One," before the trees went near extinct (it wasn't us, it was disease). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Hmmm. A secret pickup under the fretboard of an East German instrument? A STASI guitar? I dig projects like this.. My 50's Musima East German archtop had all sorts of issues.... Bowed neck, fretboard separating from the neck, bad tuners, no truss rod..ect.ectt.... I had a truss rod installed, neck reheated to remove the bow, new frets, neck reset, new fret markers and she plays like a champ now .... I still need to address the secret pickup under the fretboard because it sounds like crap .... But that would require another fretboard removal..... I'm thinking a floating acoustic pup for ease of installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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