1965 Old Kraftsman Speed Demon by Kay

A funky, soulful slice of mid-’60s American guitar history

Made in the USA by Kay • Old Kraftsman / Spiegel • 1965

Here’s a seriously cool piece of American guitar history — a 1965 Old Kraftsman Speed Demon, built by Kay Musical Instruments in the USA and originally distributed under the Old Kraftsman name through the Spiegel catalog.

The Speed Demon is one of those wonderfully quirky American vintage guitars that simply oozes character. With its thin hollowbody construction, distinctive Kay styling and unmistakable mid-’60s looks, it has plenty of vintage mojo and a personality all its own.

The guitar features Kay’s famous “Speed Bump” pickups, known for their raw, slightly edgy character and surprisingly versatile vintage tone. These pickups can deliver everything from gritty blues and garage-rock sounds to warm, woody jazz tones — exactly the kind of imperfect-but-inspiring character that makes vintage Kay guitars so much fun.

This particular example

This guitar has clearly lived a life — and that’s exactly what makes it interesting.

The bridge, tuners, tailpiece and switch have been replaced, while the original pickups have been rewound by Nikel Audio Art / Nick Schnider, bringing the electronics back to life while retaining the character of the original pickup design.

The pickguard is missing, giving the guitar an even more stripped-down, garage-rock appearance.

And then there is the sound…

A great blues player with tons of mojo!

This is not a museum piece pretending to be a guitar.

It’s a player.

The combination of the lightweight hollowbody construction and the quirky Kay pickups gives this Speed Demon a wonderfully lively response. Plug it into a good vintage tube amp and it immediately starts making the kind of sounds that inspire you to turn up, dig in and play.

Perfect for blues, garage rock, rockabilly, indie, roots and anything with attitude.

Included

The guitar comes with a vintage Gibson Durabase case with red plush interior — a fantastic period-style addition that looks absolutely right with the guitar.

Specifications

• Model: Old Kraftsman Speed Demon
• Manufacturer: Kay Musical Instruments
• Brand: Old Kraftsman
• Year: 1965
• Country: USA
• Construction: Hollowbody / thinline electric
• Pickups: Original-style Kay “Speed Bump” pickups
• Pickups: Rewound by Nikel Audio Art – Nick Schnider
• Bridge: Replaced
• Tuners: Replaced
• Tailpiece: Replaced
• Switch: Replaced
• Pickguard: Missing
• Case: Vintage Gibson Durabase case with red plush interior
• Condition: Vintage player condition
• Character: ★★★★★

The Speed Demon name was introduced by Kay around 1962 for this distinctive thinline design, and the three-pickup versions are particularly associated with the K-573 family. Contemporary examples show that these guitars remain appreciated for their unusual looks, vintage pickup character and rockabilly/blues potential.

A genuine American vintage oddball with tons of mojo — the kind of guitar you don’t buy because you need another guitar. You buy it because you can’t stop looking at it.

CHF 890.–

Manufacturing date codes and detailed interior photographs are available upon request e-mail

Fandango Guitars · Lugano, Switzerland

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