Product: Custom Kraft Unknown
Price Paid: US $100 used
Submitted
04/13/2002
at
08:39am
by
Bill Davis
Email: billdavis at cox-internet<dot>com
Features
:
8
Made in 1961 (dating the pots) here in the USA. 19 frets. Looks like a solid wood top. Single cutaway. Sunburst finish. 2 DeArmond single coil pickups...2 volume/2 tone w/3-way selector switch. Large "K" shaped pickguard covering almost half of the right side of the guitar. Wood bridge. The set neck is big and beefy...appears to be solid maple w/a maple fingerboard, deep red inlays. Kluson tuners.
Sound
:
10
Just a HUGE blues monster tone on this little girl. Sure, a bit of noise with the single coils, but these old DeArmonds that were put on cheaper American guitars have really become collector items over the last few years. VERY full/rich sound, especially with both pickups singing. Currently running it thru a '64 Deluxe Reverb and a '60 Silvertone 1482. You just wouldn't believe the milky, sweet tone coming thru!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Action's great! The truss rod adjustment is where the neck meets the body, where you'd expect a strap button to be. A few turns with the socket, a little tweaking on the bridge (uh, no intonation adjustment available, but it really wasn't necessary) and it plays like a Les Paul set up by your best guitar tech. Apparently, there are very few of these set neck Custom Kraft/Old Krafstman/Kay guitars around. Must have been a protoype model that didn't sell very well.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Well, this baby's over 40 years old and really has held together well. A bit of finish checking here and there. Seems VERY well put together....built quite tough, like an old Tele, y'know?
Customer Support
:
1
Please!!.....Speigel, Montogmery Wards, Western Auto, Sears, JC Penny....all sold guitars like this. If you get one, be prepared to do the work yourself, or know someone who does.
Overall Rating
:
10
Been playing about 35 years. I had one of these back in the 60's and wanted to find it again. Actually, I've picked up 2 on ebay and haven't found anymore. They are appreantly a bit rare, being a set neck and all.
Also own some big jazzboxes, a couple of Strats, Teles, an SG, Ovation 12-string and various Yamaha acoustics (the Nippon-Gakki red label classics). But these little Custom Krafts are quite the treasure. Decently inexpensive, but just a killer sound and easy playability.
