Post by TKennedy on Feb 18, 2023 12:54:27 GMT -5
Kind of a cool luthier moment today. I know Marty has had many like this. A lady brought an old Kay Kraft mandolin in with the neck coming off and a few other things wrong with it. Said it was her Grandma's and could it be made playable? As usual, an inexpensive instrument with sentimental value above it's actual value.
The neck was actually harder to get off than I expected but all went well, and with a good reset, some fret work, and lowering the bridge it actually set up pretty well and had a sweet little sound with extra light strings.
She picked it up today and said her grandma got it when she was 16 (in 1932). It had her initials in decals on the upper bout. I read that Kay supplied dealers with those to personalize the instruments. I wonder if the catalogue stores did the same?
The finish was completely worn off the neck in the first position so it was played a lot. After many years in a closet now it was making music again.
The thought of a 16 year getting that instrument and loving it enough through the years to completely wear off the finish on the neck is so cool. Now her granddaughter will be giving it new life.
I immediately thought "there's a song in that story"
(Marty do you see the inspection light you gave me?)
The neck was actually harder to get off than I expected but all went well, and with a good reset, some fret work, and lowering the bridge it actually set up pretty well and had a sweet little sound with extra light strings.
She picked it up today and said her grandma got it when she was 16 (in 1932). It had her initials in decals on the upper bout. I read that Kay supplied dealers with those to personalize the instruments. I wonder if the catalogue stores did the same?
The finish was completely worn off the neck in the first position so it was played a lot. After many years in a closet now it was making music again.
The thought of a 16 year getting that instrument and loving it enough through the years to completely wear off the finish on the neck is so cool. Now her granddaughter will be giving it new life.
I immediately thought "there's a song in that story"
(Marty do you see the inspection light you gave me?)
