Help identifying unknown guitar

[chuck7]

Hey all,

It's been a while sense I was on here regularly.  I finished my Warmoth build and haven't been in the financial position to do another so coming here is like teasing

Any way I have a question that I think you are the perfect group of people to help answer.  About a year ago my grandfather passed away - he had a great life and was fully committed to the Lord so I know he's in a good place and it was his time.  Anyway when he died my grandmother gave me the two old guitars he had purchased unknown years ago. 

They had been stuffed in the back of a closet for probably longer than I have been alive.  One is a small scale acoustic that is damaged beyond the point of playability.  The other is a solid body electric that is in good structural condition but not really playable in its current state - mostly due to nonfunctional electronics. 

I'm considering doing a major over hall/modernization but before I do I would like to know what exactly the guitar is and if it has any value outside of the sentimental value it has to me. 

Attached is a picture of the guitar in its current state with the strings loose.  It has no markings what so ever, front, back, or inside.  There is a very small screw in the head stock that looks like it once held something that may have been a brand label but its long gone. 

Any opinions tips or information is greatly apreciated!

 

[Firebird211]

That's a tuff one, the only thing that comes to mind is it is possibly a vintage Harmony by looking at the styling of the body and headstock.  It may be worth some big bucks, but of course it priceless considering where it came from.  There is a slight resemblance with this one, but chances are its a little different.  Harmony liked to put labled pickguard material on the headstock of some guitars, so it's possible it just fell off of yours.

 

[rockskate4x]

That definitely looks like a harmony. I have liked all the Harmony's that I have played when they were in playable condition. They are nice an fun sized with super sweet tone. I love me some harmony goldfoil pups  :hello2:

 

[Graffiti62]

You may have some luck e-mailing a picture of the guitar to Mike Robinson at www.myrareguitars.com. I looked through the pictures of his collection, and while I think it may be an EKO or a Harmony, I very well could be wrong. It may make a fun slide guitar, especially if you can get the old electronics to work again.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Perhaps a Catalina.

 

[chuck7]

As it turns out, it is a 1960s Kay Vanguard K-100.  Here is one on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Kay-Vanguard-K-100-USA-Rowe-DeArmond-pickup-/280641972765

Thanks for the help/responses.  I think I'll be asking some more quesitons as I go because I want to be sure I handle the referb well. 

 

[Firebird211]

Cool, I knew it had the 60's written all over it.  It was bugging me to know exactly what it was, but if it had been that pictured Harmony, that would of been worth $2000. :sad:

 

[chuck7]

Hehe, could have been nice but honestly I'm glad its not.  I'm still deciding how much of a restoration and how much of a renovation I want to do.  Had this actually been a highly valuable instrument I would have been way to nervous about damaging its value.  As it stands it looks like its worth between $350 and $500 in "good" condition - which it currently is not. 

I'm not planning to do anything crazy to it, but I do want to make a bit of a flashyer pick guard for it - thinking of using the Vintage Perloid stock from Warmoth - and I will probably modernize the bridge, though I want to use one that will still allow me to fit the chrome cover over it. 

 

[Firebird211]

It is priceless, since it came from your grandfather. :guitaristgif:

 

[TroubledTreble]

Always great to see some of these older lesser know guitars get pulled out and cleaned up. Some of those pickups sounded great and very unique. Do all the electronics work?

 

[chuck7]

Actually they don't. I plugged it in when I first got it and the only thing that came put was static and hum

The pickup may be ok, but I think I want to replace it with a TV Jones PowerTron.