Thin Twin Blues

When most people think of an electric guitar, they get a specific image of a Gibson Les Paul ( a sunburst most likely) or a Fender Stratocaster (Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” for example). There’s also Keith Richard’s Butterscotch Blonde Telecaster and Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat. You get the idea, right?

One electric guitar which may be a little under the radar to the general public is the Kay Thin Twin, which is associated with the often-underrated Jimmy Reed. (Some even call the K-161 “The Jimmy Reed Guitar.“) When I think of Reed, the image I get is the black and white publicity photo of him holding this particular guitar with his harmonica in a neck rack and huge smile on his face. You can easily recognize the formula of Reed’s songs like “Caress Me Baby.”

Reed, however, wasn’t the only one to play this particular model. I recently saw a documentary on Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett) and they showed a similar P.R. photo of a young, clean-cut looking Wolf holding a Thin Twin model guitar as well. (By the way, other guitarists associated with Reed and Wolf include Eddie Taylor and Hubert Sumlin — both are underrated in my book.)

So why is it called the Thin Twin? The thin part refers to the guitar’s thin body and the twin part refers to its two pickups. Pretty catchy name…I wonder who coined the phrase? Apparently, they were only in production for about 3-4 years. I don’t recall ever seeing one of these guitars (or reissues) in the real world, but I would welcome the opportunity to play one. They don’t come cheap.

Has it reached iconic status? For me, it definitely has. Not only is it associated with some great music and the musicians who made it, but it’s pretty easy on the eyes. Some recent players include T-Bone Burnett, Jimmy Vivino, and even Bob Dylan.

Reed played the “blonde” model with tortoise shell pickguard as opposed a black and white version. Yes, it has a vintage vibe to it and I’m good with that.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!