Kent Guitar

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,Tom
Date: 15 May 08 - 09:05 PM

I've just bought a Kent amplifier from the '60's, which states "made in USA" on it... are they lying? Sounds great either way...

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,Nicholls
Date: 06 May 08 - 07:57 PM

Ironically , Bruce Springsteen said the first guitar he ever owned was a Kent .

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,dav ashton
Date: 31 Mar 08 - 09:11 PM

ive got a kent acoustic and its got a dove on the scratchplate, it looks like a copy of the gibson dove. i think its from the late 60s or early 70s. anyone knows any info email me please. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,DAVE
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 03:40 PM

Do you know anything about kent basss's

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,phill
Date: 17 Feb 08 - 11:47 PM

Tony, I am confused about your Hagstrom made Kent. I thought all Kent guitars were Japanese. Hagstrom was a Swedish company. My 3rd guitar was a Hagstrom III, and I can tell you there is no comparison as to the quality. Kent was terrible. Since you are a collector, I have my first guitar, A Danelectro U body. Have no idea exactly how old it is. Bought used in 63 or 64. What I've learned is that they were probably made in 56 to 58.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,phill
Date: 16 Feb 08 - 02:37 AM

My second guitar was a Kent that was a solid body sunburst with 4 pickups that my parents bought in a St. Louis pawnshop in the mid 60's.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,Tony
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 09:23 AM

I'm a collector of cheapo '60s guitars, because I love the tone and the microphonic screech. I usually take the bridge off and add something really GOOD, like a tune-o-matic or Gibson harmonica bridge, fix the intonation, adjust the truss rod and sometimes change the tuners. I've been wanting to get a three-pickup Kent for a long time, because Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison used them on the first Velvet Underground album (of course, Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison were desperately poor at the time)--I've already got my Silvertone 1484 to go with it. I don't know whether theirs was a Hagstrom-made Kent or not, though--I just know it was a three-pickup model made before 1967.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,marko
Date: 07 Feb 08 - 06:08 AM

Hi Beer,
I'm Marko. Back in the the late 60's or early 70's my parents bought me an acoustic Kent as a birthday gift. It was bought al Rockland's in Montreal. I still have it but this one doesn't have the metal tag on the headstock...it's black with a white kent logo. Oh, this one was made in japan.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: kendall
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 07:31 PM

Junk

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 11:12 AM

Beer,
Sorry to post off topic, but all 1954 J45s were sunburst. If you had a 1954 natural finished J45 it would be a re-finish. The blonde version of a J45 is called a J50 and cost a bit more because the spruce had to be more attractive (although I have two friends who have J45s that have been refinished to look like a J50 and the spruce top looks fine to me)
I think the current J45s and J50s are different guitars, with the J45 being more expensive and coming in a sunburst or blonde top.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: lefthanded guitar
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 02:52 PM

My first guitar was a Kent. Bought at Korvettes. I still have it. Keep meaning to use it as a travel and/or alternative tuned guitar. It was no great guitar, but sounded passably okay when I changed the strings. Action's pretty tough tho, not easy to play.

Well, no doubt it's not a prized guitar, but it's got nostalgic appeal, kinda like a Flexible Flyer. I just can't bear to part with it.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,Old Picker
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 11:43 AM

My first guitar in 1966 was a acoustic Kent that my folks found at a pawn shop for $30. It had the metal logo and I was too young to know how crappy it sounded.

My guitar teacher hated it (you couldn't tune it down the neck), but I couldn't afford to buy one of his Yamahas. Thanks goodness I finally got a Martin, 41 years later.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,Guest picker
Date: 18 May 07 - 10:43 PM

I still have my second guitar, which is a Kent (guyatone) from the 60's. It was given to me by my uncle (RIP). It is currently in pieces, refinishing, new electrics and hardware. It has always had good action and intonation is not so bad for a compensated bridge (also being replaced) Pick-ups very noisy, thinking about S.D. Mini HB's.

If anyone has that little cheesy metal headstock logo and will to part wit it, let me know.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: GUEST,reaper of stirfe
Date: 17 Oct 06 - 05:18 PM

i'm currently purchasing a japaness two pickup kent and i love the sound mine has the btisih punk rock kinda sound, and she's in wikid condition. everything is orignal its alot better than the cheap ones made today.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: Mooh
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 09:55 PM

Wow, my Kent sure didn't feel like any Hagstrom, it was trash. Most Hagstroms I've known were very nice. Back in the 70s I lusted for a Hag, and a Gretsch White Penguin which sells now for more than I paid for my house.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 07:21 PM

Here's a link to a page with a picture of David Bowie playing a Hagstrom-made electric Kent.

Hagstrom fans

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: Beer
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 05:46 PM

Mine is an accoustic an actually has a good sound. But as I stated earlier mine is a pass me down. The Guitar I play is a Gibson J-45 Sunburst. 1954. Also have a fender accoustic. I'v tried the google search for Kent guitars but came up flat. Any suggestion? And thank you all for the feedback.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:34 PM

Various people made Kents: if you have a Hagstrom Kent it is quite a decent electric guitar (think White Stripes) with the still-unequalled Hagstrom "King's neck" and trussrod, and not bereft of value. Check one of the Hagstrom sites and ask if someone has a "blue book" that will identify an electric Hagstrom from its serial number.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From:
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 11:50 AM

Kent was my SECOND guitar, an upgrade from my Teasco? Del ray Mike

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: Mooh
Date: 17 Jan 05 - 08:04 AM

Bits and pieces of my first electric guitar (a Kent) still survive, like the string tree from the headstock, the bridge and tailpiece. The rest of it was utter crap, though the pickups had that cool low-end vibe and were extremely microphonic. Wood, glue, finish, and hardware were cheap and poorly assembled, but the guitars filled a definite market, and made me appreciate my first Telecaster all the more.

Unless it's in fantastic original condition, I can't imagine anyone other than a collector being very interested in it. But you never know, styles change and it might become the new hip axe.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Jan 05 - 10:23 PM

Ah yes.....Kent. My first "guitar" which was actually given to me. Hope yours is a lot better than mine was!!!! Mostly they various "offshore" builders witha Kent logo stuck on them. As I recall mine had a delightfully tacky metal tag that said KENT on the headstock.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Kent Guitar
From: Little Hawk
Date: 16 Jan 05 - 09:39 PM

They're notorious. Kent was a cheap make of guitar in the 60's and early 70's that sold in places like department stores. They were mostly pretty awful. However, yours may be a good one. Who knows? Have an experienced guitar person check it out and see.

Subject: Kent Guitar
From: Beer
Date: 16 Jan 05 - 09:36 PM

Have this Kent guitar from the late 60's. It's a pass me down. Does anyone have any information on this make?