So what's the story with 50s Kay archtops?

**WimWalther** · 01-30-2024, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

If you google “what is tusq made of” phenolic resin pops up. Graphtech claims it’s a proprietary variant (reading between the lines) because of the way it’s molded.

Thanks. This is interesting, and my search didn't find it. So it's supposedly a phenolic material, and that's easy enough to test.

Rub the piece hard with your thumb, until you can start to feel it getting hot from friction - then immediately smell it. If it's phenolic, you'll smell the phenol right away. This also works for Bakelite, Catalin, etc.

So if Tusq is a pressure & heat molded phenolic plastic, it's closer to Catalin than to Delrin. In its time, Catalin wasn't a very stable material, but that probably had more to do with the state of manufacturing at the time.

**unknownguitarplayer** · 01-30-2024, 04:36 PM

Some of the old Kays have the "Stylist" neck that also shows up in Nationals and a few other brands (supposedly even a few Gibsons). I've had a couple. It's a really interesting idea and the neck is stable, but it's clunky as hell.

**WimWalther** · 01-30-2024, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by unknownguitarplayer

I've had a couple. It's a really interesting idea and the neck is stable, but it's clunky as hell.

I really love stuff like this. Everybody was looking for an edge, something to make them stand out above all the other offerings, and they weren't afraid to try new ideas.

So I can only assume the core is aluminum? Can't quite read what it's covered with.. are the fretboard & back made of wood?

What about it do you find clunky? It looks very trim compared to the conventional necks.

**unknownguitarplayer** · 01-30-2024, 09:45 PM

The core is magnesium. The necks are odd. Narrow, but deep, like a baseball bat. None of the ones I’ve seen were bound, and the strings tended to roll off the fretboard. On the plus side, they were all acoustically loud as hell.

**WimWalther** · 01-31-2024, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by unknownguitarplayer

The core is magnesium.

Heh, crazy. They made a lot of light parts out of mag back then. We even had a lawnmower deck cast from mag.

The necks are odd. Narrow, but deep, like a baseball bat. None of the ones I’ve seen were bound, and the strings tended to roll off the fretboard.

How does that work out?

On the plus side, they were all acoustically loud as hell.

Well, it IS a National.. that's pretty much their way, you know?

One of my favorite old-school players is a National / Dobro guy.. Tut Taylor. He recorded with Norman Blake - I have a record they made, "Friar Tut", which is really kind of amazing. Not my wheelhouse, really, but I know good playing when I hear it.

Another in that category is Miss. Fred McDowell, "I don't play no rock & roll". He's a slide blues player, astounding imho.