Goals
To build a custom electric guitar with YOU in mind, utilizing the McKay private stash of old growth tone wood. McKay calls on his years of experience as a luthier and musician and work hard to make you an instrument that will play well, in tune, and sound the way you want. McKay seeks out and uses parts that are new, but correctly fabricated to the period of the guitar, specifically the late 1950s.
Details
The McKay '59 Dot 335 is a recreation of the classic semi-hollowbody guitar that was originally designed over 50 years ago. McKay has done extensive research, R&D and practical testing to get it right and sees no reason to change the original design. He also sees no reason not to accept custom appointments like special fret sizes, pickup specifications or electronics. You will notice the McKay logo inlaid in pearl on the headstock and the headstock shape is unique to McKay guitars.
The laminated top and back are pressed with crisp, clear maple inner veneers and the outer show layers are light curly maple similar to those of the 1950s guitars. There is very high quality sitka spruce bracing hidden inside the body with a lightweight Michigan maple center block. The body is constructed like an acoustic guitar with mahogany kerfed lining and end block. McKay uses single binding on the top and back. The f holes are the perfect shape that is so familiar. It is all held together with old-fashioned "radio-glue." This all makes the guitars sound great!
When you play the '59 Dot 335 you will notice a silky smooth mahogany neck which can be made to your own specifications or to McKay's standard profile, copied from and old good one. The nut width is like a '59 at 1 11/16 inch wide. And here is something McKay considers really special! He uses old growth Brazilian rosewood for the fingerboard. It was imported before the embargo and is perfectly legal. McKay also has very high quality Indian rosewood if you prefer. There are celluloid dots of course. McKay uses a fret scale that he copied from an existing 1959 guitar, not a calculation. It is 24.75 inches in length from nut to saddle.
- Body: semi-hollow w/ Honduran mahogany kerfling and end block
- Top: 4 ply laminated maple veneers
- Bracing: sitka spruce
- Center block: Michigan maple
- Binding: single on top and back
- Pickguard: 5-ply w/ wide bevel
- Neck: Honduran mahogany
- Neck profile: copied from an orginal
- Scale length: 24.75", copied from an original '59 rather than calculated
- Fingerboard: pre-embargo old growth Brazilian rosewood
- Nut: bone, 1 11/16" (like a '59)
- Dots: celluloid
- Tuners: single ring Kluson
- Bridge/tailpiece: Kluson ABR1
- Finish: nitrocellulose lacquer
- Glue: radio-glue
- Strings: 10s
- Case: Gator
- Upgraded Kloppmann 1959 PAF Replicas (it doesn’t get better)