“Kay Musical Instrument Company”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

One of the best known Kay electric guitars during the 1950s was the K-161 "Thin Twin", most visibly used by blues artist Jimmy Reed. This instrument debuted in 1952, and featured a single cutaway body, a distinctive "fire stripe" tortoiseshell pickguard, and a pair of thin blade-style pickups that gave the guitar its name.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} Kay used this type of pickups on various Kay electrics dating back to the 1940s.

Also in 1952, Kay introduced the matching K-162 "Electronic" Bass, which was the first commercially available thinline-hollowbody electric bass guitar, and the second production electric bass guitar after the Fender Precision Bass debuted in 1951. Due to the use of K-162 by a bassist of Howlin' Wolf, Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon, it is commonly known as the "Howlin Wolf" bass. These instruments{{clarify|date=April 2015|reason=extent seems unclear. Possible estimations may be: (1) instances of model K-162, (2) above K-161 & K-162, (3) K-162 & following K-160, (4) entire K-161, K-162, & K-160, (5) others ?}} are believed to be the first semi-hollow electrics{{citation needed|date=April 2015}} (i.e., thinline-hollowbody electric with solid center-block), predating the Gibson ES-335 by six years. Their unique design{{clarify|date=April 2015|reason=same as above: extent seems unclear.}} featured a flat top with no f-holes, a free-floating arched back, and two braces running along the top. The result was a semi-acoustic instrument that was feedback-resistant while retaining natural acoustic resonances. In 1954, Kay added the K-160 bass to its catalog with baritone tuning, according to the catalog,{{citation needed|date=April 2015|reason=1954 catalog seems not found.}} "tuned like the first four guitar strings but one octave lower." Structurally this bass was basically same as K-162 bass, except for the higher pitched tuning and the addition of a white pickguard.

In the late 1950s, various guitars in the Kay line were assigned new model numbers; according to the 1959 catalog, the Thin Twin became K5910 and the Electronic Bass became K5965.^[21] Both instruments remained in Kay's catalog offerings with only minor cosmetic variations until 1966, when Kay revamped its entire guitar line to only feature budget instruments. Kay also manufactured versions of the Thin Twin guitar under the Silvertone (Sears) and Old Kraftsman (Spiegel) brands.

Gold “K” Line

In 1957, president Sydney Katz introduced the Gold “K” line of archtop and solid body electric guitars^[10] to compete with major manufacturers like Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch. The gold “K” Line featured the Jazz Special, Artist, Pro, Upbeat,^[15] Jazz II, and Jazz Special Bass. Gold “K” guitars used the same hardware as top manufacturers. However, there were truss rod and neck issues.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}

Gold models had single coil pickups with clear silver plastic covers and phillips head bolt adjustable pole pieces. The Upbeat model came with an optional transparent black plastic cover. These pickups appeared on Kay instruments through the late 1960s and are sometimes called “Kessel” or “Kleenex Box” pickups.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} The Jazz Special Bass has a single blade pickup as used on the K-161 and K-162 (tilted slightly towards the neck at the treble side), as well as a distinctive, oversized headstock.

Valued among collectors, the headstocks from 1957-1960 featured a reverse painted plastic overlay similar to the Kelvinator logo. The guitars featured art deco patterns. It was difficult to get players to take Kay’s high end entry seriously, and Kay discontinued the Gold line in 1962.

Kamico

Kamico guitars were lower-priced versions of Kay's original guitars. They were among the first guitars to use a humbucker type pickup, predating Gibson by some few years.{{citation needed|date=April 2015|reason=according to the following sentence, it must be before 1951. Is it true ?}} Produced along with Kay brand name guitars from 1931–1951, according to most sources. The most recognizable model is the Jumbo Jazz. Kay also made banjo's under the kamico name.

Kay basses

In 1937, Kay began to produce a 3/4 size upright bass, which is widely believed to be their Concert or C-1 bass. Like their guitar manufacturing, the basses were hand crafted by skilled craftsmen using special ordered machinery. They even had a hot stamping machine that could emboss the trademark KAY cursive script.

After the dissolve of Kay/Valco in 1968, the Engelhardt-Link company bought the upright bass and cello lines{{clarify|date=April 2015|reason=Is it mean either the production rights or the production facilities ?}} at the asset auction in 1969, and continue to produce the same instrument lines till today. Manufactured in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Engelhardt basses and cellos are sturdy instruments, widely used by students and touring professionals. The ES9 Swingmaster bass (formerly the Kay S9 Swingmaster), is highly thought-of by jazz, swing, and bluegrass musicians.

Notable players

Gallery

See also

Notes

1. ^| | | predecessor = Groeschel Mandolin Co.{{smaller| (1890),}} Stromberg-Voisinet {{smaller|(1921)}}| foundation = 1931| founder = Henry "Kay" Kuhrmeyer| successor = W.M.I. {{smaller|(1969-1980)}},
The Kay Guitar Company {{smaller|(1980-present)}}| location =| key_people = Sidney M. Katz
Tony Blair| area_served =| industry = Musical instruments| products = guitars, guitar amplifiers, upright basses, violins, cellos, banjos, lap steel guitars| brands = Kay, Knox, Kent, Kamico
{{smaller|OEM brands: Silvertone, Sherwood, Airline, Old Kraftsman, Custom Kraft, Truetone, Penncrest.}}| defunct = 1969| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| num_employees =| parent =| subsid =| owner =| homepage =* successor: The Kay Guitar Company* reissued: Kay Vintage Reissue| footnotes =}}Kay Musical Instrument Company is a musical instrument manufacturer of the United States, in operation from the 1890 to present day.Kay was established in 1931 in Chicago, Illinois, by Henry Kay Kuhrmeyer, from the assets of the former Stromberg-Voisinet (founded as Groeschel Mandolin Company in 1890).Kay offered their first electric guitar in 1936 — five years after the Rickenbacker Frying pan, and the same year as the Gibson ES-150. However, the Kuhrmeyer-owned Stromberg-Voisinet brand had produced the Stromberg Electro even earlier, in 1928, making the short-lived model arguably the first commercial electric guitar.{{cite journal | author = Michael Wright | title = 1000 Years of the Guitar, Part 2 | | url = http://www.vintageguitar.com/1932/1000-years-of-the-guitar-part-2/ | journal = Vintage Guitar |date=February 2000}}
2. ^{{cite journal | author = Lynn Wheelwright | title = Stromberg Electro | url = http://www.vintageguitar.com/3657/stromberg-electro/ |date=September 2008 | journal = Vintage Guitar}}
3. ^{{cite journal | title = New Sales Avenue Opened with Tone Amplifier for Stringed Instruments | url = http://www.vintageguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/3566/07-stromberg.jpg | journal = The Music Trades | date = October 20, 1928 | quote = This tone amplifier is electrically operated either by alternating or direct currents. It consists of two major units -- an electro-magnetic pick-up and amplifying unit. The electro-magnetic pick-up is built within the instrument and is attached to its sounding board. The unit is connected with the amplifier, which produces the tone and volume required of the instrument.}}
4. ^{{cite AV media | title = Stromberg Electro Instruments | url = http://www.vintageguitar.com/wp-content/uploads/3566/01-stromberg.jpg | medium = advertisement on catalog | date = 1929 | publisher = Chicago Musical Instrument | quote = Operated from light socket alternating current. No batteries required.}}
5. ^{{citation | author = Maria Dugandzic-Pasic | year = 2010 | title = Croatians of Chicagoland - Images of America | publisher = Arcadia Publishing | isbn = 978-0-7385-7819-4 | page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=6HlaX3f7X2sC&lpg=PA22&ots=in3oSvC6j_&dq=%22Groeshl%22%20instrument%20-wiki%20-wikipedia&hl=ja&pg=PA22#v=onepage&q=%22Groeshl%22%20instrument%20-wiki%20-wikipedia&f=false 22]}}
6. ^¹{{cite web | title = History of Henry Kuhrmeyer and the Kay Musical Instrument Company. Contains Engelhardt Information | url = http://www.kaybass.com/history.htm | work = Kay Bass Information and Registration | publisher = KayBass.com}}
7. ^ In 1921, the company was renamed to Stromberg-Voisinet. In 1923, later president Henry Kay "Hank" Kuhrmeyer joined the company, and in 1928, with the help of an investor, he bought the company and started producing electric guitars and amplifiers.{{cite web | title = Kay History | url = http://kingofkays.com/history | publisher = KingOfKays.com}}
8. ^{{cite journal | last = Wright | first = Michael | title = Jack Westheimer — Pioneer of Global Guitarmaking | url = http://www.vintageguitar.com/1933/jack-westheimer/ | journal = Vintage Gutiar | issue = July 1999 | quote = {{smaller|In August ’69, the Valco/Kay assets were auctioned off and W.M.I. purchased the rights to the Kay brand name. W.M.I. began to slowly transition Teisco del Rey guitars to the Kay brand name, which gave them greater credibility with dealers. This change was completed by around ’73 and the Teisco del Rey name then disappeared. This explains why you will occasionally see a Teisco guitar with a Kay logo.}}}}
9. ^{{cite web | title = Kay Vintage Reissue Catalog | url = http://www.kayvintagereissue.com/page01.html | year = 2009 | publisher = Kay Guitar Company}}
10. ^¹{{cite web |title=Kay Guitars (reissued in 2008-2009) |url=http://www.geocities.com/stereoscoptic/kay/index.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311133121/http://www.geocities.com/stereoscoptic/kay/index.html |archivedate=2008-03-11 |deadurl=yes |df= }}
11. ^http://www.musiciansfriend.com/search.jsp?sB=r&Ntt=kay
12. ^¹²{{cite web | title = Trademark 72207542 | url = http://www.trademarkia.com/truetone-72207542.html}} – "Truetone" was a registered trademark for musical instruments owned by Western Auto since 1964/1966 until 1989 (or since 1945/1947 until 1992 for radio receiver on trademark 71485315).
13. ^{{cite web | title = The Story of Kay Guitars | url = http://www.mongrelguitars.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=52 | publisher = MogrelGuitars.com}}
14. ^¹ {{cite web | title = Silvertone Thin Twin 1369L (1957) | url = http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/forsale_silvertne_1369_blkhdstk.html | publisher = VintageSilvertones.com }}
15. ^¹²{{cite web | title = 1959 Kay Catalog | url = http://www.kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1959catalog.pdf | publisher = Kay Musical Instrument Co}}
16. ^{{cite web | title = Ry's Hardware | url = http://rycooder.nl/pages/ry_cooder_Instruments_gear_amps_effects.htm | publisher = RyCooder.nl }}
17. ^¹² {{cite web | title = 1966 Kay Catalog | url = http://www.kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1966catalog.pdf | publisher = Kay Musical Instrument Co., a division of the Seeburg Corporation }}
18. ^¹ {{cite web | title = Silvertone 1413L (ca.1965) - Kay | url = http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/gallery_gtr-kay.html | publisher = VintageSilvertones.com }}
19. ^ {{cite AV media | date = 2008-08-17 | title = Vintage 1970's WAH WAH pedal | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaS8uzvFckc | medium = video }}
DEMO - KAY Wah 1 in current day action.
20. ^¹²³ {{cite web | title = Kay/Silvertone: Speed Demon (K573) c. 1964 | url = http://www.vintagesilvertones.com/forsale_gtr-kay_speeddemon.html | publisher = VintageSilvertone.com }}
21. ^ {{cite AV media | date = 2009-11-02 | title = 1963 Truetone Jazz King Vintage Electric Guitar AKA Silvertone - Kay Speed Demon model K573 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q3L69hfOwo | medium = video }}
Note: Not yet found sources other than YouTube.
22. ^¹² {{cite web | title = 1960 Kay Catalog | url = http://www.kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1960catalog.pdf | publisher = Kay Musical Instrument Co }}
23. ^¹ {{cite web | title = 1961 Kay Catalog | url = http://www.kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1961catalog.pdf | publisher = Kay Musical Instrument Co }}
24. ^ {{cite web | title = The Rory Gallagher Instrument Archive | url = http://www.rorygallagher.com/#/archives/guitars/kay_solid | publisher = RoryGallagher.com }}

References

}} — history focused on the development of early electric guitars, based on the other references.