Newbie looking for advice

[Uwood49]

Hello all, I was seeking advice on a new project I just started. I'm semi new to guitar modification, but I recently restored a 1485 Silvertone Amp and have experience with working on guitars. I also have a background with wood working. On that note, I was curious to get your guys option on what I should do. I purchased this guitar blind and decided to take a chance on it. It was being sold in my cousins home town, so I told him to look for a straight neck and to make sure there were no cracks. He went over there and bought the guitar ($100). Then brought it to me 3 days later. Well, it turns out it had cracks, lots of them. There's at least 5 cracks in the sides on the guitar.
It's a 1960's Kay Speed Demon. The top and the bottom on the guitar are both crack free. It's only the sides of the guitar. I really dig the look of the guitar, how it's beat up and missing paint. Eventhough the guitar has a bunch of cracks it still feels solid. It came with the tail piece, a bridge the tuners and that's about it. I would have to sink some money into this guitar, just to use it. On that note, I have a couple of questions.

1. Should I keep it? Can I sell it for any money? I dig the guitar and don't really care about the cracks but I don't want to put money into it if it's going to fall apart.

2. If I do keep it, what kind of pickups should I use? I had my heart set on using humbuckers, but the 3.5 in gap between the screw holes for the pickups say dog eared P 90s. I already have a couple of single coil guitars, I really wanted a humbucker guitar. Do you guys have any idea what would sound good with a 3 pickup configuration?

3. Can I repair the cracks? Like I said I have experience with woodworking and have made some intricate stuff. However, as far as guitars are concerned, I'm a bit of a rookie.

Just to clarify, I'm not bringing this into a shop and spending hundred of dollars on this guitar. I'm a science teacher and working on guitars/amps have become one of my hobbies. Besides, I'm a do it yourself kind of guy.

Thanks in Advance for any options. I really appreciate it.

Not exactly sure how to link picks, so here's the photobucket url to check out the pictures of it. Thanks again
http://s916.photobucket.com/albums/ad8/uwood49/

[Michael Ambrose]

LOVE it.

I have a few kays from this era... matter of fact, I was in the same boat... bought a 3pu speed demon body/neck in the same state (almost; the top and back where a bit cleaner). Those aren't so much "cracks" as wood shrinkage at the wood joints in the core. They're the first point where paint flakes away. You're pretty safe in terms of stability.

You can turn these into some seriously great players.

A neat little trick with bringing this beast back... Eastwood Hi-Flyer pickups fit into the routs almost perfectly. They come up on ebay now and again. Mike Robinson's own ebay store sells them directly from time to time.

Good luck with the wiring harness... hahaha... that was probably the hardest part of my resto. Search the General Guitar Discussion forum, you'll find a post about the ordeals I faced on the restoration of my Demon haha!

[johnnyb]

[johnnyb]

[Uwood49]

[Michael Ambrose]