Kay K6868 Circa 1960 - Honey Blonde

Vintage Kay K6868 Style Leader archtop acoustic in the striking Honey Blonde grained finish.

This is one of those old Kay archtops that immediately has a look. The K6868 appears in Kay’s 1960 catalog with a fully arched laminated maple body, maple fingerboard, steel-reinforced neck, adjustable bridge, celluloid pickguard and Honey Blonde grained finish.

It also has a cool Nirvana connection: a very similar blonde Kay archtop appears with Kurt Cobain in Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” video. The exact identification of Cobain’s guitar has been debated, so I’m not claiming this is his guitar or that it has any celebrity provenance. It simply shares that distinctive vintage Kay look.

Condition / playability: I’m listing this one in Fair condition. It shows plenty of honest age and wear, including scratches, dings, finish wear and oxidation consistent with an approximately 65-year-old instrument. Please look closely at the photos for condition.

The action is high and I would not describe this as a normally set-up everyday fretted acoustic in its current condition. I have, however, been playing it in open G with a slide, and that’s where this old Kay becomes a lot of fun. It has a raw, bluesy vintage sound that works particularly well for slide and open-tuning playing. I’ve included a short video so you can hear the actual guitar rather than taking my word for it.

This would make a great vintage Kay/Nirvana collectible, display guitar, restoration project, or dedicated slide/blues instrument.

Sold As-Described. Please review the photos and video carefully. I have not had it professionally restored or set up and am making no promises about what work would be required to improve conventional fretted playability.