1970s – Rat Bait Guitars

Kay Guitar Neck (1960s–1970s)

Vintage Kay Guitar Neck (1960s–1970s) – SG Style

A relic from the golden age of guitar craftsmanship, this vintage Kay neck is ready for restoration, reinvention, or reverent display. Originally paired with a Kay SG-style body, it likely dates from the late 1960s to early 1970s—a period when Kay was known for bold design and solid build quality.

Finished in a deep, Heritage Cherry-style gloss and adorned with the original Kay logo, this neck carries the patina of decades while retaining its structural integrity. The original tuners are still fitted (though replacement is recommended), and the heel-adjust truss rod remains fully functional.

Whether you’re rebuilding a vintage Kay, crafting a custom piece, or curating a collection, this neck offers a rare blend of character, playability, and provenance.

Specifications

Era: 1960s–1970s
Frets: 19
Scale Length: 24.5″
Nut Width: 1.656″ (42 mm)
Heel Width: Approx. 54 mm (± 0.5 mm)
Truss Rod: Heel-adjust, fully functional
Finish: Original gloss, dark cherry tone
Hardware:
- Original string retainer
- Original strap button
- Original tuners (recommend replacing)
Mounting: Heel holes pre-drilled
Condition: Good used condition
Logo: Original Kay headstock decal

Kay guitars from this era are prized by players and collectors alike for their distinctive tone, rebellious spirit, and enduring build. This neck is more than a part—it’s a fragment of musical history, waiting to be reawakened.

The Phoenix Rises

Salvage, Soul & Sonic Rebellion

‘When you pick up a guitar, you’re not just holding wood and wire—you’re gripping history. Not just the hands that played it, but the scars it carries, the timber it was born from, and the battles it survived. Rat Bait Guitars don’t chase perfection. Each component has its own previous life story, resurrection and metamorphosis. If you’re interested in an instrument with a story, Rat Bait Guitars are worth considering.’

Built from Ruin, Made to Scream

Take the body featured above: a Frankenstein of salvaged wood—fence post, roof offcut, shed panel, and the carved heart of a guitar once devoured by woodworm. Treated, reshaped, and reborn into a retro 60s/70s silhouette inspired by Teisco and Kay designs, it’s a slab of tone with old-world charm and unapologetic grit.

Neck Pickup: from a Manson Guitar (Matthew Bellamy)
Bridge pickup: early 2000s ceramic single pole.
Tailpiece: retro chrome clamshell, because why not?

This isn’t a museum piece. It’s a relic with soul. Read more here…

Imperfection as Identity

Rat Bait guitars are built in a shed that smells of glue and sawdust, not sterile polish. Parts are from the 1970s to the 2020s, mixing eras to create instruments that sound better than the homogenised clones flooding the market. They’re rugged, battle-scarred, and ready to scream.

Reclaimed materials: furniture, fence posts, roof timbers, flooring.
Custom-built bodies: Telecaster, Stratocaster, and the occasional Japanese oddity.
Body prices start at £35.00. Each one is unique. Each one is alive.

What Players Say

“Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!”
“Arrived on time—very good guitar, best I’ve ever had. Sound is deep, all perfectly set up.”
“Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. Excellent comms all round. Very happy—thanks! :)”
“A really nice guitar, unique and obviously made with great care. Exceptional value. A great addition to my collection!”
“Awesome, I would deal with again… lovely looking guitar, leaving to settle and look forward to playing it.”
“Perfect little Telecaster body.”
“Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!”
“Arrived on time—very good guitar, best I’ve ever had. Sound is deep, all perfectly set up.”
“Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. Excellent comms all round. Very happy—thanks! :)”

These aren’t just guitars. They’re outsider art. Punk relics. Sonic protest pieces.

Why Salvage Matters

Every salvaged guitar is a strike against waste. A nod to sustainability. A celebration of character over gloss. By repurposing discarded timber and broken parts, a voice is given to materials that would otherwise be silenced.

Each guitar built is a story stitched together with defiance and solder. And if you’re the kind of player who values raw tone over showroom shine, welcome home.

Because each guitar body is handcrafted, genuine Rat Bait Guitar products are few and far between. Their rarity is why purchasing one of these creations should be seen as an investment.

1960s Japanese Inspired Barnwood Guitar

Rat Bait Guitar – part built in 2021 and finished in November 2024 from new and reclaimed parts. Full scale.

This great versatile electric guitar has 2 pickups, like a Telecaster. This Kay / Jedson inspired guitar design is made from salvaged materials including, Mahogany parquet flooring, a chunk from a piece of furniture and pieces of scavenged wood from various places, constructed and shaped by hand in a shed in North Devon. The neck on this guitar is slim and is made from fine quality materials

This Barnwood 1960s Japanese Style Guitar is a great choice for any right-handed player looking for a solid body electric guitar. The guitar features a humbucker pickup and is made with recycled wood, giving it a unique and eco-friendly feel. The body is a natural colour, with painted areas and the neck has 22 frets, making it perfect for any level of player. Handcrafted in the United Kingdom, with a maple / rosewood (type) neck adding to the overall sound and playability of the guitar. This is a great option for anyone looking for a versatile and stylish British electric guitar.

The Barnwood body is routed to take a Humbucker pickup and standard Telecaster bridge pickup. A handmade UK body that has dents and scratches in places.

Rat Bait Guitars

Three way switch
Lightly nitro finished neck
Humbucker pickup, Vintage raw sound
Black Telecaster bridge pickup – vintage tone
3 saddle bridge
Body made from salvaged timber
Slightly contoured body
22-fret maple neck (reclaimed from a new 2024 guitar)
New 10mm Machine Heads
Nut Width: 1.656 In. (42 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5″

Rat Bait Guitars

Reused and reshaped, these discarded bits of timber gems have been given a new life. This timber has been upcycled, repurposed and recycled.

The size of the guitar is 4/4, and it is an electric guitar that is perfect for any musician who wants to play music in a unique and stylish way.

UK sale only – No International purchase accepted on this item.

Body Based on Japanese Tulip Guitar

Tulip Style Contoured Body made from recycled materials, part loaded. For scale length: 25.5″

Buy Here

This 1970s inspired body was made in the UK in March 2023 from salvaged timber and a piece of 1950s parquet flooring.

The design of the body is based on Japanese Tulip Guitars from the 1960s / 70s which were marketed by Kay Guitars. This full size body is routed in a HSH configuration and is designed to take a modified Stratocaster scratchplate, see photos to view modification. Originally this guitar was fitted with a bridge and clam shell string retainer taken from a Jedson 1970s guitar.

This body has a slightly road worn / relic look to it, with a few dents and bumps. This is a fantastic base for a DIY, 1970s type project.

The scratchplate, jack plug and pickups are included in the sale.

1970s inspired design.

44mm thick (Approximate)
56.5mm neck pocket (± 0.5 mm Deviation)
Weight of loaded body 2.14kg
HSH routed
Handcrafted
Loaded scratch plate
Jack socket and boat
Fully wired up

Rat Bait Guitars are Made in Devon, UK.

1970’s Guitar Body Style

Hardtail – 1970s inspired design.

£60.00 Free UK postage and packing.

If you are looking for a unique and eco-friendly electric guitar, you might want to check out our Rat Bait Guitars, we are a UK-based company that makes hand built guitars from recycled materials.

This 1970s inspired body is fully loaded and was made in the UK from parts of a damaged Stratocaster, a barn door (even a couple of nails still left in) and salvaged roofing timber. This body has a slightly road worn look to it, with a few dents or bumps. Finished with a transparent oil finish. This is a fantastic base for a DIY, 1970s relic type project and comes complete with a Rat Bait neck plate.

This body takes a standard Stratocaster Scratchplate. There is a scratchplate fitted free with this item, fully functional but, depending on your preference, you might want to fit a HSS on instead.

HSH
42.5mm thick (± 0.5 mm Deviation)
56mm neck pocket (± 0.5 mm Deviation)
Neck pocket depth 18.5mm (± 0.5 mm Deviation)
Loaded weight of body 2.01kg
Rat Bait neckplate
Free scratchplate and pickups
Fully loaded and tested

Rat Bait Guitars Made in Devon.

The guitars we sell are made using a combination of new and reclaimed parts. Our guitars are never perfect, but they are great value – each guitar is a custom-built instrument. The guitar salvaged parts we sell are all tested to make sure
they are fit for purpose.

We have a selection of new and used guitar bodies in stock, prices starting from £25.00 upwards. We have Telecaster and Stratocaster type bodies, some already painted and some in raw wood.

Occasionally we have 1960s / 1970s Japanese bodies in store, for example: a 1960s Teisco ET-200 Tulip Guitar Body.

The bodies we make are made from recycled wood gathered from various sources – old furniture, fence posts, salvaged timber from roof constructions, flooring etc. All constructed and shaped in our rat-infested shed in North Devon.

Reused and reshaped, these discarded bits of timber gems have been given a new life. The timber we use is upcycled, repurposed and recycled. Each guitar we make is custom built, each one is unique and one of a kind.

We use parts from the 1970s right up to the 2020s, mixed together to give the experience of ‘heritage’, our aim is to produce guitars that are very playable and sound better than the average homogenised guitars that are out there.

They won’t be shiny and shimmering – they will look rugged, with a few battle scars but they will compliment any serious guitar collection.