Kay / N-5 / 1963 / Natural/sunburst / Guitar For Sale
Dan Auerbach couldn’t be faulted for lacking consistency. Indeed, the Black Keys singer and guitarist has always developed a lo-fi approach, a roots and authentic sound using cheap instruments that could be ordered from catalogues in the sixties. Once upon a time, those guitars could be found in pawnshops for a few bucks, but Auerbach showed the world that they could be used for writing legit hits, and their value has skyrocketed ever since.
Back in the fifties and sixties, many brands aimed towards beginners, but their instruments were in fact all made by the same three giant Chicago companies that sold to distributors who could choose the name on the headstock: Harmony, Valco and Kay. Kay was a pioneer in electricity and they were selling a model featuring a magnetic pickup as early as 1936. But they also made great acoustics, rustic and unique guitars.
This N-5 is a flat top acoustic that belonged to Auerbach during the first period of his band, before he moved over to Martins for the tamer productions of the albums Brothers and El Camino. It is massive all over, from its imposing jumbo body to its huge neck, and the sound is in that same ballpark, dark and fat. Auerbach used it in studio for slide playing, and was therefore using it with heavy flatwound strings. This piece of modern blues comes with a certificate signed by guitar dealer George Gruhn and Dan Auerbach himself.
Matts Guitar Shop, France 
In a milieu where desirable objects are generally locked away in a safe or behind glass, Matthieu Lucas’ collection is a refreshing exception to the rule.
He represents a new generation of guitar lovers, for whom music comes first and the sound is more important than the serial number. Like any fine collection, Matthieu Lucas’ one has a speciality: he tracks down instruments that have belonged to artists, from Jeff Buckley’s Telecaster to Tal Farlow’s Gibson, not to mention Spot - one of the few sunbursts to be found in France and which belonged to a certain Joe Bonamassa.
Through perseverance, Matthieu managed to open doors that are generally kept well shut and gained access to instruments that were not even supposed to be sold. And true to the principle that the love of music comes first, Matthieu is not the type to prevent a guitarist from enjoying his or her prized jewels.
Out of that desire to share, he finally created the Matt’s Guitar Shop showroom, a special place for selling and trading that gives Paris back its reputation for excellence in the area of beautiful guitars. Inspired and inspiring instruments, which continue to bring beautiful notes to the ears of music lovers.
