Kent was a New York brand, not a factory. Buegeleisen & Jacobson on Union Square put the name on Japanese imports through the 1960s, and the best of them are the late-60s 700 series solidbodies. They were drawn by a young designer named Yasuo Momose, fresh out of FujiGen and working at a small Matsumoto shop called Hayashi Mokko. Momose went on to become one of the most respected luthiers in Japan, and these flame-top Kents are his first production line.

The 741 is the three-pickup model, the middle of the family between the 740 and the four-pickup 742, and you see far fewer of them than 740s. Three Kent-stamped single coils, each with its own rocker on/off switch and its own volume and tone, so any combination is on the table, plus the Kent vibrato with the built-in string mute and the stamped bridge cover. Flame maple front and back, striped "rally" binding around the sides, bound neck with pearloid blocks, the inlaid script headstock with the scroll, and Kent inlaid in the upper horn.

This one is a clean, all-original example from a one-owner collection. The sunburst is deep, the flame is strong on the back, the vibrato arm and bridge cover are present, the guard is uncracked, and the round Kent foil sticker is still on the back of the headstock. Bright, chimey, a little hollow for a solidbody, and with three pickups and six knobs it is the one that stops people on the wall.

Specs

• Kent model 741, Buegeleisen & Jacobson catalog 1967 to 1969, made in Japan (Hayashi Mokko, Matsumoto, attributed; design by Yasuo Momose)
• Solid body, flame maple top and back, yellow sunburst, striped side binding, bound top
• Bolt-on three-piece maple and mahogany neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, pearloid block markers, 22 frets
• Inlaid script Kent headstock with scroll, bound; Kent inlay on the upper horn; round Kent foil sticker on the back of the headstock
• Three original Kent single-coil pickups with rocker on/off switches, volume and tone for each
• Original Kent vibrato with string mute and stamped bridge cover, chrome hardware

Condition: Excellent. All original, no cracks or repairs, light play wear only, frets with plenty of life. Set up in our shop.

Includes: gig bag

Where it came from: one-owner collection, bought whole by Brothers Guitar Shop in November 2026. The previous owner kept his guitars clean, had them set up and stored them properly, and it shows. Every piece goes across our bench for a check and setup before it goes on the wall at 316 E 84th St, NYC.