Guitar ID please... poss Klira ??

[dan74]

Can anyone please clarify the make of this guitar?
Looks a bit like a 1965 Klira Peggy....

Thank you

[VintAxe]

Your Klira is indeed an interesting blend of features that I can't find in any of my literature.

I agree that the body, neck an pickups look like the 1965 Peggy.

The bridge and the metal control plate are features you see on the Klira Lady and Sir. I don't see that trem tailpiece on any of the Klira's I have pictured in my literature.

I'm sure it is a Klira, I'm just not sure what model it might be. It might be something that was built when they were phasing out the Lady, Sir and Peggy, perhaps assembled from the leftovers. It's a mystery to me, maybe someone more familiar with Klira's will stop by and help out.

[VintAxe]

I decided to do some looking around on the web dan and found this page:



In my 1965 Klira catalog, the Lady and the Sir have identical control panels. If you check the Sir pictured on this website you'll see that the control layout is completely different than the Lady which is pictured a bit below it.

So, Klira was clearly making pretty radical modifications in their instruments and keeping the same name on them. In this context, I bet your guitar is just one of their variations on a Peggy.

BTW, the control panel on the Lady they have pictured on the site is different from the Lady pictured in my literature. The panel on the Lady in my catalog matches the panel on your Peggy. So your guitar was likely built around 1965.

[dan74]

Brilliant!
Thanks for the information.
The trem plate appears to be embossed with some kind of signature.
It's quite hard to make out but seems to read "H Bookman" or "Booker"
Did they make Signature models at all?

[VintAxe]

No signature models to my knowledge, but I did dig out my copy of Elektro-Gitarren to see what Norbert Schnepel has to say about Klira.

His first interesting observation is that only the cheapest models were marketed domestically in Germany; almost all higher-end models were exported.

He also states "the electrical equipment changed several times and so overall there were many different versions" (of the same model).

Although Schnepel admits dating the instruments is difficult, he has the 2 pickup version of the Peggy introduced in 1965 and the 3 pickup version appearing in 1966. I would surmise yours is one of the early models given the control cavity cover.

[dan74]

Do the models Peggy, Sir or Lady fall under the term "cheap" or are they from the quality range?

[Mgeek]

That trem bridge is a UK jennings/vox Hank B Marvin model...

they had a weird endorsement thing going with him before Burns did- in '61 or so. Just made strings, picks and these trems I believe.

Pretty sure that wasn't original to the guitar- unless it was added by the UK distributor

[dan74]

could the guitar be a Vox relation?

[dan74]

Just found some interesting info regarding Klira.
Apparently Klira manufactured guitars under other brand badges as well as their own, namely Triumphator and Holiday. They also distributed some models via a German electronics catalogue in the 60's called Quelle. These catalogue models were unbranded and produced as white label products, i guess so the catalogue could claim them as their own?

Could well be the reason for the lack of branding on this model and may well have been manufactured specifically for that catalogue??

There's a "Lady" in this thread with identical features but a different headstock, apparently branded Triumphator:
http://www.euroguitars.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=26

So it is clearly a Klira or a close relation of.
If anyone has more info regarding any of this i would love to hear it!

thanks

[Mgeek]

[Snapcase]

[dan74]

[Mgeek]