1932 Kay Kraft Venetian Style A

This 1932 Kay Kraft Venetian Style A is in very good condition. This guitar shows signs of play wear, age and use throughout (see photos). This guitar has the factory gold filigree on the top but also has the moniker “Singing Auctioneer” in cursive across the top. This appears to have been done long ago and, in my opinion, is quite charming. This guitar has had a new fingerboard professionally installed and the work is completely top notch. The frets are new and the neck has been bound with stellar looking ivoroid binding. The guitar has been professionally set up and is fully playable with great action - it does not buzz or fret out, just a great player! There is one spot on the back of the instrument, about the radius of a golf ball, where the top lamination has bubbled up a little, possibly from a little water damage, but it is very solid. Earlier examples of these guitars were manufactured by Stromberg-Voisinet in Chicago, Illinois, in the 1920s. Kay Musical Instrument Company, also a Chicago company that partnered with Charles Stromberg and Frank Voisinet, started manufacturing these models under the Kay Kraft name around 1931. I have come across quite a few of these models as well as the earlier Stromberg-Voisinet models and have to say that this example, in my opinion, is a standout. Because of the work that has been performed, this guitar, unlike the majority of others I’ve seen, is completely and fully playable and has an excellent crisp cutting tone with lots of volume. The playability and tone combined with the overall vibe and charm of this instrument make it very special and I hope to see it go to a great home where it will continue to be appreciated. As for the “Singing Auctioneer” moniker, I started to wonder if this guitar perhaps at one time belonged to the country music singer Leroy Van Dyke. I did some extensive research and found no such information to prove the theory, but it is indeed interesting. This wonderfully esoteric instrument is housed in an old chipboard case and will ship out promptly and securely from our little shop here in Tennessee to your front door.