TrueTone & Kay K100

[lordbizarre]

Hi !
have a '64 TrueTone electric which is the same as a Kay K100.
Where those two company's related ?
So all possible info on TrueTone very wellcome !
thanks !
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[VintAxe]

Hi Ivan,

Truetone was the house brand of Western Auto Stores. Western Auto was a chain store that sold a variety of consumer goods from tires to bicycles to guitars. In fact, I bought my first bicycle from Western Auto. In the 1960's Kay supplied guitars to Western Auto which were badged Truetone. I think in most cases the Truetone version of a particular model was identical to the Kay version but I haven't studied this carefully enough to know for sure. I have some Western Auto catalogs uploaded to the catalog section if you want to investigate on your own.

Good to hear from you, sb

[lordbizarre]

Yep , & hi Steve !
found out (before my question)into GuitarStories volume two and the BlueBook that this is in fact a Kay K100 Vanguard , but without the stoptail cover, from Western Auto Company.
I just wondered if TrueTone was only using Kay(or Kay using WesternAuto...?...)to get their guitars sold...
Nice guitar...and strangely it came to me via an East-European country(read ex-behind-the-Iron-Curtain...)But I presume I will never find out how it got there....????....

[VintAxe]

I looked in the Western Auto catalogs Ivan and discoverd that Western Auto was distributing Kay guitars exclusively in 1968 but by 1970 had switched to Japanese imports. I don't have a 1969 WA catalog, guess I need to pick one up. By the way, your K-100 is pictured in the 1968 catalog. sb