1960s Kent Model 820 Vintage Electric Guitar Japan Kawai Flame Maple 100% Stock

Up for sale, a 1960's Kent Model 820 in 100% original condition and in good working order. One of the most ornate and rarest Japanese guitars of the 1960s, the Kent 820 stands out with a bookmatched flame maple back and what the Kent catalog description referred to as "rally stripes" along the sides of the body. The tone has surprising fullness and low end content for a pair of single coils, with smooth sustain and plenty of sparkle and twang as well. The output is strong and balanced between the pickups with a nuanced, clear tone that responds well with your favorite tube amp. The guitar weighs in at 7lbs. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and strung with 10-46 strings, this Kent 820 is a joy to play with comfortable, low action.

The maple neck has a medium C shaped profile with a bit of chunk at the nut, filing out with more depth and shoulder up the neck, with a smooth gloss finish and bound rosewood fretboard. The original frets are intact and in truly fantastic shape, showing only light, uniform wear on frets 1-2 extending beneath the plain strings until fret 5. The frets retain their full original height, with nicely rounded crowns and solid intonation. The nut measures 1 9/16" and the scale is a full 25 1/4". On the headstock, the original sealed back tuners are intact, which turn smoothly and do their job relatively well, keeping in mind that vintage Japanese tuners historically aren't the greatest gears. In short, they do the trick, but they ain't Grovers!

All of the electronics work as they should, with a three-way pickup selector switch along with Volume and Tone knobs and a universal two-way Tone toggle on the treble side horn. The bridge retains the stock flip-up mute and works well with the Bigsby-esque vibrato for quick warbles and surfy dives.

The overall quality of this guitar and the ornate appointments truly make it stand out from the usual Japanese fare of the 1960s, and this particular instrument was crafted in the Kawai factory. Cosmetically, the guitar shows modest wear, with heavy checking on the instrument's face, light patina on the tailpiece and through the plating on the mute mechanism (which also has fresh foam). There are assorted scuffs, nicks, and shallow dings, mostly regulated to the sides and edges of the hollow body, and no serious wear of any kind. This Kent Model 820 is a fantastic example of one of the nicest instruments ever bear the "Kent" name!