Kamico (Kay) Tenor Guitar - Late 40's to Early 50's

This is a late 40's or early 50's Kamico (Kay Musical Instrument Company) tenor guitar with a full-sized OM style body. The top is spruce, while the sides and back are mahogany. The top, back, and sound hole are bound. The mahogany neck has a rosewood fretboard. The scale length is 23". The neck joins the body at the 14th fret. This guitar has the classic narrow tenor guitar neck that is 1 1/8" wide at the nut. The action/string height is reasonable for a tenor at 2.5-3mm from high to low strings. The guitar plays easily most of the way up the neck and it has no fret buzz or dead frets. The neck has been stable while I’ve had it the last 4 years. It is a loud, sweet-sounding tenor.

The finish on this instrument is rougher. It has quite a few small blemishes/scratches scattered around the back and sides, with the greatest concentration being on the side/bottom of the guitar below the lower bout. On the top just to the right of the fretboard is a bare spot in the finish that looks light it might have been caused by pick strumming over the years? Left of the neck and sound hole, someone attempted a repair or spilled something on the top that clearly doesn’t match the finish. I have not attempted to repair any part of the finish, choosing to leave the instrument in it’s “vintage” shape. The headstock and Kamico label as well as the neck are in better shape cosmetically. The original tuners had already been replaced when I acquired this guitar and there are 4, unfilled screwholes visible on the back of the headstock. The only other thing that is not original is the strap button on the bottom of the instrument. The original had been lost and it just had a hole there and I found the most vintage correct cream button I could and installed it.

The guitar will also come with a rather old fiberboard case that is still in good shape considering. It appears that it could be the original case but I do not know that for certain.

Nut size: 1 5/32 inches

String Height 10th fret: .138 inches

String Height 15th fret: .152 inches

Neck size at 1st fret (girth): .878 inches

Neck size at 10st fret (girth): .997 inches