{"product_id":"kay-kay-kraft-venetian-style-a-arch-top-acoustic-guitar-1932-11357","title":"Kay Kay Kraft Venetian Style A Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1932)","description":"Kay Kay Kraft Venetian Style A Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar, c. 1932, made in Chicago, sunburst lacquer with stenciling finish, laminated mahogany body, spruce top; mahogany neck with ebonized maple fingerboard, brown chipboard case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a generally well-preserved example of Kay's signature early-'30s line of \"Venetian Model\" asymmetrical-bodied round hole arch-tops, carrying the \"house\" Kay Kraft brand name. This mahogany-bodied Style \"A\" guitar was the lowest priced of the three-guitar line, the original list price being $25.00 in 1931. These were quite successful at the time, although not too many survive in this good condition 90+ years along.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe triple-bound sunburst top has elaborate stencil decoration typical of a number of Chicago-made instruments on the lower half over a shaded sunburst finish. The very-innovative-for-the-time bolt-on neck is adjustable for angle, secured by a huge wing nut on neck block. This system actually works for setting the action, although it was a rather short-lived feature. The dot-inlaid fingerboard is single bound and the white pearloid headstock is adorned with a gold-painted raised \"Kay Kraft\" logo and edging decoration. This one has the adjustable Bakelite bridge used briefly around 1932-3 and retains the oft-missing black single-layer pickguard. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese early Kays are something of an oddball Depression-era classic, one of the early successes in a laminated-wood design and a snazzy one at that. They have a bright and barky sound, not particularly subtle but effective as fingerpicking guitars or in small combo situations. The Kay Kraft line equipped many cash-strapped players at the time with a decent guitar at a lower price than most, and are still a good value in a cool, authentic pre-WWII guitar.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 14 7\/16 in. (36.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 3 9\/16 in. (9 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1\/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11\/16 in. (43 mm.). \u003cbr\u003eThis is a nice original example, with some light play wear but no major damage or alterations. The finish has some general wear with checking overall and a random collection of dings, chips and scrapes. There are a couple of ply cracks and a few deep scratches, but no cracks to the instrument. All hardware is complete and original including oft-missing pieces like the Waverly strip tuners, Bakelite pickguard and cool adjustable molded bridge. The bridge has a small chip off the treble side base. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe fingerboard binding has shrunk up somewhat with a few minor splits but is not flaking or crumbling. The neck is straighter than most of these, the frets are original with some minor wear and this is as good a player as we generally expect Kay Krafts to be, with a bigger, punchier sound than many. It includes an old but later period chipboard case. Overall Excellent - Condition.","brand":"Kay","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853682167948,"sku":"11357","price":1600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_cdb63b12-89c8-439a-873d-c0b3d9d4df43.jpg?v=1774342819","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/kay-kay-kraft-venetian-style-a-arch-top-acoustic-guitar-1932-11357","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}