I guess that both this and the currently ready to go K1 should correctly be called model K1-S, as shown in the vintage catalogs...K1-B for the blond/natural finish, and K1-S for the sunburst, which both these are in line with the catalog description of...."Shaded dark violin brown finish with large golden sunburst on the top and back."

I regularly "pre-sell" my guitars, at the stage where I am still working on them, or even before starting, so I list some, not all, of the guitars waiting to come through the workshop, and welcome further enquiries, if you don't see what you are looking for.

*** Restoration work has not yet commenced on these guitars....further condition, work schedule and description details will be added after re- assessment. ***

KAY K1 OLD KRAFTSMA BRAND SINGLE CUT 17" MASTER SIZE CUTAWAY ARCHTOP, 1952-1955 (MODEL PLAYED BY BUDDY GUY ON THE MUDDY WATERS "FOLK SINGER" 1964 ACOUSTIC CHESS RECORDING) - VTG1579 - Price on enquiry - photos to be added, but meantime showing illustration of K1 from Kay 1956 (PAGE 4) Catalog....very similar image appears for the K8091 on page 5 of the 1959 catalog, but then annotated as K8091 model. Although there are still similar models in the 1960 catalog, neither of these specific models appear again 1960 onwards.

Initial Dating Research:

The guitars came to me with suggested production dates of 1955 and 1959. The 1955 dating is likely to be correct, as the guitar had been in single ownership since purchased new in the USA. The 1959 dating, also from a long-term ownership, was based on assumptions regarding it's second hand purchase location at around that date, in the UK, linking that with a suggestion that the guitar cam to the UK with a touring American Bluesman. Some initial research suggests that this guitar also would have been produced by 1955 at the latest.

I have not been able to locate a useable image of the K1 for earlier than the image displayed here, which is from the 1956 Kay Catalog....the printed fully in colour, rather than the black and white images which appear in both the 1953 & 1954 Catalogs (and probably also 1955, but that one has not been located). I have added an Additional Link below to the 1953 Kay Guitar Catalog, on page 9 of which the K1 can be seen with 9 dot inlays to the fingerboard, whereas the 1956 colour illustration clearly shows block inlays, but still details it as K1 model....this ties in with the embedded YouTube video from Jake Wildwood of a K1 with block inlays.

The next available catalog, for 1959, shows what appears to be a repeat of the '56 illustration, but this time the guitar is named "Combo" model, number K8091....again with the block fingerboard inlays.

Both the K1s here have the 9 dot inlay fingerboards, which from the evidence available suggests that they were made not later than 1955. In addition to the 1953 catalog link a further Kay Guitar Model History page available from the Kay Reissue site...... (https://www.kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/kayhistory.pdf)
.....shows production of the K1 from 1952 to 1956, and the K8091 in 1957-1958.

The intriguing thing about the K1 entry here is that it indicates a Carved Spruce top...whereas the corresponding entry for the K8091 just shows Spruce top. Jake Wildwood's blog on the K1 he worked on described the Spruce top as "pressed"!

Speculation only on my part, which I hope to investigate further, but did the production of the K1 (and subsequently the apparently identical K8091), at some point by 1956 switch from a Carved Spruce top to a Pressed top, and at that point was the change combined with the introduction of flashier block neck inlays?

I think that the dating & model identification is fairly clear, even if elements of the construction details remain to be confirmed, but if I come across any further information I will update the details.

Both these guitars arrived with certain issues, not surprising with near 70 year old guitars, and some none original fittings.

Most significant difference, or indeed really the only significant difference between them is that the Kay badged one has the attached chrome badge on traditional shaped Kay headstock of the time, and non-adjustable neck reinforcement (catalog description, "Metal reinforced hard Maple neck"), whereas the Old Kraftsman version has painted logo on twin scallop head, and adjustable truss rod (yet to be investigated).

The Old Kraftsman version also appears to have neck join/block issues, likely to require the body to be opened up, which is a pain, but at least in doing so, we should be able to resolve the question as to whether the top is indeed carved or, more likely, pressed.

On completion of restoration the guitars will be set-up with correct action and strings for the type of guitar. Neither guitar has a case, and cases this large are difficult to source, but I may be able to obtain a Hiscox hard shell jumbo case at reasonable additional cost if required.