$50 Kay guitar

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:14 pm

$50 with gigbag M'kay?

I think it is a 70s or early 80s Kay because it has the strat shaped headstock.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:16 pm

Looks like a great kick-around guitar for $50...I'd probably have picked it up too. How's it play?

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:19 pm

Nick wrote:Looks like a great kick-around guitar for $50...I'd probably have picked it up too. How's it play?

"Great for slide" lol. The action is kinda high. I take that back,I was able the lower the action enough with the bridge so that it plays alot better now.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:30 am

I have a question: How can I get the action lower? The problem is if lower it to much it hits the pickup which is pretty tall and non adjustable any suggestions? Would I have to rout under the pickguard to get the pickup lower or is there an easier solution like shimming the neck?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:53 am

How straight is the neck? Yes, a shim is probably the first thing I would try here.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:05 am

i'd shim the neck first also like Nick suggests, its less drastic than routing the for the pickups

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:38 am

I bet that pickup sounds like nothing else today does.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:47 am

the pickups look just like the ones on the bass rps-10 gave me to do up (note to self, sort that thing out)

NickD · Post by **NickD** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:10 pm

I've got a guitar I picked up for Â£25 a few weeks ago with those pickups.

It's surprisingly pleasant to play.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:06 pm

Thanks! The neck is straight and the frets are good. This guitar might have be made in the 80s.
I found this picture in a 1985 Kay catalog.

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:14 pm

Off topic, but have you posted about your Greta amp yet?

rps-10 · Post by **rps-10** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:02 pm

lorez wrote:the pickups look just like the ones on the bass rps-10 gave me to do up (note to self, sort that thing out)

It is thats why, ebay is littered with the cheap things these days. Kay used them on everything during those years and yeah they make great slide guitars

When it comes to Kay guitars they send a shiver down my spine, truly abysmal first electric guitar experience for me.

UlricvonCatalyst · Post by **UlricvonCatalyst** » Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:20 pm

I've had dozens of these in the sunburst finish. They definitely occupy the cheap'n'cheerful end of the market. As others have said, shimming the neck is the best solution to the challenging action. Better machine heads could help make it more user-friendly too.

pumpkin · Post by **pumpkin** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:39 pm

I want one now

willc · Post by **willc** » Wed May 02, 2012 6:44 pm

I would have never of guessed that these came out in 1985.
The styling screams 70's to me.
I would pick one up in a second if I saw one though.
Those pickups are pretty good sounding, they are in one of my Japanese cheapie guitars.

westtexasred · Post by **westtexasred** » Wed May 02, 2012 7:18 pm

willc wrote:I would have never of guessed that these came out in 1985.
The styling screams 70's to me.
I would pick one up in a second if I saw one though.
Those pickups are pretty good sounding, they are in one of my Japanese cheapie guitars.

They had this same style of guitar in the Kay catalogs since at least 1973

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed May 02, 2012 7:37 pm

How's that thing sound through the Gretta? Seems like a perfect match.