For a guitar lover, it's not unusual to be attracted to a vintage guitar for its mere cultural, historical or collectable value. Cult of the past is a trait shared by most human cultures, and all that is left to postmodernity is to finally exhaust itself by celebrating its own short history…
But to me this Kay Montclair Apollo is appealing for its own sake, for its beautiful outline and the way all its elements balance each other. I don't know if the people who designed this kind of guitar were just brilliant or if my taste has been shaped by such instruments, but as an art and design enthusiast, I have no problem comparing it to most refined furniture one can admire in museums. It is based on the same feeling of pure outline - though this guitars's beauty doesn't come from sophisticated delicacy but honesty, ergonomics, constructivism and an acute sense of proportions and unity. I'd be curious to know where the anonymous guy who designed this curved pickguard got his skills.
Sometimes we're so used to these vintage guitars we enjoy so much that we don't really look at them, we're just reacting to their presence, but thanks to this good old Kay, I feel like watching again carefully every guitars I've been probably overlooking lately.
Sometimes we're so used to these vintage guitars we enjoy so much that we don't really look at them, we're just reacting to their presence, but thanks to this good old Kay, I feel like watching again carefully every guitars I've been probably overlooking lately.
Bertram D
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Yeah B, Kay did some great design work, no doubt about it. I don't love that the near symmetrical cutaways don't match with the non-symmetrical lower bout but otherwise that thing is really ... almost elegant.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've run across this one before. Nice find!
The pickguard gives it kind of a John Cipollina vibe.
ReplyDelete