The 1425 followed on the heels of the similar-looking
and featured
blonde/mahogany 1375/76 duo from our friends at Kay. Nicely spec'd, attractively
finished and that $100 price point (or just $10 down, $9 monthly) put it on a
lot of wish lists.
All the Kay trademarks are there: the speed bump pickups, the funky (but not
too funky) pickguard, the high-peaked headstock, and those 'cupcake' knobs
all say it's Kay time!
Introduced:
Fall/Winter 1959
Retired:
Spring/Summer 1961
Musings on the nickname
'Aristocrat'
Kay f-holes (electric and acoustic) had been a staple in the Sears catalog
since at least the early '50s, and the attractive 1425 was a fitting end to that
run. After '61, Kay would still supply Sears with solid and semi-solid
electric guitars, but the f-holes were no more; taken over by Harmony, and much
later, Japan.
Click for catalog listings
