~1963 Kay/Truetone/Old Kraftsman Speed Demon K573/Jazz King Sunburst

Offered for sale;

Used circa 1963 Kay Speed Demon K573 / Truetone Jazz King / Old Kraftsman [with logo missing it could be any of the three] 3-Pickup thin line semi-hollow body electric guitar.

This guitar is in good condition, neck is straight and the brass frets still have lots of life in them. Cosmetically showing nicks and marks and an abundance of patina and beyond. This guitar was truly rode hard. Two pickups were rewound by Kent Armstrong. The tail piece is from somewhere else and there is a ½” piece of binding missing from the cutaway.

And the truss rod is busted. A deal breaker? Not in the least. Think of all those old inexpensive (and sometimes expensive guits) that had no adjustable truss rod to begin with. Who cares, as long as the neck is true? Well this guit was born with a truss rod but apparently none are needed. The neck is truly true. And probably has been for decades. It plays just fine the way it is.

Kay was one of the largest musical instrument manufacturers in the world during the mid-20th century, producing instruments sold under many different names over the years.

Truetone guitars, like a few Silvertone Guitars, were sub brands of the Kay guitar company. In the 1960’s the Truetone guitars that sold in the USA were retailed through the Western Auto Stores and through mail order catalogs. Many of these instruments have gained popularity and are still sought after by many collectors.

Old Kraftsman guitars were originally sold through the Spiegel mail order catalog from the ‘30s thru the ‘60s. They were made by a variety of manufacturers including Kay as well as Regal and Gibson.

Features include a 1 ¾ inch thick double bound maple hollow body, a slimline bolt on neck with 19 frets and bound rosewood fingerboard with five inlayed dot position markers, three “speed bump” pickups each with separate volume and tone controls, a four-way pickup selector switch. The tail piece appears to be different than any one we’ve seen on these guitars.

Cool, different, kitschy and retro all come to mind, collect or play! Peace symbol no extra charge!

Case not included, cases and gig bags available separately.

“We carefully inspect every instrument when we buy it and bring it up to our standards before we offer it for sale. We also do a full set up before we ship. If you decide to purchase this guitar, please let us know what gauge strings you prefer.”

*Please note: we do our best giving descriptions of used pieces. We have found it impossible to describe every mark on an instrument or amp that is not in the "mint" category. Also, what's important to you may not be important to someone else. For example, you may say, "I don't care what it looks like as long as it plays or sounds well." Another person may say, "Body cosmetics are very important to me so tell me about every scratch, nick and blemish." So, please ask the questions that are most important to you. If you ask they will be answered. They are free and there's no limit. Additional photos can also be made available.

This is a specific item that is also being offered for sale in our brick & mortar location. It is possible that it has just been sold. Please ask if it is still available before purchasing.

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