Tondeleo: I am attempting to learn more about the music and equipment that rural Americans use in their music making. One thing that I have noticed and have mentioned in earlier posts is that even poor rural Americans have plenty of what they think they need in order to live quality lives. I have noted that all of them that I have met have several rifles and shotguns. It unnerves me to think of these people with so many guns!
They keep them loaded, and usually right behind their front or rear doors! They are literally ready to shoot whomever may come knocking on their doors! Doc says, "An unloaded gun ain't nothin' but a stick."
Some have 8 -10 loaded rifles or shotguns behind their door, with another two or more hanging on racks on their parlour walls, and sometimes two or three more in their bedrooms! It is just a way of life for them and no one thinks it is unusual.
And, as I mentioned before, they seem to have an abundance of musical instruments. I have written posts about several of Doc's guitars, and I am hoping he will let me take pictures and write about two of his home made guitars. We are building up to that.
Today, we are looking at his Kay guitar:
Doc: Ok, Tondy, this here is a Kay guitar. It is from the 50's. I done had it a long time. It is a archtop, meaning that the front and the back of it is arched or bowed out, and the sound holes is shaped like "s" but they call it a "f"sound hole. I guess whoever made up that name couldn't write too good.
It is also electric so it's got a pick up on it. It used to have a pick guard but that got lost about 15 years ago. My cousin down North Carolina borrowed it and brought it back with the pick guard off. That is why the wire to the pick up is taped on, so you don't get your hand caught up in it when you is playin.
The knobs was off it when I got it, so it's gots some knobs from outta my shop. One is metal an' one is plastic. But they both work.
The strings ain't lay close to the neck as what I like, even though it is pretty good for one of these old Kays. I usually use this guitar for bottleneck. It is on some of them yourtube videos what you put on that innerweb. I use it for a lot of songs with bottleneck. It sounds just right for that.
It's gots the right sound for blues and country roots. Ain't no good for rock music. Just blues and old country music. But that is what we 
play.
Tondeleo: How much would you say it is worth, Doc?
Doc: I don't know. I give $30 for it a long time ago. Maybe it's worth a hunnerd. Maybe more maybe less. I ain't really care.
Kay's wasn't really ever worth a whole lot. They was for just regular folks who couldn't afford no Fender or Gibson or other expensive guitar. These was made for folks like us to be able to buy secondhand, after the person what bought it new thought they needed a Fender or a Gibson. I ain't never knowed anyone what bought a new guitar, like as the first owner of it.
That is one thing about people today, Tondy. They want to play music what was wrote an' played by poor people, an' then they think they got to have a shiny new thousand dollar guitar! And they wonder why they can't get that sound they is lookin' for! Cause that sound ain't in a thousand dollar guitar! It is in a poor man's guitar, and in his fingers and in his heart when he plays it. You cain't buy that sound.
I think a poor man has a vibe that becomes part of his guitars over the years, and that guitar responds to his vibe. A new guitar ain't got no vibe yet - and it ain't gonna get no vibe if it is bought by some smarty pants who is tryin' to plau it note perfect off'n' some sheet music! The folks what wrote them songs ain't even knowed hot to read sheet music! They just played what was in they's hearts, and it came out that way. Mostly never the same way twice, neither. I DO like this old Kay guitar.
