A Kay in a dumpster? Man, around here, that's a hanging offense! Had mine since late 80's, given to me by a couple I used to play with. She'd had lymphatic cancer and could no longer play. I promised I'd play it as long as I could and pass it on myself. Has an incredible sound with guts on it, just can't afford the durn things!

Oh, no, the dumpster bass is not a Kay. It's a German plywood one from the 60's or 70's, and memory fails me what brand it is... maybe Framus? A little glue, a new bridge and endpin later, and it's a fine plywood bass. And yes, that's a hanging offense!

Oh it gets played. Every day for the past twenty-six years. The last few years exclusively at home. I have seen too many guys crying over equipment they'll never see again to roll the dice with THAT guitar.

I always tell people who comment on my instrument 'abuse' that if I wanted something to hang on a wall, I'd buy a painting.

I have a nice solid spruce top Martin but it's not vintage. I've had a bunch of others, but mainly I play friends guitars if I feel the need to play something other than my own. Every few years I consider getting another guitar then I remember I have 25 other expensive hobbies and mine sounds great as it is. BTW, the Martin Factory in Bethlehem might be a nice ride destination....

Yo, Seenoweevil, Nice "doghouse".

Same with riding a good bike. It's gonna' get scratched if you ride it enough. My Collings looks like it has played a few million notes, which it has. It's not as worn looking as, say, a guitar from the 50's or earlier, but it sure isn't new either.

Word.

My brother collects Fender Strats. That crap gets out of hand Real Quick.

Here's my Framus dumpster bass:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/...6fb6de08_b.jpg

It's a bit better than my first bass, which I bought new in 1984 and beat mercilessly for many years. It really doesn't make sense to keep both, but I can't decide which to sell.

+1
If you have priced vintage instruments lately, then today's prices for our "grail" bikes seem like GIFTS!

- and I still contend that one day, we'll all look back and say - "I could have bought that U-08 for $50! - OMG!" :eek:

Kay's are highly regarded basses. There is a registry for them.

My '62 Harmony archtop tenor. Bought it at a flea market for $35, refretted it, cut a new nut, made a new floating bridge and repaired the crack. I still have to blend the repair with the rest of the top but will then finish her up with a French polish.

'62 serial number Strat with '63 written on the neck.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=199599

OK, I guess my 72 Giannini 12 string is going to have to have a photo op. The other 14 aren't vintage, but I do have a 1990 Strat I'm the original owner of and I think my Sigma would qualify. Maybe my lawsuit era chambered Faux Paul too.

Everything else is too newish.

Nice guitar (as are all the others in this thread). I have a book around here someplace called (IIRC) The Fender Book. The authors asked somebody, perhaps Fender or the shop manager at that time, about serial numbers during those pre-CBS years. The reply was that you can't judge anything too closely. They had racks of necks and bodies and other hardware, and the assembly guys would just grab the most convenient item on the rack. It might be a part just made or a part that had been hanging there for a year or more. All you really know is your neck was made in 63 and the body in '62, and the guitar assembled any time '63 or later, though '63 seems reasonable.

What a Great thread. I've really enjoyed seeing your guitars - any more?

I used to see beautiful old Tenor guitars for sale really cheap, but always resisted the temptation. What do you do with it?

[QUOTE=VonCarlos;12554945][B]
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/...c3c_z.jpg?zz=1

WOWSUH wonderful headstock inlay. Beauty.

Depending on tuning, they're actually really fun to play. Tune it as a mandolin type tuning (GDAE) or something near there and it's really a fairly natural instrument to play. Things in G and D sort of just flow off the instrument. I don't know how to describe it otherwise, but if you try one, you'll see.

In what style? I can see it working for fiddle tunes and jazz, or anything where the emphasis is on playing single string melodies. As accompaniment to another instrument or a voice, I can't quite picture it. I used to have a tenor banjo, and really liked fooling around on that, but it wasn't something I'd ever want to perform with.

Chuck Berry learned to play on a tenor guitar. You can thank a tenor guitar for the development of some of the coolest licks in rock n roll.

http://www.tvs-videos-4theroad.net/w...h-Richards.jpg

If one uses all four strings for chords, it can do really well. The Delmore Brothers played one six string and one tenor. If I remember right, the story goes they couldn't afford two six strings so they ended up with one and a tenor.

Their version of Brown's Ferry Blues is one of my favorite songs. The Delmore Bros kinda rule.

I saw this band recently. Two dudes, one tenor guitar (or banjo) and one upright bass. Good stuff.

Not vintage, not even "born" yet, but I think classic.
Three guitars in my shop today.
Oh yes, the one in front is a tenor.
http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespac...027%202011.JPG