by Michael Ambrose » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:23 pm
Ighut,
I actually just bought that Speed Demon body in the auction you posted.
Too strange. TOO too strange.
No markings at all. 18 frets, and its definitely stock.
So here's what I'm thinking... and, of course, its ALL conjecture...
I'm thinking that this is, perhaps, and "early" Speed Demon?... I've got this side-by-side a '61 Stratotone, and it looks as though its more closely related to that than a more modern Speed Demon. What is more, on the back of this piece is a faux tiger stripe, like that found on Stellas.
So just how blurry were the lines between Kay and Harmony back then?
I keep bringing up the Stratotone because I suppose that it could be considered a "first cousin" to the Kay Value Leader... nearly identical guitars... Stratotone had the gold foils and "hershey bar" pickups... value leaders had those "capped" DeArmonds... Now... the Stratotone had a rounded lower horn, whereas the Value Leader's was pointed.
Just something to think about.
Also.
I popped the neck... nothing in the pocket... there's the remnants of something that was once printed on the headstock, no idea what it was...
Perhaps some of the Kay and Harmony lines got crossed at one point in production?
Man, its just such a weird guitar...