Kay Super Jumbo Baxendale Conversion Demo.

[Scott Baxendale]

My business besides building custom guitars is to remanufacture old Harmony and Kay made department store guitars that were built and sold by the thousands from 1920-1970. This video is an example of one of our Greentech remanufactured world class sounding guitars.

 

[Papanate]

So you essentially rebuild the guitars from the ground up - and make them sound pretty good - it would be better if you
built your own guitars from scratch - I think you change the guitar enough to get them sounding right - but world class is
not the term I’d use - you make a Harmony sound as good as it can.

 

[Scott Baxendale]

You should google my name. I used to own Mossman Guitars, and I have built over 400 guitars from scratch many of them owned and played by famous guitar players. I’ve built hand made custom guitars from scratch since 1974, and owners of my custom guitars include: Carl Perkins, James Burton, Donovan, Greg Lake, Jorma Kaukonen, Joe Walsh (2 guitars), Willie Nelson, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Justin Townes Earle, Luther Dickinson, Jimmy Herring, Jason Isbell, And many more. I even built two custom Farm Aid guitars for Willie.

My custom guitars have been on Grammy nominated albums, but not as many as our rebuilds. Clients for our rebuilds include: Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline from Wilco, Luther Dickinson, Buddy Miller, REM, The Drive-by Truckers, Justin Townes Earle, Butch Walker, Warren Huart, The futurebirds, My Morning Jacket, and many more. One of our rebuilds was on the latest Greenday album thanks to Butch Walker.

As a luthier, I did the math one day between building custom guitars vs our green tech process of guitar remanufacturing and when I build a $8k custom guitar I make $25 per hr, but on the rebuilds I make closer to $100 per hour. People send in their guitars to rebuild so when they are done we get paid right away. When I build a guitar I get paid when it sells. If it’s a custom order I take half upfront and the balance when it’s done. On a Conversion we get paid the day the work is completed, usually.

I finished up a new hand made custom guitar, that is currently for sale for $6500. I will make about $20-25 per hour after it sells which could take months.

Here are some pics. It really should sell for $12k if I was to get paid for what my skills and experience are worth.

World Class Tone is definitely how these guitars sound.

Here is a clip directly comparing a $6k 1959 OOO-18 vs our H162 rebuilds which are the same exact body shape and size and woods.



The Martin sold a few days ago for $6k. The Harmony sold for $1795….with a new hard case and a lifetime warranty. The Bax/Conversion is a much better deal, esp for working musicians who can’t afford guitars for $6k. It’s kind of a no-brainer when you sus it all out.

 

[Scott Baxendale]

So you essentially rebuild the guitars from the ground up - and make them sound pretty good - it would be better if you
built your own guitars from scratch - I think you change the guitar enough to get them sounding right - but world class is
not the term I’d use - you make a Harmony sound as good as it can.

Send me a clip of a vintage Gibson J-200 that sounds better. This 1950’s jumbo guitar is a small fraction of the price of a 50’s J-200.

 

[RFR]

I saw on Produce like a Pro, where Warren talked about getting old inexpensive acoustics rebuilt.
So that was you. Cool.

 

[Scott Baxendale]

I saw on Produce like a Pro, where Warren talked about getting old inexpensive acoustics rebuilt.
So that was you. Cool.

Yeah, Warren is a good guy.

 

[60's guy]

You should google my name. I used to own Mossman Guitars, and I have built over 400 guitars from scratch many of them owned and played by famous guitar players. I’ve built hand made custom guitars from scratch since 1974, and owners of my custom guitars include: Carl Perkins, James Burton, Donovan, Greg Lake, Jorma Kaukonen, Joe Walsh (2 guitars), Willie Nelson, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Justin Townes Earle, Luther Dickinson, Jimmy Herring, Jason Isbell, And many more. I even built two custom Farm Aid guitars for Willie.

My custom guitars have been on Grammy nominated albums, but not as many as our rebuilds. Clients for our rebuilds include: Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline from Wilco, Luther Dickinson, Buddy Miller, REM, The Drive-by Truckers, Justin Townes Earle, Butch Walker, Warren Huart, The futurebirds, My Morning Jacket, and many more. One of our rebuilds was on the latest Greenday album thanks to Butch Walker.

As a luthier, I did the math one day between building custom guitars vs our green tech process of guitar remanufacturing and when I build a $8k custom guitar I make $25 per hr, but on the rebuilds I make closer to $100 per hour. People send in their guitars to rebuild so when they are done we get paid right away. When I build a guitar I get paid when it sells. If it’s a custom order I take half upfront and the balance when it’s done. On a Conversion we get paid the day the work is completed, usually.

I finished up a new hand made custom guitar, that is currently for sale for $6500. I will make about $20-25 per hour after it sells which could take months.

Here are some pics. It really should sell for $12k if I was to get paid for what my skills and experience are worth.

World Class Tone is definitely how these guitars sound.

Here is a clip directly comparing a $6k 1959 OOO-18 vs our H162 rebuilds which are the same exact body shape and size and woods.



The Martin sold a few days ago for $6k. The Harmony sold for $1795….with a new hard case and a lifetime warranty. The Bax/Conversion is a much better deal, esp for working musicians who can’t afford guitars for $6k. It’s kind of a no-brainer when you sus it all out.

Impressive as the Harmony rebuild is in the upper register, the original Martin sounds much better, low to high, overall. My opinion only. Watched a few vids. Thumbs up!

 

[Scott Baxendale]

Impressive as the Harmony rebuild is in the upper register, the original Martin sounds much better, low to high, overall. My opinion only. Watched a few vids. Thumbs up!

I doubt you’d think that if you played them side by side…..anyway, the neck is a little nicer shaped on the Martin and the finish is shinier, but it’s also more than three times more expensive.

 

[60's guy]

I doubt you’d think that if you played them side by side…..anyway, the neck is a little nicer shaped on the Martin and the finish is shinier, but it’s also more than three times more expensive.

Nicely worded, sir. I'm gonna go polish my old acoustic guitars to make them sound better than they do sound...and worth more in the process too.

Damn!!! I wish I was still in possession of that old Kay guitar circa 1965.