Kay Flat Top Neck Joint Question

[Gerry Hemming]

Folks,

I'm resetting necks on yard-salers for the experience and to get my process down, and I'd like this old Kay to turn out well since, other than a bad neck angle, it's a very lightly played and clean little guitar.

 

Is the joint a typically shaped dovetail like most US guitars? Can I access it from the 15th fret? Any other complications with this model?

[Mark Pollock]

That's a cutie! Love the rosewood fingerboard in complete contrast to the screwed-on pickguard and bridge.

It's hard to know what the joint might be unless someone has worked on this exact model. What would help is a shot of the neck block from inside the guitar. I'd be kind of surprised if it wasn't a dovetail, but I would also not be surprised at all if it was a dowel of some kind, based on the inexpensive nature of the guitar.

If Kay was anything like Harmony, then it could be a dovetail. Does it look like the neck was finished separately from or with the body?

[Gerry Hemming]

Mark,

Here a shot of the neck block - pretty typical 3x3x1 birch with 45-degree corners, hot glued to the sides. I just did a Harmony baritone uke that looked similar and it was a standard dovetail. The finish on the sides, back and neck is opaque black lacquer so it could have been sprayed fully assembled, can't tell. Thanks for the response.

[harrison phipps]

Pretty sure it is a dovetail, it would offer good practice.  With no binding (other than the paint), It would be easier to reset the neck via the "California Style" where you loosen the back from the headblock & a little of the sides, pull the neck into the correct position & re-glue.

[Gerry Hemming]

Harrison,

I did the "slip neck" technique on a '47 Harmony Gene Autry cowboy 12-fret recently (see pix) and it worked great since the back was already loose, but I need practice on the standard process. I appreciate your insight and suggestion. Thanks.

[Paul Hostetter]

Kay and Harmony often filled orders for each other and this looks for all the world like a Harmony "Stella" item rebranded for Kay. Both did dovetails with gnarly hide glue, which should be obvious in other places inside. If, as I suspect, it was really made by Harmony, the neck and neckblock are likely both basswood, a thoroughly inadequate wood for either purpose, but it's what you have to work with. Harmony used a lot of birch, for body woods, but never for necks or neckblocks. Kay's bodies were usually laminated basswood and so on. 

I would not recommend slipping the back.

[Gerry Hemming]

Folks,

Thanks again for all the help. The neck was dovetail and came off nicely, here's a composite shot of the before and after.

[Paul Hostetter]

Bravo!