Home Forums Guitar Discussion Guitar Guitar ID: 1950 Kay Truetone Speed Demon? (pic)

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  • #24674
    ighut
    Participant

    I noticed someone IDed a Kay Speed Demon before and was hoping they might help me out. There’s absolutely no markings on the thing and the guitar looks exactly like a 3 pickup Kay Speed Demon except for the fact that there’s no truss rod adjustment and it has the old bakelite volume knobs (do they call them muffintops or something). Do you think that means that it’s not a 1960’s version, but rather something older, or did Harmony also have a similar model?
    #http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii106/epiphonetag/kay.gif

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    • #76500
      Anonymous
      Guest

      Based on the shape of the headstock, I would say that is a Western Auto True-Tone Jazz King which was produced by Kay and is essentially just the Kay Speed Demon with a different name applied. Based on what I have seen, Kay produced the guitars (semi-hollow body) from 1961 to 1965. As pointed out above, I believe the later models might have had the more pointed cut-away. This may indicate that this particular guitar was from the earliest production (i.e. 1961). I have also never seen it with any other color pick-up selector besides black which may have been a change in later models. I have a friend who owns a True-Tone model. These are fairly rare guitars regardless of the headstock name. I have seen the Kay priced at $700 to $900 in good playing condition with minimum dings. The True-Tone seems to bring less for some reason pricing out in the $400 to $600 range. I read that you can pull the knobs off and check the code on the electronic pots and possibly find their date of production thus dating the approximate model year of the guitar. I have also seen references to 1959 models although the claim is that Kay never made the guitar model before 1961.

    • #76890
      tannerill
      Participant

      I own this exact guitar. We just picked it up at a yard sale, and it literally looks identical. White bakelite knobs, no identification anywhere. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s definitely a variation on a Kay Speed Demon for a department store, but I can’t figure out which one.

    • #76868
      Flecktonz
      Participant

      Hello,
      I was looking at your guitar and I have both a Kay and Trutone version. I’m not an expert, but the fretboards on both of mine have large dot markers and only 5. Yours has 6. FYI
      Another clue may be the frets. Both of mine have brass frets.
      Good luck.

    • #76894
      stringz
      Member

      It has the famous Kay “tissue box” pickups, but what seems out of place is the cutaway “horn”. All of the Speed Demons I have seen, including the private label models, have a pointed cutaway horn like what is found on the Gibson ES 175. Yours is more rounded. A lot of stores would make special requests to make their model different from competing stores models, so that’s probably what happened. In all other respects it does appear to be a Speed Demon private label of some sort, I’m just not sure who might have specified a reshaping of the horn.

    • #76918
      bigdaddymkg
      Participant

      Thanks for your note.

      Although the bridge, etc., are exactly as you describe, mine does NOT have the musical notes on the pick guard, something that I’ve wondered about. So, you may truly have the 1963 Truetone Jazz King picture in my catalog (with the “decorated” guard); and, I may have a slightly earlier or later model of the same guitar. I have scanned the 1963 Western Auto catalog page which shows your guitar and it is very clear. If you want to e-mail me at [email protected], I will share it with you.

    • #76910
      Airplayer
      Participant

      [quote=”bigdaddymkg”]You may no longer be interested in this; but, the guitar pictured in your entry from last year was probably built by Kay for sale by Western Auto or Penney’s. I have a 1963, Western Auto “TrueTone” which looks just like yours (except for knob and switch color). I even have the Western Auto catalog from that year…picturing the guitar at $95. I paid a lot more![/quote]

      Big Daddy I have a Truetone Speed demon too. Does yours have two large notes on the pickguard and one note has a crown in the center while the other note has an arrow pointing upwards? Mine does and I don’t know exactly what year it is but never paid a dime for it. It is all origional except for the 4 way switch knob and I’m not sure about the bridge because it is wooden with small wheels to raise and lower it. pretty cool guitar though.

    • #76902
      bigdaddymkg
      Participant

      You may no longer be interested in this; but, the guitar pictured in your entry from last year was probably built by Kay for sale by Western Auto or Penney’s. I have a 1963, Western Auto “TrueTone” which looks just like yours (except for knob and switch color). I even have the Western Auto catalog from that year…picturing the guitar at $95. I paid a lot more!

      Big Daddy

    • #76970
      ighut
      Participant

      Well, beyond the neck, I passed it by the Vintaxe site and another unusual aspect that I didn’t pay attention to was the rounded off point on the cut away vs. the usual pointed ones on most Speed Demons. So I guess I’m wondering which feed store/gas station/shoe store might have contracted out for their own brand.

    • #76916
      1bassleft
      Participant

      [quote]For a moment I thought the neck might be a replacement[/quote]

      That crossed my mind also. The K573 has a pretty unusual neck-bolting arrangement. If you undid yours and found no additional holes, then that’d suggest an original neck. Otherwise… (gets can’o’worms opener) 🙂

    • #76945
      ighut
      Participant

      Cheers on that, you’ve given me more for my search string. I’ve had the thing for about 15 years and I’m now curious just what it actually is so I can record it on there.
      For a moment I thought the neck might be a replacement; no binding on the fingerboard edge, softer wood on neck and fingerboard and lack of rod adjustment, but looks and wear fits the rest of the guitar and doesn’t show any signs that it’s ever been removed.

    • #76967
      1bassleft
      Participant

      Harmony did do a three-pup, single cutaway semi, but there are noticeable differences. I reckon yours is a Kay K573, but it might have been made for sale by Silvertone or Truetone. The headstock shape is similar to the early 60s type (rather than the mid 60s odd headstock with inline tuners) but I’ve not seen one with no trussrod before.

      We have a contributor by name of SB who can help more than most can. Have a look at his website, http://www.vintaxe.com

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