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Thread: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

  1. #1

    Default Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    New to the forum and seeking information on this Kay mandolin I recently acquired. The headstock has some inlays that look as if added at a later date. Tuners were changed but I have the original Kluson tuners. The label inside reads Kay and manufactured in Chicago.
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  2. #2
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Larrylog View Post
    New to the forum and seeking information on this Kay mandolin I recently acquired. The headstock has some inlays that look as if added at a later date. Tuners were changed but I have the original Kluson tuners. The label inside reads Kay and manufactured in Chicago.
    I think the headstock shape has been seriously altered (as well as the added inlay) and it wouldn't have had an adjustable truss rod if in fact there is a truss rod under that cover. It also appears to have been refinished. I always liked that body shape.

    Kay had a habit of mixing and matching body and headstock shapes over the years. I assume this started out with their paddle shaped headstock and someone had some Gibson envy but there wasn't enough meat there to accomplish it fully. There are some catalog pages in the vintage advertising social group that shows these.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  3. #3

    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    As already mentioned, somebody has re-carved the headstock. The label style/colour is from the mid 1940s up to about 1950. At that time a Kay Venetian mandolin had a large scalloped headstock which this one must have had as also mentioned earlier. The mandolin is most likely the Kay 70 with those dots and maple body. The tuners being Kluson probably were rusty and lost their buttons so were removed during the makeover. This one below has a replacement tailpiece.
    https://www.fretboardjournal.com/col...k-70-mandolin/

  4. #4
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Is that faux grain painting on the back?

    If so, that's a remarkable example of such.

    If it's actual grain, that's a remarkable piece of wood.

    Mick
    Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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  5. #5

    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Duplicate of below!
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  6. #6

    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    I don't know if the mandolin has been stripped but some circa 1950 Silvertone branded versions were plain wood finished. I don't know if this one has the chequered binding as on the mandolin in question. They also have the same tailpiece which was often the two piece cloud style type but not on these examples.

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  7. #7

    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by NickR View Post
    I don't know if the mandolin has been stripped but some circa 1950 Silvertone branded versions were plain wood finished. I don't know if this one has the chequered binding as on the mandolin in question. They also have the same tailpiece which was often the two piece cloud style type but not on these examples.

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    Thanks for the support so far. I took off the truss rod cover and surprise, there is no truss rod. I think only the headstock has been customized on this one. Probably dates from early 1940's. Would you value at $500?

  8. #8

    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    If it was early 40s the label would be grey and silver and the headstock would be different. It is hard to fix a price and I think you would be extremely lucky to get $500 but you never know. I bought a Kay 70- a 1939 model (the first year of manufacture) in superb order- the neck had been reset at some point for $125 a year ago. It was on eBay and I suppose I got lucky. Here it is with that earlier headstock shape that Kay used until about 1950 on some mandolins. I do not think yours had this shape as it curves in deeper along the sides by the tuners.

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  9. #9
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    I think the $500.00 price is in Hollywood personally. With the changes I don't you'd get anywhere near half that.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  10. #10
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by brunello97 View Post
    Is that faux grain painting on the back?

    If so, that's a remarkable example of such.

    If it's actual grain, that's a remarkable piece of wood.

    Mick
    Keep in mind that Kay was already advertising laminated backs and sides as a feature in the late 30's. It may be a few layers of wood.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  12. #11
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    Keep in mind that Kay was already advertising laminated backs and sides as a feature in the late 30's. It may be a few layers of wood.
    Or maybe a remarkable piece of veneer....

    Mick
    Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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  14. #12

    Default Re: Old Kay Venetian Mandolin

    Just for Mick, at this link is the back of a blonde Kay 74 from 1954. The Kay 72/74 was the very top-of-the-range Kay and is a good mandolin. Here is the link: https://reverb.com/item/1458752-kay-...oft-shell-case

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