The brand has been used by several manufacturers since then, mainly attached to Japanese import guitars. Kay offered their first electric guitar in 1936 — five years after the Rickenbacker Frying pan, and the same year as the Gibson ES-150.
| Type | Private (1890–1969) Brand (1969–present) |
|---|---|
| Parent | Valco (1967–68) |
Keeping this in consideration, are Kay guitars any good?
Aside from a few electric archtops like the Barney Kessel and Upbeat models, most Kay guitars remain relatively low in value and undesirable to collectors. These Style Leader archtops are typically worth between $200 and $400 today in excellent condition.
Moreover, are Kay guitars still made? Kay guitars are not currently in production. However, Kay also produced cellos and basses. Engelhardt-Link purchased the acoustic line of instruments from Kay. These are still being produced in Elk Grove Village, IL.
Just so, can you look up a guitar by serial number?
You can look up a serial number either in Gruhn’s Guide or run the number in the manufacturer’s database. The serial number itself will give you date information and the database will have a description of the guitar so you can check the specs of the guitar in question.
How old is my guitar by serial number?
For US instruments, the serial number will start with a letter. That letter indicates the decade. The second character will usually be a number. That number indicates the specific year.
How old is my guitar?
Look for a date marker on the neck.
If those two dates match up, that’s probably the exact date your guitar was built. If they don’t, it could indicate that the guitar’s neck was replaced at some point, or that the guitar was built from spare parts and is not an original build.
What brand is my guitar?
The most common place to find identification is on the headstock or on a label inside of the guitar, if applicable. If there is nothing on your guitar in question, chances are the original label or logo has fallen off.