Up for sale, a 1950's Kay K192 archtop electric guitar in exceptional condition and in perfect working order. A USA-made guitar that matches specs for Kay's popular Upbeat model (but without the "Kelvinator" headstock), the K192 features the original lyre embossed pickguard with an aftermarket floating Kent WC-25 electronics assembly. Eye catching and elegant, this pickguard boasts two floating pickups and a discreet mini 1/8" jack factory mounted to the underside of the guard. Tonally, this Kay is versatile and detailed sounding, with a bridge pickup that has great top end content and string-to-string balance, keeping things lively and clear without any twang or harshness. Single note lines are round and robust, and when you blend in the neck pickup, the percussive, midrange forward qualities of this pickup pair is exquisite. With the neck pickup solo'd, there's a bloom and thickness to the tone that is perfect for Jazz, staying quite mellow, yet still defined. The 17" wide maple body features an arched spruce top and acoustically, there's plenty of projection and bark for this guitar to hold its own in an unamplified ensemble. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, this Kay is strung with Thomastik flatwound strings, and features comfortable action.

The neck has a round and deep D shaped profile with generous shoulders and full "baseball bat" status in the higher registers of the fretboard. The profile flattens out slightly at the center, making it very comfortable to rest the thumb there for chord extensions. The bound Brazilian rosewood fretboard features rounded pearl block inlays and original frets which are virtually flawless condition-wise, with perfectly rounded crowns and their full, factory height. The original bone nut measures 1 11/16" in width, and the edge of the plastic tortoise headstock overlay has receded slightly from the forward edge of the nut, exposing a thin strip of bare, unfinished wood below. The headstock features the original Kluson Deluxe single line strip tuning machines, which have immaculate nickel plating and new white buttons.

The electronics on the floating pickguard all work as they should, with pots that turn smoothly with no static. The tone control has a much more drastic effect on the bridge pickup, and works more like a volume control when the neck pickup is singled out. The graphics on the pickguard are completely intact, as are the three original Kent knobs. All of the stock hardware is present, including the nickel trapeze tailpiece and adjustable Brazilian rosewood bridge. The neck heel is both glued in and features one screw from the factory as well, and the small cap that typically conceals this screw has gone missing over the decades, which is purely cosmetic. The neck angle is sound and the body and neck have a substantial and reliable connection.

The guitar has been very well kept over the decades and the nitro lacquer sunburst finish is rich and unfaded, with only the faintest finish checking on the back and virtually no checking on the top, sides or neck. The finish has settled lightly into the grain of the spruce top and there is truly barely a scratch on this guitar, with the only wear worth noting being a couple extremely tiny finish chips which have flaked off adjacent to the binding.

The original brown faux alligator chipboard case is included. This case is structurally sound and features original latches, stock handle, and a plush red interior.

Check out our shop "Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar," and please let us know if we can answer any questions!

Shipping in the continental USA will be $75, fully insured and shipped via FedEx Ground. Expedited shipping available for an additional fee at buyer's request. We will happily ship WORLDWIDE, but please contact us for an accurate international shipping quote before bidding or buying, as cost varies by buyer location.

International orders will be declared as “merchandise,” and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. No exceptions! The customer is responsible for all taxes and duty, which may be collected upon delivery, as well as any additional charges involved with import. We have all necessary CITES paperwork in-hand to ship rosewood worldwide.

We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please contact us with any questions or concerns prior to bidding or buying. We require payment within 48 hours of auction end. In the unlikely event of a return, buyer pays all shipping costs. Your positive feedback and five star ratings are very important to us, and we appreciate your communication in resolving any issues!