Airline Tuxedo
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Thank RyanThe Airline Tuxedo: A Timeless Classic, Reimagined
Blending vintage aesthetics with modern craftsmanship, the Airline Tuxedo embodies the essence of a bygone era while delivering the reliability and playability of today’s instruments. Inspired by the 1950s Barney Kessel signature model, this fully hollow electric guitar is a true nod to history—crafted for musicians who appreciate both style and substance. With high-output P-90 pickups, premium materials, and thoughtful refinements, the Airline Tuxedo is more than just a tribute; it’s an instrument built for the modern player.
Iconic Design, Elevated for Today
Classic Hollowbody with Modern Refinements
The Airline Tuxedo retains the unmistakable hollowbody construction of its predecessor, with an arched maple top and back paired with solid mahogany sides. The set neck with a bound fingerboard ensures smooth playability, while the pearloid block inlays add a touch of vintage elegance. With a 25 1/2" scale length and a comfortable 1 11/16” nut width, this guitar offers a balanced feel that suits players of all styles.
Distinctive Aesthetic and Unmistakable Style
Staying true to its roots, the Tuxedo features the legendary 1950s "Airline Coat of Arms" logo on the pickguard, a sleek trapeze tailpiece, and vintage-style open-back tuners. Available in Black, Sunburst, and Copper finishes—along with a left-handed option—this guitar looks as bold as it sounds.
Pure Vintage Tone with Modern Versatility
Hi-Output P-90 Pickups for a Dynamic Sound
Equipped with two custom Hi-Output P-90 pickups, the Airline Tuxedo delivers a rich, articulate tone with plenty of bite. Whether you're looking for smooth jazz, gritty blues, or punchy rock, the 3-way switching and dual volume/tone controls allow for complete tonal control.
Resonant Hollowbody with Enhanced Sustain
Unlike many hollowbody guitars of the past, the Airline Tuxedo benefits from a solid mahogany center section, adding warmth and sustain without sacrificing its natural resonance. Paired with a Tune-O-Matic bridge for precise intonation, this guitar is built for players who demand both character and consistency in their sound.
A Vintage Guitar Without the Vintage Hassle
Designed for Playability and Durability
While original 1960s Tuxedo models are rare and often require costly restoration, our modern iteration offers the best of both worlds—vintage-inspired construction with updated reliability. A two-way truss rod ensures stability, and upgraded hardware provides consistent tuning and easy maintenance.
Half the Price, Twice the Performance With the Airline Tuxedo, you’re getting an iconic design, premium materials, and superior craftsmanship at a fraction of the cost of an original vintage model. Whether you’re a collector, performer, or recording artist, this guitar is built to be played, not just admired.
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Airline Guitars Tuxedo
Hollowbody Electric Guitar
Vintage-inspired Tribute Model
The Airline Tuxedo Hollowbody Electric Guitar is a tribute to the 1950s Barney Kessel signature model, with a fully hollow body and a solid Mahogany center section for a versatile tonal range. With a set neck and bound fingerboard for optimal playability, its pearloid block marker inlays, 25 1/2" scale length, and 1 11/16” nut width provide a comfortable and professional experience. Equipped with two custom Hi-Output P-90 pickups, 3-way switching, and dual volume/tone controls, this guitar has the versatility for any musical style. Chrome hardware, a Tune-O-Matic bridge, trapeze tailpiece, and vintage style open back tuners add to its sleek appearance.
Features of the Tuxedo by Airline Guitars
- Arched Maple Top and Back
- Solid Mahogany Sides
- Set Neck with Bound Fingerboard
- Pearloid Block Marker Inlays
- 25 1/2" Scale Length
- 1 11/16” Width at the Nut
- Two Custom Hi-Output P-90 Pickups
- 3-Way Switching
- Dual Volume Controls
- Dual Tone Controls
- Chrome Hardware
- Tune-O-Matic Bridge
- Trapeze Tailpiece
- Vintage Style Open Back Tuners
- Case: Sold Separately
- Available Colors: Black, Sunburst, Copper, Left-hand Black
- Unique Features: 1950's AIRLINE "Coat of Arms" logo on Pickguard
Airline® is a registered trademark of Airline Guitars USA, LLC. Airline Guitars is a family owned and operated business, based in Chicago, IL USA
Shop In-Stock Airline Tuxedo Guitars
The Airline Tuxedo Story
The story of the Airline Tuxedo electric guitar starts in the year 1952, around the time that Gibson was breaking new ground with its single-cut solid body Les Paul. It was this year that the Kay Musical Company released their ThinTwin model to great success, as it became their longest lasting instrument being produced from 1952-1958. Contrary to its name, the ThinTwin did not have a thinline body.
Featuring a semi-hollow body more than 2” in width, the “thin” in the name refers to the slimness of its dual pickups. The guitar was made famous by legendary bluesman Jimmy Reed, and was aptly nicknamed the “Jimmy Reed” model.
Fast forward a few years to 1955, Kay was undergoing a drastic shift in its administration. After 33 years with the company, President Henry “Hank” Kuhrmeyer resigned and passed on his role to University of Chicago graduate Sidney M. Katz. Katz had previously been an employee of the Harmony Company, and was described by Kuhrmeyer as being “an aggressive, experienced young man who is determined to make Kay an even more important name in the music field.”
One of the biggest successes Katz brought to the company was his idea of associating big name musicians with the brand. Perhaps impacted by the recent hit that Gibson had with its Les Paul guitars, Katz decided to find a name that Kay could endorse.
As the story goes, in 1956 Kay built a special version of their “Kay Professional” model and brought it to a local club where jazz guitar virtuoso Barney Kessel was playing. They gave him the guitar, and worked out a deal for him to endorse a new line of Kay products.
Later that year, they began to see the fruits of their labour with the release of the Gold “K” Line. Three models were produced in this line, one of them being the Barney Kessel Pro K1700. One of the most interesting things about this model is that it is actually a full hollowbody without “F-holes”, made out of a laminate maple. Featuring the Gold K (Kleenex box) pickups, the Kelvinator headstock, Grover tuners, and a pickguard with Barney Kessel’s name emblazoned on it, this instrument originally had a retail price of $200. By 1960, Kessel’s name was removed from the pickguard while production of the guitar continued.
Although Kay typically specialized in less expensive “student” guitars, this “Gold K” line along with some other archtop designs were meant to be Kay’s competition with the high end Gibson and Fender instruments at the time.
As did some other brands of the day, Kay later began to produce variations of its instruments to be sold through big box mail order stores Montgomery Ward and Sears. These guitars were branded as Airline and Silvertone, and were often built using older components. A black “Airline” Tuxedo Pro model can be seen in the title photo, having traded out the Kelvinator headstock and “Barney Kessel” pickguard with Airline lightning bolt logos.
Today, these original Tuxedo Pros are expensive and typically require a significant amount of work in order to make them playable. At Airline, one of our best-selling models continues to be the Airline Tuxedo, modelled after the original of the 1960s. At first glance, you might not notice all the subtle differences, but we’ve updated quite a few key components.
We added our metal “Airline” headstock logo, put in our Hi-Gain P90 pickups, gave it a modern tune-o-matic bridge, changed the control knobs and machine heads, and included a more accessible two-way truss rod. Our version still has the full hollowbody design to maintain its unique tone, but we equipped it with a maple top and back and mahogany sides. All this for a cost that’s less than half of what it would cost you to buy an original today.
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