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Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:08 pm
by 101Volts
I've seen these on ebay recently and thought they looked cool. However I'm not referring to models under the 300 models, Those are like starter models and look too boxy, Some only have one pickup too. The ones I'm talking about are like these:

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/viewima ... guard5.JPG

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... otohosting

I was wondering if anyone here had played this kind of guitar. I heard their biggest problem is you can't intonate the strings with the bridge. How big of a problem could this make?

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:20 pm
by Dennisthe Menace
Those were all STUDENT Model Guitars from the 60's. There's nothing wrong with wanting to have one,
but if you are looking to find a Mo,' stay the course and don't let anything take you "out in Left Field."

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:42 pm
by MWaldorf
I have a Kay hollowbody which I've drastically modified. The original neck was huge and the scale length was over 26". The pickup, one of the plastic "kleenex" covered ones, was fair sounding. On the plus side, the thing is build like a tank, the top has got to be close to a 1/4 inch thick.

It started life as one of these:
Image

And currently looks something like this:
Image

Of course, I bought it fifteen years ago for about $100, they're worth too much to futz with now. I installed a Godin tele neck, three Gibson P-90s, a Jazzmaster tremolo, thin switch and two three way toggles.

OK, this was a bit tangential to your topic, but basically, unless you're looking at Barnel Kessel model Kays, you probably wouldn't be satisfied with the stock performance.

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:01 pm
by Dennisthe Menace
Image

Gee.....Now, Why does this Tri-Powered
Set Up not surprise me???? :mrgreen:

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:44 pm
by MWaldorf
Dennisthe Menace wrote:Image

Gee.....Now, Why does this Tri-Powered
Set Up not surprise me???? :mrgreen:


If it makes you feel better it briefly had a fourth, piezo pickup dangling from under the vibrato...

Sorry 101Volts, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. :oops:

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:10 pm
by Dennisthe Menace
MWaldorf wrote:
Dennisthe Menace wrote:Image

Gee.....Now, Why does this Tri-Powered
Set Up not surprise me???? :mrgreen:

Mel posted:
If it makes you feel better it briefly had a fourth, piezo pickup dangling from under the vibrato...

Mel,
The day you start installing a GPS System with a dock loading I-Pod,
oh...and Cruise Control, will be the day I give up the Guitar :mrgreen:

Sorry 101Volts, MEL and I (actually me DTM is guilty) didn't mean to hijack your thread. :oops:

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:15 pm
by MWaldorf
Dennisthe Menace wrote:The day you start installing a GPS System with a dock loading I-Pod,
oh...and Cruise Control, will be the day I give up the Guitar :mrgreen:

Sorry 101Volts, MEL and I (actually me DTM is guilty) didn't mean to hijack your thread. :oops:


If you give up guitar, can I have your Mosrites? If so, I'll start working on that cruiser control...

Mel

Re: Anyone here have experience with Kay Vanguard guitars?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 11:16 pm
by Dennisthe Menace
MWaldorf wrote:
Dennisthe Menace wrote:The day you start installing a GPS System with a dock loading I-Pod,
oh...and Cruise Control, will be the day I give up the Guitar :mrgreen:

Sorry 101Volts, MEL and I (actually me DTM is guilty) didn't mean to hijack your thread. :oops:


If you give up guitar, can I have your Mosrites? If so, I'll start working on that cruiser control...

Mel

Image