Kay Swing Master K6970 Archtop Hollowbody 1956-1960
For your consideration, we present an over-60-year old archtop from one of America's oldest guitar companies.
This Swing Master hollowbody archtop dates from 1956 to 1960, though we estimate the year of production to 1957 or 1958, as serial number research on these guitars is historically inconclusive and we have had to rely on finding comparable examples in the market in order to verify its identity. The guitar has a full Maple construction, with a Maple Laminate body and Hard Maple neck without a truss rod. The neck bears a bound Rosewood fingerboard with unusual white dot inlays - doubled-up at frets 5, 9, and 15. This guitar was refretted by Keith holland himself. The headstock sports an original set of Kluson Deluxe single-line 3-per-plate tuners and a metal Kay script nameplate. The body is constructed with a Maple laminate with arched back and top. A "poor man's neck reset" has been performed on this guitar -also by Keith Holland- and there is a visible screw in place in the heel of the neck. All original hardware -tailpiece, bridge, knobs, pickguard, and pickguard bracket- have been retained on this guitar. This guitar also bears both original "Speed Bump" pickups, though the neck pickup has been professionally rewound by Tom Brantley. Also, the pots, switch, and jack have been replaced and the original tone caps are all that remains of the original wiring harness.
This is the perfect guitar for the vintage archtop enthusiast who's looking to recapture the vibe of the old days. Though it is not the easiest guitar to play right out of the gate, the purist will see through the obstacles put forth by this instrument and will marvel at its luscious clean and throaty tone.
This guitar is in Good condition, showing signs of mild restoration and careful storage. The finish of the guitar is reasonably checked throughout, as would be expected of a guitar of this age. There are chips, dings, and scratches throughout the instrument and though there are too many to fully document, it is reasonable to say that none of these flaws effect the playability of the instrument. There is some binding separation due to shrinkage on the top edge in the waist area on both sides and there are small gaps on the reverse edge near the seam of the binding near the tail and on the treble side of the neck. All original hardware plating is lightly tarnished and showing its age, with the most tarnish showing on the pickguard bracket and the reverse of the tuning machines. This package is complete with a Guardian hard case.
Features:
Maple Laminate Body
Hard Maple Neck with Rosewood Fingerboard
Metal Kay Name Badge
"Poor Man's" Neck Reset
Refretted by Keith Holland
Original Kluson Deluxe Tuners
Kay "Speed Bump" Pickups, Neck Pickup Rewound by Tom Brantley
Original Trapeze Tailpiece "Made in Germany
Original Rosewood Adjustable Bridge
Original "Cupcake" Knobs and Batwing Pickguard
Hard Case Included
USED
$1199
This Swing Master hollowbody archtop dates from 1956 to 1960, though we estimate the year of production to 1957 or 1958, as serial number research on these guitars is historically inconclusive and we have had to rely on finding comparable examples in the market in order to verify its identity. The guitar has a full Maple construction, with a Maple Laminate body and Hard Maple neck without a truss rod. The neck bears a bound Rosewood fingerboard with unusual white dot inlays - doubled-up at frets 5, 9, and 15. This guitar was refretted by Keith holland himself. The headstock sports an original set of Kluson Deluxe single-line 3-per-plate tuners and a metal Kay script nameplate. The body is constructed with a Maple laminate with arched back and top. A "poor man's neck reset" has been performed on this guitar -also by Keith Holland- and there is a visible screw in place in the heel of the neck. All original hardware -tailpiece, bridge, knobs, pickguard, and pickguard bracket- have been retained on this guitar. This guitar also bears both original "Speed Bump" pickups, though the neck pickup has been professionally rewound by Tom Brantley. Also, the pots, switch, and jack have been replaced and the original tone caps are all that remains of the original wiring harness.
This is the perfect guitar for the vintage archtop enthusiast who's looking to recapture the vibe of the old days. Though it is not the easiest guitar to play right out of the gate, the purist will see through the obstacles put forth by this instrument and will marvel at its luscious clean and throaty tone.
This guitar is in Good condition, showing signs of mild restoration and careful storage. The finish of the guitar is reasonably checked throughout, as would be expected of a guitar of this age. There are chips, dings, and scratches throughout the instrument and though there are too many to fully document, it is reasonable to say that none of these flaws effect the playability of the instrument. There is some binding separation due to shrinkage on the top edge in the waist area on both sides and there are small gaps on the reverse edge near the seam of the binding near the tail and on the treble side of the neck. All original hardware plating is lightly tarnished and showing its age, with the most tarnish showing on the pickguard bracket and the reverse of the tuning machines. This package is complete with a Guardian hard case.
Features:
Maple Laminate Body
Hard Maple Neck with Rosewood Fingerboard
Metal Kay Name Badge
"Poor Man's" Neck Reset
Refretted by Keith Holland
Original Kluson Deluxe Tuners
Kay "Speed Bump" Pickups, Neck Pickup Rewound by Tom Brantley
Original Trapeze Tailpiece "Made in Germany
Original Rosewood Adjustable Bridge
Original "Cupcake" Knobs and Batwing Pickguard
Hard Case Included
USED
$1199