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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.mandohangout.com/archive/25529
KellerSD - Posted - 12/27/2011: 13:53:38
My mom recently returned from my Grandparent's ranch with a project for me. It's a very old Kay Mandolin that has been sitting in the attic with a broken headstock and nut since at least 1961. That's as far back as she can remember seeing it in the case and it's been sitting ever since. According to my grandma, they loaned it to the neighbor boys sometime around 1959/1960 and it was returned with a snapped headstock. Someone did a half-assed repair using epoxy and 2 steel pins but it was never finished and never saw the light of day. I got ahold of it this month and did a proper repair, refinished the neck and built a new nut. After a new set of strings and some adjustments, she plays very, very well and has excellent tone. I have no idea how old it is however, or what model it is. There are no markings inside the body and no literature or stickers in the case. I've seen similar models online from the 1930's & 1940's, but never exactly like this one. If anyone has info or resources on this model, my family would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
Jim Sallis - Posted - 12/27/2011: 15:59:02
Headstock shape, logo and binding suggest mid- to late-Thirties. I've a Hawaiian guitar from the same era.
TI_USER - Posted - 12/27/2011: 20:22:36
You could probably improve it even more by replacing the bridge. I did that on a Harmony Monterey I got recently and it made a big improvement. Many of those old mandolins had big, clunky bridges made of rosewood. A good, lightweight ebony bridge could do wonders.
KellerSD - Posted - 12/29/2011: 05:18:53
Thanks for the info and advice, guys- really appreciate it. We're having a lot of fun with this thing..
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