The Silvertone 1425 is the last and most refined of the Kay-built f-hole electrics that collectors call the Aristocrat. Kay built them in Chicago on a big, wide, full-depth archtop body with a single cutaway, and Sears carried the 1425 from late 1959 into 1961 as the top of its hollowbody electric page. This one is the sunburst, with the scribed "curlicue" pickguard that only the final 1959 to 1961 Aristocrats got, two of Kay's chrome "speed bump" single coils, the cream cupcake knobs and the high-peaked Kay headstock with the Silvertone script.

Condition is where this one separates itself. Most Aristocrats that surface today have been played hard, refinished, or picked apart for parts. This guitar is clean on every surface: the sunburst has aged to a deep tobacco edge over warm amber with only light checking, the binding is intact, the pickguard is original and uncracked, the pickup covers are bright, and the tuners, tailpiece and knobs are the ones Kay put on it. The neck is straight, the frets have plenty of life, and it came out of a one-owner collection where it was set up and stored properly.

The sound is the reason people hunt these. Kay's single coils are low output and wide open, so the bridge pickup gives you a hollow, woody bark and the neck pickup goes round and dark without turning to mud. Unplugged it is a real archtop with real volume. Rockabilly, jump blues, early rock and roll, swing, country, lo-fi indie: it has a voice modern guitars do not have, and it photographs like a record cover.

Specs

• Silvertone model 1425, built by Kay Musical Instrument Co., Chicago, USA, 1959 to 1961
• Full-depth laminated maple archtop, single cutaway, sunburst finish, bound top
• Set neck, rosewood fingerboard, pearloid block markers, high-peaked Kay headstock with silkscreened Silvertone script
• Two original Kay "speed bump" single-coil pickups, individual volume and tone for each, pickup selector switch
• Floating adjustable wood bridge, trapeze tailpiece, original open-gear tuners with cream buttons
• Original "curlicue" pickguard with scribed S, cream cupcake knobs
• No serial number: Kay did not serialize these, and dating is by catalog features

Condition: Excellent. Light finish checking consistent with age, no cracks, no repairs, no refinish, all original hardware and electronics working as they should. Neck straight, frets with plenty of life. Fully set up in our shop and playing right.

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.