Very good condition featuring single cutaway laminated maple body with blond top finish and black finish on the back and sides, checkerboard binding on the top and back body edges, two humptop pickups in the bridge and middle position with height adjusting screws located on both sides of each pickup, five electronic control knobs with clear skirted reflector top knobs, four way rotary pickup selector switch with black chickenhead knob, output jack located on the front treble side of the body, trapeze tailpiece, wooden bridge base with 1980s tune-o-matic style bridge with six individual adjustable steel saddles and two height adjusting thumb wheels, bolt on maple neck, bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block inlays starting at the 3rd fret, Silvertone/Kay peghead shape with white cursive Silvertone logo, single ply white plastic truss rod cover, three per side on a plate vintage style single line Kluson Deluxe tuning machines with white oval plastic tuner buttons and two metal strap buttons.
This 1962 Silvertone by Kay 1445 Speed Demon is in very good vintage cosmetic condition showing signs of play wear throughout including some scratches and dings here and there (see photos). This instrument shows some considerable finish checking on the top and back of the body and the finish on the back of the neck has been played off from the first fret to the fifth fret (see photos). The original tuners have been replaced with a set of aged nickel Kluson single lines that work well. The pickguard is missing. The bridge is a later replacement and looks like a made in Japan unit from the 1980s. The pickup selector switch knob is not original. The neck pickup has been removed and is included but needs to be rewound. Both the bridge and middle position pickups work great and the harness has been wired for just a volume and tone for each pickup. This instrument has been professionally refretted with medium jumbo fret wire and professionally set up with 11 gauge flat wound strings and plays outstanding up and down the fingerboard with great action.
This guitar is a blast to play and drips with cool vibes. This 1445 sounds great and is perfect for lo-fi blues, jazzy clean stuff, weird hillbilly stuff and raunchy rock. Even though this instrument has seen some changes and had some bumps and bruises over the years, this thing still remains a righteous player and has character in spades. This is the fanciest version of the Speed Demon and has nicer cosmetic appointments than most models including block inlays and checkerboard binding. These appointments combined with the blond finish make for a stellar looking machine. The neck pickup could be rewound and reinstalled. Personally, I dig the charm of it not being there but to each their own! If you are after a unique, vintage guitar that plays incredible and sounds fantastic, this Silvertone may be the one.
