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Thread: Kay Tele/JM/Mustang???

  1. #1
    Forum Member Cygnus X1's Avatar
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    Kay Tele/JM/Mustang???

    Got another guitar from someone at work.
    The last was a '62 Jazzmaster that I was proud to restore for his son.

    This one was a several month teaser...the guy simply said "Well, I paid a musician 20 dollars for it way back when...got an amp also".
    He finally brought it in to me to give it a going over for his Grandson.

    He didn't bring the amp, but he said "It has tubes".

    I want to see that!

    No clue to me what the guitar was until I looked it up, but it is a pretty cool sounding little axe that would be GREAT for a slide player.

    I present...a 1964 Kay Vanguard:

    (And a nasty soundclip...those strings are a good 1/4 mile up from the FB).

    http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9419623




    Someone took out the ashtray cover, the bridge, and stuck an acoustic rosewood bridge on it.
    Sounds like a John Mooney mod (look it up in your Guitar Player Repair book
    by Dan Earlewine).

    I really need to do some work on the action but it gives up a nice tone.
    That zippo pup is cool!

  2. #2
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Kay Tele/JM/Mustang???

    shim that neck and be ready to rock old skool. i doubt the kid appreciates kool guitsteels like this, but he should!
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  3. #3
    Forum Member Cygnus X1's Avatar
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    Re: Kay Tele/JM/Mustang???

    Quote Originally Posted by chuckocaster View Post
    shim that neck and be ready to rock old skool. i doubt the kid appreciates kool guitsteels like this, but he should!
    Thanks Chuck...that is indeed the plan.
    Hopefully I won't have to wait another 3 months to see the Kay amp.


  4. #4
    Forum Member Cygnus X1's Avatar
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    Re: Kay Tele/JM/Mustang???

    The man finally brought the amp in...I asked him if it was a tube amp...he said "well it's really old...I guess".

    Well, no.
    It is really old, but it is an old Univox SS.
    So I cleaned it up and gave it a shot.
    Popped badly when strummed.
    Popped at every chance a signal hit it!

    So I just gently pulled it apart and gave a good cleaning with Deoxit and twiddled the knobs while sipping beers...
    Put it back together and it sounds as good as any vintage solid state amp ought to.
    (Ahem, it will do).
    As for the Kay I was able to put a gibby style tunomatic on to fix the intonation, adjusted the truss, and it turned out to be a very playable, fun guitar and amp combo.
    Also made a brass nut to replace the broken plastic one.

    For the friend?
    No charge.

    Pic:

  5. #5
    Forum Member Cygnus X1's Avatar
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    Re: Kay Tele/JM/Mustang???

    And to add, a little secret.

    He let on he has another "little guitar and amp" he is actually going to give to the grandson.

    Seems after I played that ugly little soundclip for him at work, he was hooked.

    He wants to keep it now and "learn all that, you know...to play at Church".
    Right.

    I think the old fella wants to have some Saturday night fun like the rest of us.


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