A very beautiful Kay ‘Swingmaster’ model, made in Chicago USA and dating from the early 1960s.
This model was one of Kay’s higher-end offerings, designed to compete with equivalent Gibson et al contemporaries. They featured the highly-desirable ‘Kleenex’ pickups, so named for their shape and usually reserved for their incredibly expensive Barney Kessel signature model.
Other high end appointments include a bound herringbone body and bound dark rosewood neck with real block inlays.
Plays and sounds incredible, the Kleenex pickups (to my ear) are somewhat comparable to a vintage P90 - they’re single coils but certainly not thin, are incredibly clear and a definite step up from some of their more pedestrian pickups.
Specs:
Country of origin: USA (Chicago)
Date of manufacture: 1960s
Sunburst finish
Herringbone bound body
Bound neck
Rosewood fingerboard with block inlays
Condition:
In good used condition, well-played but not abused. Some marks to the body and neck and natural lacquer checking throughout, though free of any structural repairs, breaks or issues.
Modifications/repairs:
Non original bridge / tailpiece (appears to be vintage/old Gibson style tailpiece) and it evidently had a bigsby tailpiece previously. Minor paint touch up to neck heel from a previous strap button.
Accessories:
None.
A fantastic USA made electric hollowbody with amazing stock pickups. In my opinion, these easily go toe-to-toe with their Gibson equivalents - at about 1/3 of the price.
top of page
£950.00Price
bottom of page