Kay 703

Features aren't the point with an amp like this. Your fingers and guitar's volume and tone controls are what control your sounds on an amp like this.

'93 American Std. Tele.
For clean to slightly dirty blues/jazz and rock this little gem shines.
It had a pretty loud buzz until I replaced a multi-stage electrolytic capacitor and put in a three prong power cord. Now, it's very quiet up till about 8 on the volume at which point a very quiet buzz manifests. Probably my unshielded guitar and not the amp.
I'm continually impressed with the gorgeous, snappy clean sounds I get out of this amp.
The distortion is mild, but I suppose it would respond well to a tube screamer. I don't own a distortion pedal so...
Still using the original speaker, but I might upgrade in the future.

Hard to say. It's such a simple design that I imagine it would bear up well to heavy use.
Mine spent it's life in a bingo hall before falling into my hands. The tubes were busted and the circuit and pots were a little dirty, but a quick cleaning, new tubes and the replacements noted above and it's fine. Not bad for such an old amp.

It is VERY light. Nine pounds.

Ummm......

Been playing for about 20 years and have just gone back to electric after about 7 years of being solely acoustic. Thankfully one of my brothers took good care of my tele all this time.

Not playing out at the moment but have a Tech 21 TRI-AC to back this amp up.

I'm currently looking for another "non-working" 703. I love this amp.

This is an early 60's amp, I'm guessing. It's very limited in its options. Volume. Tone. On-Off. That's about it.

This is a GREAT recording amp. Puts out a great overdrive sound that's perfect for trying to get a good, big guitar sound. Fun to play through all around.

I had this amp fully serviced, new speaker, etc., so it' should be fine for a while.

This is a great amp for recording or practice. Reminds me of a Supro. If that's a compliment, this is a good amp for you.

This amp was, I believe, sold in 1966 through Western Auto catalogs. It is, however, the same as a Kay 703 (which is the same as the earlier Kay 503). This is purely a practice/recording amp for those who love small speaker tube amps. There is no reverb and to turn it on you have to turn the tone portion of the amp on.

Great small tube amp! If you are into amps like Alamos, Silvertones, Supros, Gretches, Harmonys, Lectrolabs and small Fenders and Gibsons, etc., you'd love this amp. Great overdriven tone. Sounds huge when it's mike up. At the highest volume - it's an 8" speaker - it breaks up pretty nicely.

This is an old, inexepensive amp and isn't meant to be put in pressure situaitons. Fine for the bedroom and a studio, though.

I've been playing about 20 years. The Kay/Western Auto 703 is a little treasure. I'd say this is just as interesting and toneful as a Silvertone 1481 or the little Harmonys but a lot less common to run across. They don't cost much and worth every penny.

This is a 1965 model 703 which looks like it had its name removed
and was sold by Western Auto stores around 1965. Has volume and
tone control, on/off is on the tone knob. 3 inputs (all this is
on the back, nothing on the front). It is made out of thin pine
and is finger jointed. It has an 8 ohm Oxford speaker exactly
like Fender champs except ohms. 3 odd radio type tubes 60fx5,
36am3, 18gd6a. No fuse on chassis. Mine has a thin blue tolex
covering and a handle that would feel right at home on a kitchen
drawer.
champs

This is not a real loud amp only 4 watts output. It is loud enough
for me. I just got a Boss Super overdrive and tried it out. Really
beefs up the volume and really sounds good. I have a Danelectro
Nifty-Fifty and a Fender Vibro-Champ also. I like the Kay better with the Boss pedal. Without the pedal it is just a little too clean sounding. It is not Fender sparkly clean but a deeper sound to it.
It screams with the pedal.

Mine had a loud hum when I got it. I replaced the filter caps
myself with about $4 worth of parts and all the hum went away.
My 60fx5 tube is microphonic and needs to be replaced soon.
Just a handful of parts in this thing that could possibly fail.
This is very easy to repair. Parts and schematic are pasted in
the cabinet. It lasted almost 40 years thats very good!
Oh, I found this in a hallway of and old camera store.
Tossed in with all the other junk, got it for $10.

Kay is long out of business.

I think I will keep this one!

built in 1959, I bought it as a kid in 1967 and have owned it ever since. only recently when cleaning out my father's garage did I hook it up and surprise it worked after more than thirty years.

using with a fender strat and playing blues and country. not for performance but great at home. some noise is present. am going thru a retube courtesy of www.tubesandmore.com and that will cost a whopping $10.00 plus shipping.

35 years have not used it. i plugged it in charged up the tubes and the capacitors and off she went.

have been playing thirty two years. own kustom, peavey, music man and this is fun to practice with.

I did some research on the kay 703 I picked up at a garage sale for
50 bucks, the speakers and pots were manufactured in 59' but the amp
I belive was sold in 1960. Has the original 8 inch oaktron speaker (I beleve was the company name) in it. And it has three inputs on the
back.
Feature wise, it does not really have any frills, only a volume
and a tone knob. Only thing that I dont care for is the fact the two
controls it has on it are hidden on the back of the amp.
Only other thing I can say negative about it is the fact that the amp
body is very light.

It has a nice tube sound for a smaller amp. I find it a great practice
amp, has a deeper sound then my fender 25watt soild state. Also when
cranked it has a great overdriven distortion sound. Great for that full volume sound when you dont wanna wake up all the neighbors.
Only draw back is the amp isnt very loud, only about 10 watts Id say.
I use a fender strat with single coils with it and it doesnt really
hum much at all.

Well I have played it regularly for the last 2 years, and I have not
had to change the tubes yet or any thing else, the control knobs are quiet, no static to them. I am impressed with the fact that one of
the low end amps from 1960 still runs and sounds just as good 40 years
later.

I guess the thing I love about it most is it has a good tube sound and it didnt cost me a arm and a leg. Also it gives me a good practice
amp when I dont wanna move around or have the volume of my larger
peavey or mesa boogie amps. I know you could do a lot better for a
tube amp but for the most part im happy.

the kay amplifier reviews I just read are NOT relevant......cheesy-solid state practice amps are, well, cheesy solid state practice amps! Now, let me tell yo0u about a real kay. I bought it for $10(actually, $20, as I had to take a canoe paddle/guitar with it .I tossed that in the garbage immediatly). Apparently, some kids parents bought the guitar and amp for junior in the early sixties.He screwed around for a month, decided to take up drums or stamp collecting....and so the amp/canoe paddle combo got stuck behind the furnace forthe next twenty years. well, the caps were dried out after all this time. Replaced them. Plugged in....fell in love!!!! Keith Richards actually mentions this very amp in an old interview from the late 60's.. I have a few(ok, a bunch)amps, but I probably play the kay more than any. Screw around with fuzz boxes , emulators etc. etc. etc.all you want(I have!) I wind up plugging into the kay in the end. TITS TONE!!!! is I guess what I'm driving at. FEATURES??? other than tone, um, well lets see:6" speaker with output transformer on frame, the tone kinob doubles as on/off switch, volume knob,three inputs ("hey! we can ALL plug in!!!" NOT!!!)no pilot light -it's easy to leave it on inadvertently. MY guess is that it puts out 3 or 5 watts........If I ever go on the road with the Rolling Stones I am taking this amp and the crew can figure out how to mike it!! IMPORTANT NOTE; IT HAS NO, REPEAT,NO INPUT TRANSFORMER!!!!The three tubes -18GDGA,60FX5 and 36AM3 are connected in series,heater wise...(18+60+36=114 volts!!) So Yes, one side of the chassis is gonna be @line voltage ALWAYS!!!! Thank god for neon voltage testers!!! Not the most versatile amp, but it rocks!! I actually have played it on stage, drummer and all, but I don't recommend it!

limited. As with any amplifier,it is happier with some pick ups than others-I play both single coils and humbuckers through it. It's
fairly quiet,strangely enough, considering that it was the bottom of the line when it was made.

I have. The TUBES, however,are not exactly common

SCHEMATIC IS READILY AVAILABLE. I believe the KAY co. went out of business eons ago.

Some other time, I'll be glad to bore you with stories of my NATIONAL amplifiers from 1936. YES 1936! Thats before electric guitars!!!! (they were for national lap-steel guitars)awesome tone!!