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My friend has been eyeing this tenor banjo at a flea market and has asked me for advice. I have no idea what it is or what it's worth. Any help would be appreciated.
This may be a Kay K-52T from c. 1968.
kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1968catalog.pdf
Check out this catalog to see the hierarchy of Kay's banjo offerings, & prices.
Edited by - tdennis on 01/14/2025 20:01:17
A banjo like this shouldn't be compared with fine banjos (Fairbanks, Vega, Stewart, Gibson.....etc.) and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intent of the original post. If set up properly, this banjo can probably be a functional beginner's banjo. A lot of people learned to play on similar banjos, and some of the well-known folk banjo players used beginner- or student- quality banjos.
If your friend wants a beginner banjo, he can choose to spend $2500 or $25...... and a) learn how to play and b) have fun learning.
Edited by - Mark Ralston on 01/15/2025 04:25:48
These old Kay's actually sound and play pretty good for $50-$100. I've owned 4 and 5 string models which I have passed on to beginners. I keep a 4 string in my workshop to pick up and play when the mood strikes . They are way superior to most Asian 'bottle cap' banjos. A similar Silvertone Kay tenor was given to me by a friend 35 years ago (my 1st banjo). I've been a hardcore banjo addict ever since.
quote:
Originally posted by tdennisThis may be a Kay K-52T from c. 1968.
kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1968catalog.pdf
Check out this catalog to see the hierarchy of Kay's banjo offerings, & prices.
Using this catalog, the closest listing is K52T at a whopping $110!!! If you trust the historical currency calculators, that comes out to about $1000 today-- holy smokes. I guess when choices are limited you can rip people for whatever you want. No wonder the Japanese jumped in and stole the market.
As to the OP-- it is a tenor, compared to others today it is considered the lowest end, being sold in the US. I could see the $50 to $150 if it were a 5 string, but there are just too many better choices, for tenors.
Yes, one could learn to play this banjo (with varying levels of personal enjoyment until they get to play a better one). But if we are talking money the "value" is negligible.
The OP's friend should pay whatever they think is fair and they can afford.
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooksquote:
Originally posted by tdennisThis may be a Kay K-52T from c. 1968.
kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1968catalog.pdf
Check out this catalog to see the hierarchy of Kay's banjo offerings, & prices.Using this catalog, the closest listing is K52T at a whopping $110!!! If you trust the historical currency calculators, that comes out to about $1000 today-- holy smokes. I guess when choices are limited you can rip people for whatever you want. No wonder the Japanese jumped in and stole the market.
As to the OP-- it is a tenor, compared to others today it is considered the lowest end, being sold in the US. I could see the $50 to $150 if it were a 5 string, but there are just too many better choices, for tenors.
Yes, one could learn to play this banjo (with varying levels of personal enjoyment until they get to play a better one). But if we are talking money the "value" is negligible.
The OP's friend should pay whatever they think is fair and they can afford.
Nope, that one is described as having a heavyweight cast nickle plated tension hoop. Apparenty thats worth nearly double the k75, which has the crazy feature of individual tuning keys! So what i learned from this catalog, a tenison hoop is the the premium feature of a kay banjo, worth adding an extra 85% to the price tag. And that being able to tune each string individually is also a feature worth advertising.
quote:
Originally posted by kylebquote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooksquote:
Originally posted by tdennisThis may be a Kay K-52T from c. 1968.
kayvintagereissue.com/pdf/1968catalog.pdf
Check out this catalog to see the hierarchy of Kay's banjo offerings, & prices.Using this catalog, the closest listing is K52T at a whopping $110!!! If you trust the historical currency calculators, that comes out to about $1000 today-- holy smokes. I guess when choices are limited you can rip people for whatever you want. No wonder the Japanese jumped in and stole the market.
As to the OP-- it is a tenor, compared to others today it is considered the lowest end, being sold in the US. I could see the $50 to $150 if it were a 5 string, but there are just too many better choices, for tenors.
Yes, one could learn to play this banjo (with varying levels of personal enjoyment until they get to play a better one). But if we are talking money the "value" is negligible.
The OP's friend should pay whatever they think is fair and they can afford.
Nope, that one is described as having a heavyweight cast nickle plated tension hoop. Apparenty thats worth nearly double the k75, which has the crazy feature of individual tuning keys! So what i learned from this catalog, a tenison hoop is the the premium feature of a kay banjo, worth adding an extra 85% to the price tag. And that being able to tune each string individually is also a feature worth advertising.
The K75 is pictured and does not have the flange.
That is a K52T. These were made for decades. If the pot metal flange is not cracked, it's an ok banjo. It has a deep pot like the Vegavox. I wouldn't think twice about giving $100 for it if looking for a tenor banjo but paying less is better. The Kay Neck Adjuster lets you set the action anywhere you like.
The bottom of the line Kay was the 65T (75T with resonator) in all of its chipboard glory. Yep, molded sawdust and glue by the late 1960s. Still have the K75T I acquired in high school by covering a $30 poker bet — talk about overpaying! Anyway, it was my Irish banjo in the studio and it still sounds pretty good. No, I wouldn't be seen in public with it but the microphone doesn't care. It has an adjustable Waverly tailpiece and 5 Star head these days.