1960s Kay K1160 Parlor Guitar Tobacco Sunburst Musical Note Acoustic – “Danny”

Strike a chord with “Danny,” a classic 1960s Kay “Musical Note” parlor guitar with one of the most recognizable graphic designs ever to come out of the department store mail order guitar era.

Between the tobacco sunburst finish, painted block markers and oversized white musical note pick guard, this thing has enough personality to stand out from across the room. 

Cosmetically, this one is in great shape overall, with honest paint wear and edge chipping from decades of use, especially along the lower back edge.

The natural-finish neck features painted black block markers, while the back shows the three-bolt steel-reinforced Kay neck construction that allows for easy removal and adjustment.

The floating bridge, brass saddle, and tailpiece setup give it that quintessential Chicago catalog guitar sound – punchy, dry, direct, and a little rough around the edges in all the right ways. Great for blues, folk strumming, slide, or just hanging on the wall looking cooler than most modern guitars ever will.

Currently strung with Martin Custom Lights. Action measures approximately 3mm at the 12th fret on the bass side, and the neck geometry remains quite respectable for a guitar of this type and age.

A very cool old Chicago-made survivor with loads of character, Danny has plenty of stories left in him – and plenty of music left too.

SPECS
Make: Kay K1160 Parlor Guitar  
Nickname: “Danny” 
Year: 1960s 
Color: Tobacco sunburst w/ white music note pick guard and faux binding 
Serial No.: None 
Made: Kay Musical Instrument Company, Chicago, IL, USA 
Scale: 25-1/4" 
Frets: 18 
Body: Spruce (top), mahogany (back and sides) 
Neck: Poplar, steel-reinforced bolt-on 
Fingerboard: Maple 
Markers: Painted blocks 
Nut: White synthetic 
Nut width: 2-1/8" 
Tuners: Kluson 3x3 single line 
Bridge: Nickel-plated trapeze tailpiece, floating maple / brass saddle 
Overall length: 39" 
Body length: 18-1/2" 
Depth: 3-1/2" 
Upper bout: 10" 
Lower bout: 14" 
Case: N/A  
Strings: Martin MA535 Custom Light phosphor bronze – .011, .015, .022, .032, .042, .052 

Note: This is a vintage instrument and shows normal wear consistent with age. Please refer to the listing photos for the cosmetic condition of each individual item prior to clicking the “Gimme!” button. Items are sold “as is”, no returns. Thank you for respecting that. 

Feel free to reach out with any questions, and have a Fun Time kinda day.