Folkway Music -- Instrument Sales




Last updated: May 8, 2008 Questions? Please email info@folkwaymusic.com.
Main Photo	1952 Kay K-150 Introduced in 1952, the K-150 took direct aim at Gibson's ES-125. It was priced at $60, and featured a Thin-Twin pickup in the middle position, and volume and tone controls mounted on the top's upper bass bout. 16" arch-top fully hollow body with laminate maple back and sides and a laminate spruce top. The guitar is completely original, save for a new acoustic style 1/4" endpin jack we installed, and new buttons on it's patent-pend. Original Kluson tuners. The instrument was originally fitted with an inconveniently hard-wired 10 foot cable which passed through a hole in the guitar's bottom end. When the guitar wasn't being used plugged in, the player still had to deal with a long wire hanging out of the instrument! We'll supply the original with the guitar as a keepsake. On one hand it's an attractive and cool piece of electric guitar history - with bakelite knobs, and early basement paneling era esthetics. On the other, it's a great sounding vintage axe, with a meaty growl and tone-a-plenty. Bluesers will dig this guitar's character, and Jazzer's will dig its warmth. All of us will dig it's big fat neck, great playability, fine condition, and great looks. With original chipboard case On consignment $999 (US $999) ON HOLD $1030 (US $1030) with credit card More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Case Open Case Closed

Main Photo	1955 Old Kraftsman K-1 The Speigel owned "Old Kraftsman" trademark was branded on many Kay-built instruments from the 1930's through to the late 1960's. The instrument pictured here is an Old Kraftsman version of a Kay K-1. It's a 17" cut-away archtop built of laminate maple and spruce with white bindings and appointments. The guitar is in nearly-new condition and has just about no signs of wear anywhere it. Even its original case is super-clean. Obviously completely original, the only repairwork this guitar has ever seen was the set-up we gave it two days before these photos were taken. It plays very well, and has fine fretwork and neck angle. Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, Kluson tuners with original buttons, great looking original tailpiece and pickguard too. Chunky round neck with a nut width of a little more than 1-5/8" and a long 25.7" scale neck. With original case $1195 (US $1195) More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Case Open Case Closed

Main Photo	2000 Tacoma AJF28CESB Tacoma built its reputation on innovation, and their archtop AJF28 models feature many design elements that set them apart from most any other archtop. To begin, the spruce top and maple back are entirely CNC routed into shape. The graduation of the plates is computer designed and mathematically perfect; and carving it that way took a lot less costly time than hand-carving. The offset soundhole allows for a consistent recurve around the body's edge, too. Graphite tailpiece and pickguard keep the weight down, and a bolt-on neck makes angle adjustments quick and easy. Fitted with a high-z EMG floating pickup and pickguard-mounted volume and tone controls, the instrument's plugged in tone is exactly what you'd look for in a modern archtop guitar. This example is in excellent condition in just about every way. Its only flaw is that the headstock finish has delaminated a bit around the logo. The guitar is nicely set up and plays very well. Solid carved spruce top, solid carved maple back, and highly figured solid maple sides. 25.5" scale, 1-11/16" nut. With original hard shell case On Consignment $1799 (US $1849) $1849 (US $1909) with credit card More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	1939 Kalamazoo KG-31 FON 2446. A great looking vintage Gibson Kalamazoo jazz box from the late 1930's. Spruce top, mahogany back and sides. Sunburst finished on all sides, with single-ply binding throughout. Gorgeous bound fire stripe pickguard adds huge pizzazz to this already cool guitar. Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, nickel tailpiece, Kluson tuners. With the exception of one tuner-button, one tuner-gear, and one tuner screw (each on different tuners) and a two inch splice of fingerboard binding by the nut on the treble side of the neck, this instrument is completely intact. Neck and frets are in excellent condition, and playability is spot-on. No cracks, no issues. Typical 1930's Gibson neck with V profile and 1-3/4" nut width. With 1950's alligator chip-board case. $1195 (US $1239) $1239 (US $1279) with credit card More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	1937 (circa) Vega Electric Archtop Serial #56197. With the introduction of Rickenbacker's first pick-up equipped guitars in 1932 the guitarist's world was forever changed - the electric guitar had arrived. 1935 saw the premiering of Gibson's ES-150, Epiphone's Electar models, National's Electric Spanish, and the first versions of this instrument - the Vega Electrovox. We're guessing this instrument dates from about 1937, but as we've not found any reliable serial number lists for Vega's guitars we can't offer a specific date of manufacture. Figured maple laminate body, very curvy and 16" wide, single-ply white binding, mahogany neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, ebonized bridge. Single coil pickup with "Dual-Tone" multi-capacitor tone circuit with bass, normal, and treble settings; volume control, white plastic radio knobs and plates. Original Black Bakelite pickguard, original tuning machines. Professionally replaced jumbo frets and a very nice in-shop set up. This is a great Jazz, Blues, or Rockabilly machine - and it's stage ready, too. Very comfortable C neck profile is similar to a 50's Gibson, but with a slightly narrower nut width of 1-5/8" and a 24.75" scale length. Vintage-chic and super cool. With original hard shell case $1895 (US $1895) More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Case Open Case Closed

Main Photo	1966 Gretsch Double Anniversary Serial # 81055. The Anniversary models were unveiled in 1958 in recognition of Gretsch's 75th anniversary. The company celebrated this benchmark for the next 17 years, finally retiring the model in 1975, just 8 years before their 100th birthday. Obviously a popular model, the full-hollow 16" archtop electric was an affordable model for those who wanted that Gretsch sound on a tighter budget. This Model 6117 Double Anniversary is in excellent condition - near mint, actually - with the exception of a changed set of 60's era Grover Imperials. Finish and binding are in excellent condition, as are the pickguard and pickup rings. Bone nut, rosewood fingerboard with thumbprint inlays and original frets, HiLo'Tron pickups, Space Control bridge, aluminum knobs, G-brand chrome-plated tailpiece. Original wire harness, pots dating to early 1966. Good neck angle, very little fretwear, and great playability thanks to a recent set up in our shop. There are pretty much no scratches on the guitar, and the original finish looks great. With original hard shell case $2195 (US $2259) $2259 (US $2329) with credit card More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Case Open Case Closed

Main Photo	1935 (circa) Gretsch Model 30 Serial # 5938. Before the era of the Syncromatic and its modern Cat's Eye F-holes, the arch-top instruments built by Gretsch were very much influenced in design by Gibson's L-5 model. The austere appointments and small f-holes found on this Model 30 are distinctively Loar-esque, even though the instrument occupied the bottom rung of Gretsch's price ladder. It is a quality instrument, albeit a simple one, and with the exception of some shrunken binding at the waist, this arch top has survived the years well. Red to brown sunburst finish on all sides, with shot-gun triple-centered bursts on the top. Pressed single-bound solid spruce top, solid maple sides, and laminate maple unbound back. Three-piece figured maple neck with rosewood headstock overlay and pearl ribbon Gretsch logo. Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays and bone nut; bird's eye maple bridge with rosewood top. Black Bakelite pickguard, nickel plated Gretsch-engraved tailpiece. With the exception of replacement Kluson Deluxe tuners, this guitar is completely original. Fairly heavily crazed finish is worn through along much of the back / sides margin, and there is some pickwear on the top. The top's white celluloid binding has shrunk away from the sides a fair bit, and a one inch section is missing at the waist on the treble side. Chunky C-profile neck with a 1-3/4" bone nut, and 24.75" scale length. It's a good sounding budget Jazz box - comps well, and has enough bite for lead work. With original case $999 (US $999) More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail Case Open Case Closed


Main Photo	1939 Gibson Cromwell G-4 FON 261. This 16" archtop, similar to the Kalamazoo KG-31 and the Gibson L-50, the Cromwell G-4 features a solid spruce arched top and a braced arched Mahogany back. The Cromwell brand was distributed by a few mail-order stores from 1935 until 1939, and are now famous for their flashy Art Deco fingerboard ornamentation. This instrument features a sunburst top, elevated firestripe pickguard, single-bound body and fingerboard, and nickel tailpiece. It has a comfortable V neck with a 1-3/4" nut width and Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Original everything, and in excellent condtion. The guitar plays very well thanks to a fine setup and good original frets. I like the way it sounds, too - it's loud and punchy, but also has a warmth not usually found in less-pricey archtops. With original chipboard case SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

Main Photo	1960 Gibson Super 400CES Serial # A-33851. Considered by most to be the "Holy Grail" of electric jazz guitars, The PAF equipped, round (Venetian) cut-away Super 400CES from 1958 to 1960 is a beautiful thing. Only about 90 Super 400's with this combination of pickups and cut-away were built, and most of us will never have a chance to get our hands on one. Well, we aim to please here at Folkway Music, and offer this near-mint condition 1960 Super 400CES for your enjoyment. About as clean as they come, this instrument shows only minor playwear. Some slight finish-wear to the back of the neck in the first position and slight scuff marks on the back, and a slight warp to the original pickguard are all that can be held against this fine guitar. It is completely original, with the likely exception of the frets. The wire harness has never been removed, and all solder joints are virgin. The original gold PAF humbuckers have outputs of 8.5 and 8.1 kOhms. The original hard shell case is in equally fine and unfaded condition as well. It is an astronomically warm and rich guitar, and certain to inspire. The combination of solid carved spruce and maple, 18 inches, and PAFs is simply magical. On consignment SOLD More photos: Front detail Back detail Headstock detail Full Front detail Full Back detail Tuners detail

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Contact Folkway Music --
Mail: 163 Suffolk Street West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 2J7 Directions to Guelph/Folkway Music
Telephone: (877)763-5524 toll-free
e-mail: info@folkwaymusic.com

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