Kay Reissues Signature Series Barney Kessel Jazz Guitars

Kay Guitar Company continues the Legacy of the Jazz and Swing Musician – Barney Kessel

With the renewed interest in Jazz music and the most renown Jazz Guitarist Barney Kessel, the Kay Guitar Company announces the release of the 1957 Reissue of 3 Kay Barney Kessel Jazz Body guitars (Pro, Artist, Jazz Special).

“Definitely the Best Guitar Player in this World, or any other World.” George Harrison – The Beatles

The Kay Guitar Company has secured the “exclusive rights” for manufacturing the original Three Barney Kessel Signature Gold “K” series electric Jazz Body guitars: the 13” PRO, the 15 ½” ARTIST and the 17” JAZZ SPECIAL each endorsed and played by the Kessel in the ’50s

Five years of retooling and recreating three dozen original and unique Kay parts needed to reproduce the Barney Kessel Reissues. Each model (K1700V Pro, K6700V Artist, and the K8700V Jazz Special) captured those distinctive details of the 50’s Art Deco Gold “K” Vibe. The original external, interior materials and body construction needed to be collected and researched in order to reproduce that warm sound that made the Gold “K” Signature Series, a highly revered, collectible historical guitar. Each model guitar was tested, played and approved by some of the best professional accomplished jazz and blues musicians. Attention paid to the original details with a few minor player friendly updates like a 25 ¾” scale neck, makes these 3 instruments a must-have for discerning players collection of fine instruments. 

The Gold “K” series combines the classic body shapes of the 1957 “Pro” (K1700V) a great Singer/Songwriter guitar at only 13” wide, the “Artist” (K6700V) at 15 /12” wide was Barney’s go to guitar used in recording and group sessions, plus the Flagship Guitar, the “Jazz Special” (K8700V) the “mother of Jazz” guitars at 17” wide soloist. Each model was crowned with Full 3D Gold “Kelvonator” Chevron on the unique Kay headstocks.

The Barney Kessel guitars features exclusive to Kay are the powerful “Kleenex” Box pickups and stay true to the classic sound and feel of the original 1957 models. The neck is three-piece maple with a classic but slightly thinner profile, and the bound rosewood fingerboard has solid and split-block pearloid inlays. The body of the Pro has a maple top with an ultra-light three-ply genuine flame maple back and side. The tops of the Artist and Jazz Special are spruce. All three come in Tobacco Sunburst and Natural Blonde finishes.

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