The Kay-built 712 was the first so-called 'Aristocrat' in a line of wide-bodied, well-appointed acoustic and electric guitars that spanned more than a dozen years in the Silvertone line. Fresh out of a 'no guitars available' condition during the peak years of World War II, the newly-named Silvertone line of instruments grew rapidly, with the 712 one of the first out of the gate, along with the Gretsch-built (!) 714.

Introduced: 1946

Retired: 1950

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The 712 set the tone
for all the Aristocrats that followed; with its wide body, elaborate decorations and fanciful fingerboard inlays (the 712 itself boasting two iterations of fret markers). Where does the 'Aristocrat' nickname come from? Ya got me!

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