Old Kraftsman Kay K-43 Vintage 1952 - 1957 Master 17 " Jumbo Archtop Jazz Blues Guitar 50's

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OLD KRAFTSMAN (KAY MODEL K-43)

17 INCH JUMBO MASTER ARCHTOP

IN STORAGE FOR 40 YEARS

FROM FAUST MUSIC MILWAUKEE CLOSING

LOW ACTION!

MADE IN CHICAGO, USA

FAT 1940'S / 50'S STYLE NECK

NEW DELUXE HARD CASE INCLUDED

LOTS OF VINTAGE 50'S CASE CANDY!

Grab it before its gone forever!

If you're in the market for a classic guitar with SOME MOJO, this is it! Why pay the same price OR MORE for a new, lesser quality, terribly boring guitar? Get something with a little history behind it!

This circa 1952 - 1957 OLD KRAFTSMAN KAY MODEL K-43 is in excellent shape, all things considered. I have studied my original Kay catalogs for reference and dating, and I found that this model appeared from approximately 1952-1957. Old Kraftsman was a private label for Spiegel Mailorder stores. The guitar does have a "K-43" stamp inside the body. I have included a picture from the 1953 KAY Catalog the shows the guitar on the top right.

If you have been looking for an old archtop THAT IS ACTUALLY PLAYABLE WITH NICE LOW ACTION, this one is for you!

I purchased this guitar from Bill Faust of Faust Music in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in late 2012. For anyone that is familiar with Faust, you know what a character he was ;-) I purchased most of Bill's vintage guitar inventory before he passed away in 2013. This guitar still has the Faust Music label on the back of the guitar.

This guitar had been in storage and/or hanging on a back wall hanger in his shop since the 1960's. He always talked about how Jimi Hendrix once came into his shop and bought a few guitars, so chances are, this guitar was in the store when he came in.  Bill had quite a few old Kays and Silvertones in varying degrees of wretchedness, and I bought most of them as fix up projects. This one was covered in an inch of dust and had rotten black rusted strings on it, but I dusted it off and made a deal with the old man. After a good cleaning and set up, this guitar turned out to be a real treasure.

Frets are in very good condition. Guitar plays great. The action is quite low, so you can actually play it comfortably. Most of these old archtops look nice, but play like crap...not this one! There is a little minor fret buzz here and there, but that's sometimes the price you pay for low action. There's still plenty of room to raise the action higher if you happen to like high action.

The neck profile is a super fat chunky 50's style. A true baseball bat. There is virtually no wear on the back of the neck, proof that this guitar was not played much.

There are no major cracks or damage. There are little signs of age on the finish, scuffs, dings, but nothing major. There is a little finish crackle on the back rear bottom of the guitar (see pic of back of guitar). It's all just cosmetic. All the seams are tight and solid on this one.

The nut has a little ding on near the high E string, but the string still sits properly on the nut. It's not an issue.

Tuners are original Kluson style and work great.

This guitar sounds amazing, plays great, and looks beautiful.

Case candy from the 1950's is also included. Song books (from the 1930's), a pitch pipe, cork capo, old pick and even some old girly magazines from 1953/1954 are included. A great package!

Many sellers don't even mention this stuff, but I like to. Please see all of the pictures. I've done my best to capture all the little details and describe this guitar as accurately as possible.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a vintage guitar, without breaking the bank, this one's for you. This guitar is in truly great condition for its age. These guitars haven't been in production for many years. They're getting harder to find each year. Grab it before somebody else does!

This classic guitar will make a fine addition to any collection.

Newer deluxe hard case included.  Guitar will be shipped securely to ensure a safe delivery to your front door.

Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions prior to purchase. I'll be happy to answer them all!

Same day shipping with tracking number e-mail update (orders received by 12:00 PM C.S.T. usually ship the same day.)
Most orders ship within 24 hours of cleared payment, Monday through Friday. I do my best to ship all orders FAST!

Please note: Used guitars, if applicable, often do not come with truss rod adjustment wrenches, locking nut wrenches or any additional tools or parts. What you see in the pictures is what you get, unless noted otherwise. Used guitars may also require new strings and additional set up/adjustments to suit an individual players taste.


IMPORTANT: OUTSIDE OF USA BUYERS PLEASE READ: FOR CUSTOMERS THAT LIVE OUTSIDE THE U.S.A.; PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL CUSTOMS/DUTY/TAX/V.A.T. FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED WITH THE PRICE YOU PAY HERE FOR YOUR ITEM(S) AND SHIPPING CHARGE. YOUR COUNTRY MAY IMPOSE A TAX/DUTY ON YOUR ITEM(S) TO BE PAID BY YOU BEFORE THE ITEM(S) CAN BE DELIVERED. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS BEFORE PLACING YOUR ORDER. AGAIN, ANY CUSTOMS TAX/DUTY FEE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, NOT MINE. PLEASE ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE PLACING YOUR ORDER. THANK YOU!

TO INTERNATIONAL BUYERS, UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE: MOST INTERNATIONAL ITEMS VALUED AT 250.00 USD AND HIGHER SHIP BY EMS POSTAL EXPRESS MAIL AND WILL REQUIRE YOUR SIGNATURE AT TIME OF DELIVERY.  I ALSO WILL NEED YOUR CURRENT TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR THE CUSTOMS PAPERWORK FORM. The phone number you have on file with PayPal will be the one I will use on the customs form. Please make sure it is accurate and up to date BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR PAYMENT.

NOTE TO ALL CUSTOMERS: If you are not satisfied with your purchase, for any reason, please let me know immediately by messaging me. I will do my best to resolve any issue you may have with your order. Thank you!

Thanks for looking!
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Arlington Guitar Trader
Arlington Heights, IL. USA