1968 BAD: Mae Marsh dies. GOOD: Custom Kraft Guitar is built. One of the really cool guitars in my collection. Brief history: Model number 12171 built by Valco-Supro/National Company but sold by St. Louis Co. St. Louis Music is a long established musical instrument distributor (rather than manufacturer), founded in 1922 by Bernard Kornblum as an importer of German violins. By the 1950s St. Louis Music were distributing Magnatone Hawaiian lap steel guitars as well as steels made by Harmony, Kay, Alamo, Supro, and Rickenbacker. St. Louis Music also sold acoustic jazz guitars made by Kay under their own Custom Kraft brand. By 1963 St. Louis Music were distributing solid body electric guitars including Custom Kraft Ambassadors produced by Valco and the Custom Kraft Golden Regent and Silver Caravelle both made by Kay. By October 1968 St. Louis Music introduced its last Custom Kraft models: the Mod line. The Mod series included the Super Zapp six-string, Saturator 12-string, and Bone Buzzer bass. Semi-acoustic with two Supro/Valco Single Coil pickups. The coolest tone coming out of 1968.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 09:29:38 +0000