'31 Kay Kraft Mandola YOUTUBE demo video

[Kerry Krishna]

Here is the newest of the Kay Krafts that I am collecting. Both our own Jim Garber and Gurf Morlix contacted me at around the same time to tell me of this 'rarest of the rare' Kay Kraft axes. Pristine lacquer, never been polished, original style Waverly machine heads , replaced bone saddle and nut from when it was for sale at Elderly's, but otherwise totally untouched. 18.25 scale tuned two full steps down from CGDA because of long scale, 12,24,33,50 g strings, beautiful voice, but lacking real volume, laminate mahogany back and sides, heat pressed solid spruce top. ......http://www.youtube.com/user/kerrykrishna?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/d8JiVy2ZhW0

[Kerry Krishna]

Here is the beauty...

[Jake Wildwood]

Nice one!

I've always liked these Kay Kraft instruments. You could totally tune the instrument as a regular mandola and get better volume/cut at the higher tuning... just use lighter strings. Something like regular mando light gauges -- 34w to 10 -- should actually be sort of perfect for it, and it'd feel better than a regular 16-17" mandola (I dislike those as the wound 2nd feels terrible to me).

[Kerry Krishna]

Thanks Jake. I actually prefer this gauge right now, as it is possible to actually sing some songs with it. ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17qzLVYR9fc

[bluesmandolinman]

great !
I have never seen a Kaykraft mandola before. Sounds pretty cool and nice playing too =)
thanks for posting !

[DerTiefster]

Kerry,

you mentioned on the video looking for 0.020" a wound 2nd course and not finding strings. The John Pearse 2250 and 2280 sets have a wound 0.021" 2nd course. Maybe that helps your search. It's certainly close enough to fool the eye.

Thanks for playing and sharing your mandola.

[Kerry Krishna]

Bluesmando and DerT, thanks so much. I got this Kay Kraft jusy last week, and it's ALREADY the old one! Another just came day before yesterday! This one a 14 fret Full body (as opposed to a 2 point)...

[delsbrother]

Do the all the mando family have the adjustable neck?

[Kerry Krishna]

Dels, no they don't Thank Goodness! The soundhole would be too small , and the way that Kay Kraft executed the adjustable neck guitars just is not a good system. Something this small under that much string tension and an adjustable neck would be nothing but a short lived nightmare...