1965 Kay 5113 'Plains Special' flattop guitar. Metal 'Circle K' headstock.

Up for consideration is a 1965 Kay 5113 'Plains Special' flattop guitar. Metal 'Circle K' headstock cover. Made in USA.

Note: I will offer FREE shipping with full purchase price; otherwise shipping and handling will be a flat $65 to the CONUS.

She is in Very Good to Excellent condition, all original except for a replacement set of tuners, and new bone nut. The pearloid binding on the top and back is complete and intact.  There is some minor finish issues on the treble side, and a 'stripe' of finish missing on the back.  These are shown in the listing photos.  

The neck profile is the familiar fat 'baseball bat' shape;  a substantial 'D' shape. The original bridge is the unique 'top-loader' style, with the strings feeding in from the front, and then looped up and over the saddle. The bridge has been 'ramped' for a better break angle.   

With a solid top, but laminate back and sides, she sounds better than she has a right to; chunky and dry with surprising volume and sustain.  The bass could be more pronounced, but the mids and trebles ring out nice and clear. Wide string spacing at the nut and saddle allow for plenty of fretboard real estate for finger-picking.  

I have performed the following repairs:

• Tuner replacement/upgrade - the original Japanese 3-in-line tuners had a missing stem, and bent shafts.  I replaced them with a set of period correct USA made (Kluson?) 3-in-line from an old Harmony carcass.  The tuners are smooth and hold tune well.
• New bone saddle:  A new intimated bone saddle has been fitted.

Aside from the above, she is in original condition, there are no loose braces, un-repaired cracks, or other repairs to worry about. The action is medium/high, measuring 10/64ths at the 12th fret. There is at the saddle to adjust slightly lower. However, the string height in front of the tall bridge is slightly over 1/2", with a deep saddle slot.  I was tempted to simply shave the bridge top a bit to allow the saddle to be lowered, but in the end, I opted to leave it original, and leave the decision to the new owner. The truss rod works, and has been adjusted to .007" relief.

Here is the writeup from from the 1965 Kay Catalog:

K113 "Plains Special"
The combination of high priced features and low selling point make this a top flight value!  It's an auditorium sized guitar with a solid spruce top, and laminated, crack-proof mahogany back and sides for real fine guitar tone and appearance. The edges and coundhole are celluloid bound, with additional black/white purfling on the top edge and soundhole. "THIN-LITE" neck with adjustable truss rod, and rosewood bridge.

A note on 'action and playability': every guitar's action (the string height at the 12th fret), relief (the amount of forward curve of the fretboard), and playability (the ease with which notes and chords are fretted) will be different depending on the guitar's setup. What is ideal for one person might not suit another, and any adjustment is understood to be the responsibility of the owner. The measurements and description I have provided are accurate and setup references are to my tastes, and may not be yours.  

I have repaired and sold many guitars, and pride myself on my thorough description and customer service. The guitar will be packed securely, and shipped with insurance in a sturdy guitar shipping carton. Because of the repairs and investment I've put into this guitar (and that you won't have to), I am pricing this as what I believe to be fair, based the comparable sales I have been able to find. I will entertain reasonable Best Offer. I will offer FREE shipping with full purchase price; otherwise shipping and handling will be a flat $65 to the CONUS.

Please view all pics and ask any and all questions before buying/making an offer. I have described the condition accurately and completely; while I am certain you will be satisfied with the guitar,this is an as-is sale with no returns unless I have mis-represented something.