Product: Kay Catalina
Price Paid: US $65 used
Submitted
05/11/2005
at
04:49pm
by
T-Bone Eddie
Email: ejmuur<at>aol dot com
Features
:
1
This is one ugly guitar! Simple, funky-shaped body, single ply pickguard, bolt on neck, cheap wooden bridge, volume and tone controls and a single DeArmond pickup with a chrome cover. The neck is kind of chunky, but it's straight and the frets are OK. The volume and tone controls are reversed. I don't know if it originally came like that or somebody changed it along the way. It works, so why fix it? The cheesy original tuners were rusted, so I replaced them with a similar set (nothin' fancy!). Frankly, most folks wouldn't want to be seen with a guitar like this and I can't tell you how many times I've been laughed at when I strap it on.
Sound
:
10
After the laughter dies down, the jaws begin to drop when I fire this puppy up! I have it set up for slide in open E tuning, and that lone DeArmond pickup has tone to the bone. Fat, clear, and singing with a slight edge that is very apparent when I play it through my Carr Rambler. The volume is a little lower than some of my other guitars, but I just crank the amp up a bit more to compensate. It sounds killer with a good overdrive (I currently use a KillerTone CloneZ). You can spend alot more for a good slide guitar, but this is one of the best I've ever heard.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
5
As cheap as this guitar appears, the setup was pretty decent when I got it. The fixed wooden bridge is intonated fairly well, it plays good (remember that the action is raised for slide), it stays in tune well with the new tuners, and everything works as it should. The finish looks like it was sprayed on from a can of black paint, but who cares when you are playing the Blues?
Reliability/Durability
:
8
This thing may be cheesy, but it's solid. It's been around a long time and I expect it to be around alot longer. I play it only for several songs on gigs, and I do have other guitars that I can use if it ever breaks. As long as the pickup holds up, it'll get played.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
No customer support, I'm afraid.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing Blues, Rock and R&B for over 30 years, mostly in small to medium sized clubs. My main guitar is a Reverend Slingshot, but I also have a Tele Special, a Les Paul, a Daion Savage, a Harmony Stratotone and a Galveston Resonator. I play through a Carr Rambler and also a Roland BC-60. Effects include the CloneZ, Morley Bad Horsie Wah, DOD Analog Delay and Boss Chorus. I use George L's cables for everything. If this guitar was lost or stolen I'd try to find another. Few things are more fun than the reaction I get with this thing on a gig!
