Kay K43 Master Arch Top

Mine is a completely rehabilitated version of this beast, a non-cutaway archtop that was originally built from 1952 to 1956. Unlike other Kays I have run across, this one has a solid spruce top, and appears to have solid figured maple back and sides. Top and back are both arched. Mine was apparently originally a sunburst finish but has been refinished in TV yellow. The neck is mildly fat and for me very smooth and comfortable. It is also perfectly straight up to the 14th fret where the neck joins the body. After that, all bets are off. It appears the original design was for the fretboard to "float" up to the 19th and last fret. Whoever rehabbed mine installed a block that keeps the fretboard straight for another few frets, but after that it takes a nose dive toward the top. Doesn't matter to me because I can't play a non-cut above the body join anyway. Intonation is, to my great surprise, perfect. The bridge is an ordinary floating rosewood design. I have no idea what the nut is, but mine is nicely cut, feels harder than plastic and, since its working, I, not going to investigate further. I have no idea where it was made, but somewhere in the USA is likely. Mine came with Grover tuners that, as usual, work like a dream.

Its a spruce arched top. The only other archtop I've ever owned was a Lyle from the early 1970's, so I have little to compare it with. I can say that I was expecting a plywood top when I bought it off eBay, and I was knocked out with the sound I got when it arrived - my first clue that this was no Silvertone cardboard special. I would describe the tone as strong and mellow, a nice sound to have in your living room. I experimented with replacing the top of the floating bridge with a Gibson Tuneomatic, and I also liked the brighter sound I got that way. I use both and go back and forth according to whim.

The finish on mine is terrific, but I have no idea what it was like out of the factory. The binding is original, and its a nice, tight checkerboard pattern. All the glue joints are nice and tight, and the maple back and sides on mine are really beautiful. The neck is homely. I can't be sure what the wood is, and sources I have seen simply describe it as "hardwood". Mine is striated between the blond parts and the light army green parts, kind of jarring compared to how pretty the body is. But it plays incredibly well! The action on mine is just right for me, which means low enough that I don't get worn out using it. The neck is wide enough for my short, fat fingers. This thing is just a pleasure to curl up with, probably the most playable guitar I've ever owned.

This thing is over 50 years old and remains straight and lovely. I'm giving it a 10 for durability. I'm not a pro so have never had to worry about a back up, but I've owned it for seven years and its never done anything but look beautiful and play easily. Solid as a rock is my verdict.

No idea. Do they still exist?

I've been playing for forty years and I've owned a lot of different guitars in that time, both acoustic and electric. I've lived with Gibson, Martin, Epiphone and Yamaha acoustics, and Fender, Gibson and Lyle electrics. Bear in mind that I'm a noodler, not a pro, and I have no actual musical talent. I like pickin' and grinnin'. and I like strumming and singing. I love this guitar because it makes what I do so easy to do. I've owned one other acoustic that was this friendly, but that was a cheap beater I owned so long ago I can't even remember the brand. For acoustics, the D-28 I owned had by far the most impressive sound, but it was impossible to set up to play without bleeding. This is, of course, a much softer and different sound, but I like it, I really like it! The only thing that might cause me to pass it on is that its Big, 17" wide. The older I get the better parlor guitars look . . .