1962 Kay Model N-2 Archtop Electric Guitar
Serial Number: L3665
Spruce top, Maple sides and back
Single vintage DeArmond pickup with 1 volume, 1 tone contol
Floating Rosewood Bridge
Upgraded Nickel Frets
Original retail cost in 1962: $59.95
Cost in today's dollars if adjusted for inflation: $370.20 as of 2005
Bought: May 7 2006
Price I paid on eBay: $255.00

This guitar is a K6533 "Value Leader" electric acrchtop guitar that retailed for $59.95 back in 1962. I paid $250 for it and consider that a deal since I've seen them going for over $500. Since my guitar was produced around 1962, it was made during Sidney Katz's administration of the Company and before Valco took over (see below for some history of the company). This guitar is exactly like the one Jack White plays for Whites Stripes songs such as "Seven Nation Army," "Death Letter," and "Stop Breaking Down." Almost immediately after I bought this guitar I had a luthier remove the original brass frets (which were badly worn), level the fretboard, install semi-jumbo nickel frets, and get the truss rod working again. Now the guitar plays and sounds amazing. It's got excellent midrange tone and has a nice deep, low sound without being muddy or boomy.

The Kay Guitar Company as founded by Henry Kuhrmeyer in 1890 and was based out of the city of Chicago (home of Gibson guitars). Kay primarily manufactured "department store" style, inexpensive guitars from the 1930's to the 1960's. But they also made some hi-end, quality archtop guitars. The most collectable Kays are any model with the "Kelvinator" plastic headstock overlay with art deco patterns. Used from 1957 to 1960, this headstock was named after the brand of refrigerator that looked quite similar. This overlay was injection molded with clear acrylic plastic and then back-painted either white or black, with gold highlights in the crest and gold dots outside of the crest. Starting in late 1960, Kay switched to a less expensive "half" Kelvinator that used just the triangle Kay crest from the full Kelvinator, screwed to a simple black plastic headstock veneer. This "half" Kelvinator dropped the black or white back-painted acyrlic "lunchcountertop" surround with gold dots. This design only lasted till the end of 1961 when the Kelvinator headstock was completely dropped. Kay also made guitars with other brand names on the headstock. These are still Kay's, just they are made for department store type companies. This includes Spiegel ("Old Kraftsmen"), Montgomery Ward ("Sherwood Deluxe"), JC Penny's ("Penncrest"), Sears and Roebuck ("Silvertone"), and Orpheum through the 1950's and 1960's. The most common name (other than "Kay") is by far "Old Kraftsmen". In addition to guitars, Kay also made Violins, Cellos, Upright Basses, and Mandolins.

Ownership of the company changed hands a few times. Ownership changed from Kuhrmeyer to Sidney M. Katz in 1955 shortly before Kuhrmeyer's death in 1956 and then again to Valco Company (known for their "National" and "Supro" brands [and also my Airline guitar]) in 1967. Unfortunately, Japanese competition, debt accumulation and inventory excesses were difficult for Kay/Valco to handle and a decision was made to dissolve the company in October of 1969.

Above is a picture of Jack White on SNL playing a Kay exactly like the one I own. At right is a clipping of the original 1962 Catalog advertisement for this guitar