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Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 5 Apr 2013 9:16 am

Up for your consideration is a 1936 Oahu 71K Square Neck Guitar. This guitar is in excellent+ condition for being 77 years old. The sound is amazing acoustically and even more so with the Baggs M-1 passive pickup. I run it through a Baggs Venue DI pre-amp then to my amp. I looked hard and long to find this instrument in the condition it is in. This is ladder braced. There WAS a very slight lift to the bridge but I had this guitar shipped to Doug Spencer at Short Mountain guitars when I bought it. Doug has been engaged in restoring many of the instruments damaged in the floods in Tennessee for the Grand Ole Opry and many of the museums. He replaced the original soft wood bridge plate to avoid any future issues. If you are familiar with these guitars that is a common occurrence. Included is the original case in good condition for its age. I do the utmost to describe anything I sell accurately and to the best of my ability. $1550 without Pick-up $50 shipping to conus. No alterations have been done and I have the original end pin.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 5 Apr 2013 10:40 am

I started taking lessons on a guitar just like that approx. 60+ years ago. My how time flies!

Keith Bolog · Post by **Keith Bolog** » 5 Apr 2013 10:48 am

va reee naaasss. I own one of these and can verify acoustically it is unbelievably LOUD but not as harsh as a resonator, really deep and rich sounding. Good luck.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 9 Apr 2013 9:45 am

Thanks Keith. Yes this is an awesome instrument. Because of it's sound many have been converted to a round neck.

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 9 Apr 2013 1:11 pm

I think this was made by the Kay guitar company.
If you look up older "Kay Kraft" guitars you will see they have that same decal on them from that same time period.
Nice....

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 9 Apr 2013 1:13 pm

The Guitar and Mandolin in my picture here behind me next to the fiddles are Kay Kraft with that same decal and color finish.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 9 Apr 2013 4:29 pm

Andy, you may be correct. Oahu never made a single guitar and I know/knew that. Harry Stanley rivaled the best catalog marketers of his era. As you know, he actually was Oahu publishing company selling lap steel lessons. Oahu never made any instrument or amps. He was also tied up with Richenbacher on the electric side. Of course if you seen Michael Lee Allen's collection of Oahu catalogs you would see he sold everything including the kitchen sink. I always thought he was the P.T. Barnum of catalog salesmanship. All indications that I have are that these and the 68K were made by Kay or Regal. I have a friend that has a Regal that looks exactly like mine as well. Even the best, like Elderly and Gruhns have not nailed it down to who exactly, at least that I know of. Hell it seems a lot of guitar manufacturers were "whores" during that time. If you bought 200 guitars they would put any name you wanted on it. For me it really makes no difference. The sound of these is nothing short of awesome. I know a LOT of them have been converted to round necks as the round neck players loved them. I wish I were not in the position of having to sell it. But I have been around more than long enough to know we sometimes have to do things in life that hurt. And trust me, packing this to go to a new home will hurt.

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 9 Apr 2013 4:48 pm

Hi Michael,
That was not intended as a put down, I hope you understand.
I started my life as a luthier in the late 60's going through garage sales and goodwill stores looking for old guitars that needed a little repair.
I think most of the regals were made by Harmony, but may not be right.
Silvertone also had other companies make their instruments made by Kay and Harmony.
I found my old Kay Kraft in a pawn shop for about $60.00 but that was back in the 60's when people put little value in them.
Most of these now go for very high prices now.
Good luck with the sale as it looks to be in very nice condition.
Best wishes,
Andy

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 9 Apr 2013 4:54 pm

These are like the ones I had and wish I still had....

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 9 Apr 2013 5:49 pm

Andy, I surely didn't mean to sound terse or anything if I did. It never entered my mind that you were putting anything down. Just a discussion for me that I actually enjoyed. It is nice to see someone that has the same interests and I am always looking for more knowledge on these wonderful instrument's of our past. They are part of American history. I am envious of Michael's collection. I wish I had it. I became enthralled with the history of Oahu and Bronson. I used to go to Salvation Army, Goodwill, Volunteers of America regularly but I was not into playing an instrument during that time. I can only imagine. If we only knew, eh? A few 50'-60's Les Paul's, Stratocasters, Telecasters I wouldn't be in the financial position I currently find myself in. Golden years my ass, more like rust.

That Mandolin is drop dead gorgeous. I always lusted after this one, but it was never financially within my reach. http://www.oahuguitars.com/ Hell it would have probably ended up on the auction block like this one anyways.

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 11 Apr 2013 5:47 am

Here's the electric version.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 11 Apr 2013 6:02 am

Richard, funny you should post that.

Here is mine.

Andy DePaule · Post by **Andy DePaule** » 11 Apr 2013 6:27 am

Oooh So cool,
I never saw that one before.
Must be very rare!

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 11 Apr 2013 6:41 am

Andy,not to awful many of them that I see for sale in good condition. Mine is excellent except the Oahu decal is 85% gone. I asked Steinar about this before I bought it and he said he had a Tonemaster that he loved and this should be the same sound just a different model. This is called the Diana Deluxe.

Philip Tamarkin · Post by **Philip Tamarkin** » 15 Apr 2013 4:49 pm

Very cool!

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 20 Apr 2013 4:05 pm

Thanks Phil.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 25 Apr 2013 7:47 am

I have reduced the price $100. Thank you.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 17 May 2013 6:10 pm

I have got this now as low as I can go. I need to sell it so it is at rock bottom pricing. You will not find another at this price in this condition. I will be listing other items soon as well. Thank you.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 8 Jun 2013 3:27 pm

Bump.

William Fraser · Post by **William Fraser** » 12 Jun 2013 5:21 am

I don't want to side track your thread , mine was made by Kay prior to becoming Kay , I believe the name was Stromberg-Voisenet , does the binding look familiar ? Not for sale Bill

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 12 Jun 2013 7:33 am

That binding is not like what is on the one I have for sale. However I have a 1935 65M with that binding. See below. The Oahu Jumbo was made by the Kay Custom Shop in Chicago. Years ago I tracked down an old fellow who had worked there in the 30's. He told me that the top end guitars they made were made by old world immigrants to Chicago who had made guitars in Europe.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 24 Jun 2013 2:04 pm

I can not go any lower that this. I have more into it that what I am asking.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 13 Jul 2013 3:46 pm

TTT It has been a while since I bumped it. Thank you for your patience.

Michael Nemick · Post by **Michael Nemick** » 5 Nov 2013 7:40 am

To the Top. Thank you.

The Steel Guitar Forum

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Made by Kay Company?

Pictured here

Not a put down

Kay Kraft Pictures

Oooh So cool

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Oahu