Tweedy Guitar

[jff]

You obviously already peeked, might as well just go ahead and write what it says.

 

No can do. The only reason I peeked is because the guitar descriptions are on the back side of each page, so it's difficult to read about each day's guitar without seeing the next day's guitar. If I read the back side of tomorrow's page before tomorrow, at best, I'll be setting a terrible precedent for myself, and at worst, it could put a wrinkle in time.

 

I promise to transcribe it in full tomorrow morning.

 

As a teaser, I'll say this: Just as Tweedy's guitar and the red one posted above have some minor cosmetic differences that we pointed out when this thread was new, the one in the calendar has some details that are different than both Tweedy's and the red one. I'll attempt to describe those tomorrow, as well.

[MattZ]

sounds like a badass calendar. Where does a guy like me find something like that?

[jff]

sounds like a badass calendar. Where does a guy like me find something like that?

 

Hopefully this link will work:

 

http://www.megacalendars.com/2010-Page-Per-Day-Box/Others-1/Electric-Guitars-Classics-2010-Page-Per-Day-Calendar-CB-839

 

I thik my wife bought mine at Waldenbooks. It's a fun calendar, but sometimes they do too many pages in a row of similar guitars. Also, despite the calendar being called "Electric Guitar Classics", a few of the guitars I've seen so far are most definitely NOT classics.

[MattZ]

Hopefully this link will work:

 

http://www.megacalendars.com/2010-Page-Per-Day-Box/Others-1/Electric-Guitars-Classics-2010-Page-Per-Day-Calendar-CB-839

 

I thik my wife bought mine at Waldenbooks. It's a fun calendar, but sometimes they do too many pages in a row of similar guitars. Also, despite the calendar being called "Electric Guitar Classics", a few of the guitars I've seen so far are most definitely NOT classics.

 

cool, thanks! I dont think this will help my problem of rationalizing unnecessary guitar purchases.

[jff]

Ok, so here's the description from the page-a-day calendar:

 

Model: Kay K592

 

Year: Circa 1964 (applies to the one pictured on the calendar)

 

Production: Circa 1962 to circa 1964

 

The Kay K592 "Red Devil" brought the bold look of pointed horns to Kay's archtop line in the early 1960s, but it nevertheless represented the toning down of Kay models after the gaudy "Kelvinator" headstocks and "Kleenex box" pickups of the late 1950s. The earliest version of the model had a very simplified "Kelvinator" headstock, but by the time of this example, the peghead logo had been reduced to a stenciled letter K.

 

Kay had moved into a larger factory in suburban Chicago in 1964, which would suggest that the company was doing well, but model K592 proved to be a more accurate indicator -- and early sign of troubled times, as the company consistently lost market share in competition with cheap Japanese imports.

 

The Seeburg jukebox company bought Kay in 1966 and then sold it a year later to the Chicago-based Valco company, which was struggling with its National and Supro brands. IN 1968, Valco went bankrupt. The Kay name was bought at auction in 1969 and was used on cheap, Asian made guitars after that.

________________

 

This photo is not the one from the calendar, but is virtually identical. The only differences being that the Bigsby in the calendar is black and silver, and it looks like the guitar in this photo MIGHT have one non-original tone or volume knob (but looking at it again, that might just be the way the light is reflecting off the knob).

 

Here is a close up of the "Kelvinator" headstock badge, which, oddly enough, does not match Tweedy's OR the red one:

 

 

One other difference between this model and the red one posted a while back is that this one (and the calendar one) have what appears to be a metal bridge, rather than a wood bridge.

[jimmyjimmy]

Interesting find on Gbase this morning...

http://www.gbase.com...1964-cherry-red

 

Description: Here is a simply stunning early 1960s KAY Speed Demon. Sounds and plays killer. Beautiful flamed finish, very rare. A wonderful example. Hard case.

 

[MattZ]

that place is 6 blocks from me, if anyone wants me to go check it out on his/her behalf.

I am more of an acoustic guy than an electric guy, but hey, the offer stands.

[jff]

1960s KAY Speed Demon.

 

That's interesting. When I was looking into this a couple months ago, everything I read described this model as a "Red Devil", but apparently they called it a "Speed Demon", too. I guess the fact that they had multiple names for the same guitar is similar to their inconsistent use of various parts (different headstock badges, different bridge materials).

 

I guess Kay's inconsistency is part of its charm.

[jimmyjimmy]

I guess Kay's inconsistency is part of its charm.

 

I think your right.

FWIW...Rivington also also has a single cutaway three pickup model, also called a "Speed Demon" currently in their inventory.

 

 

 

Wow that image is huge....

[rockinrob]

kay, valco, and harmony changed everything from model to model. All of their instruments can be completely unique, and they would all put any brand on the headstock someone would pay them to put on there. and the inconsistencies are what make them cool! They were cheaper, and many times not taken very good care of, meaning very few have made it. All of this combines to make them more fun to collect!