Can you help identify this steel?

Rich Hlaves · From: Wildomar, California, USA

Hi, Do any of you know what brand and model guitar this is? Date code on the pots are from 38th week of 1942. Wiring to the output jack is period correct push back cloth insulation. Is appears to have an ash body with a maple top, back and sides. It is nicely figured. The control plate is solid wood and routed for the pots with a nice groove for the tone cap running between them. The fretboard and bridge cover are rosewood, the type no longer legal in this country. Any help would be appreciated. The guitar is in 9/10ths condition and I wonder what I have gotten a hold of here. It seem to be all original with the exception of a tuner swap but of the same type and in the original mounting holes. It sounds nice with only modest PU output. I would say it sounds very Hawaiian. Thanks in advance. If you have any questions I'll try to answer them.

Best,

Rich

Tighe Falato · From: South Plainfield, New Jersey, USA

Rich,
You have a Kay lap steel which was typically sold under the Sherwood or Sherwood Deluxe brand name. Its missing the headstock detail that was typical but it appears to be the same steel. Looks to be in very good condition.
Ty
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Denny Turner · From: Oahu, Hawaii USA

AHA ! Tighe beat me to it Cool

while I was retrieving data and typing (I hope / trust all is still going well for you Tighe):

The best SWAG I can make is that your Steel is a Sherwood; Made by Kay? Or without a brand / logo then maybe a Kay jobber for another outlet / brand?

Here's a Sherwood Steel at Elderly. It conforms with other Sherwood steel pics & data I have:
http://www.elderly.com/items/185U-247.htm

This next site says Sherwood was a Montgomery Ward brand jobbed from Kay. Notice that the pickup on this guitar is the same as the
Sherwood steel at Elderly:
http://www.kokomomusic.com/pages/guitars/sherwood_arch_50s.html

The pickup on the above two Sherwoods is the same pickup outfitted on Kay's Jimmy Reed model:
http://www.fret-dancer.com/images/museum/guitars/000011.jpg

But the pickup on yours also lends support to it being made by Kay since that pickup was widely used by Kay in the 1960's:
http://dennysguitars.homestead.com/KaySquareSolidbody1pu1.html

I've not seen any other Kay brand steel that even closely resembles yours and/or the Sherwood at Elderly. That design does not exist for any brand but Sherwood in my files. That leads me to suspect that if Kay did make it (and probably did), it was either specific for that Sherwood design; OR could also be a design that Kay reserved for outlet jobbing as yours without a brand lends question to.

Another thing that catches my eye on yours is the fine tolerance (fitting) of the hole the pickup is mounted in. A tolerance / fit that tight could be handmade to fit that pickup as could be the case if the original pickup (like the Elderly Sherwood) was changed out with that DeArmond pickup on yours. Manufacturing tolerances that tight are quite rare for the era your steel was made; Not commonly seen in line-manufactured guitars until the advent of CNC machining.

If I had to bet, ....I'd bet that yours is Kay made and manufactured in a later year than the Sherwood at Elderly; And that your Steel's pickup is original, and it's mounting bezel just happens to be an example of some personal care in fitting the mounting cut-out. But in such a bet, I'd want some additional numerical odds in my favor beyond the evidence at hand that's only suggestive !
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George Manno · From: chicago

I owned this exact model a few years ago. Bill Lawrence, the pick up maker worked on mine. He showed me that the pickup bobbin was made out of brown kraft paper. It sounded just fine. I passed down to my godson who plays in through a Carvin Bel-Aire.

G

Rich Hlaves · From: Wildomar, California, USA

Wow, you guys know your stuff. Denny, your post took some real time, thanks for your effort. So what I have is a Kay guitar most likely private labled for another company, interesting.

While cleaning up the e-tronics, I looked at all the solder joints. Everything seemed to be original. There is original paint in the pickup route so it appears not to have been messed with. Over all, I was very impressed with the fit and finish of the guitar. Accurate routes, tidey wiring, and nice sunburst finish. The thing just kind of glows. The pics on the Elderly site were great. I paid a bit less than the amount they had their guitar listed for and mine is in much nicer condition. I'm Happy.

Many thanks,

Rich

Denny Turner · From: Oahu, Hawaii USA

OOPS; Double posted an editing of my previous posting. Guess I'd better not be driving tonight Rolling Eyes

!

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And Marc, ...I missed the most important thing, and that is how nice your new Steel looks; I'd take one of them in that condition in a heartbeat!

And I think you'll like that pickup; I sure do on other Kays I've played.

If you're not familiar with that pickup; Some of them were a bit mircrophonic, especially in a strong speaker field. IF you find yours to be too microphonic / shrill, or ghost shrills, at higher volumes, ...then a pickup wax potting will fix that.
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Rich Hlaves · From: Wildomar, California, USA

Denny,

I was impressed with the condition of the guitar too. Thanks! So far I like the pickup. I would characterize it as mellow. I've played it though several amps and it seems to work well and is actually pretty quiet.

This little guitar is so clean it is hard to believe. There is barely a bar dig on it. Definately a keeper.

Thanks again,

Rich

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