Airline guitars were built for National/Valco supply to Montgomery Ward department stores by various US manufacturers, including Supro, (who were eventually taken over by National), Harmony, Regal and others. This one was built by National’s fellow Chicago-based instrument maker Kay, as evidenced by the Kay music-stand logo on the back of the headstock.
Custom order
We believe this was a custom order, as no matching model appears in any of the National, Airline or Kay catalogues of the time, and, unusually, there is no model number stamped on the inside. There are however some hand-written luthier marks on one of the top braces, only visible with our goose-neck video camera, which strongly indicates a custom built instrument, based somewhere between the Kay 5113 ‘Plains Special’ and their 6105 ‘Western’ model – and a nod towards Gibson’s famous L-00 model – with a 15” lower bout width, and 4” depth.
White Spruce
This gorgeous acoustic features stunning Blonde-finished laminated White Spruce front and back, with solid Maple sides – the back and sides feature a highly attractive, mottled Walnut finish. (The back may actually be solid Spruce, but it’s not possible to tell under the Walnut finish) Single-ply white binding, front and back; 14-19 medium brass frets, (another indicator of a possible custom build, as Kay almost exclusively used narrow frets on their acoustics); original Kluson Deluxe tuners; plus Kay’s great steel-seated 3-bolt neck system.
Lovely top end shimmer
The auditorium size body projects really well, with a bright, evenly balanced sound, and heaps of bottom end drive when required, thanks to that 4” body depth. The LR Baggs pickup likewise really brings the guitar to life, eliciting a lovely top end shimmer you may not notice unplugged.
Condition
Other than the very slightest signs of ever having been played, the guitar is in amazing condition – the binding on the front and back is completely intact, and still shiny white. The double-anchored bridge, (bolted and glued), hasn’t budged in in its almost 60 years, and the Maple neck is dead straight.
Free courier delivery
This bargain priced vintage Airline acoustic ships in its original chipboard case, with some lovely vintage bonuses inside, courtesy of the original owner, and our famous FREE COURIER DELIVERY is included to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, and $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries)
Weight: Fractionally under 5lb 7oz / 2.46kg (Weight includes the Baggs pickup)
Just Guitars
