Exporting Kay Bass

[400$Bass]

I was wondering as my mind does at times....if in the past the Kay Double Bass was exported overseas to, well, lets say Europe?

Along those lines. In the early 1900's American Watch Manufactories made very good pocket watches and started exporting them to Europe/Asia. They were in high demand because of quality and price. In some ways like the popularity of the Japanese auto industry coming to the USA. That is in more modern times.

Such was the case in the pocket watch busines that a party in Russia bought the complete Hampden Watch Co. of Canton Ohio in 1929. All the machinery was packed up and shipped to Russia where they started making watches there. In fact some of the US Hampden Employees moved to Russia as well in that we were in a depression here.

With all of that being said I wonder if folk on the forum would know about Kay or other older American made Basses being exported, years ago?

[MT Spaces]

I don't know if Kays were officially exported but I have read about a couple Kays that ended up in the hands of European players years-later after the basses were abandoned by U.S. military bands after WWII concluded. I expect the serial numbers were low .... Like from '39 to '45 .

[Gearhead43]

There are quite a few Kay "M2" basses over in Europe, that got there via US Servicemen.

Some other Kays also, they are pretty sought after by Rockabilly / American Roots music bassists over there. It costs a mint to have one imported, but guys do it.

Of course they are practically tripping over sweet old German plys from the 40s and 50s over there, so they are lucky too.

[Rvl]

I play a 50`s Japanese copy of a Kay made by Chaki
From my research Chaki got a Kay from a serviceman in the late 40`s or early 50's and took it apart , studied it and then made them for the Japanese jazz boom in the 50's and 60's.

At that time the Yen vs $ was very low and too expensive to buy for the average Japanese jazz bassist.

So I am sure that after the war European players were exposed to Kays .

Thanks

Robert VanLane

[Martin Beer]

I started playing on a Kay borrowed from the local fiddler's society in Dunoon (Scotland). That's the only time I've seen Kays in the UK, but Dunoon did have a huge US naval base until about 1990-ish.
I'd guess that there wasn't much call to import ply basses from the states, since there were plenty of German or Czech instruments around.

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by Bob Knebel

I don't know if Kays were officially exported but I have read about a couple Kays that ended up in the hands of European players years-later after the basses were abandoned by U.S. military bands after WWII concluded. I expect the serial numbers were low .... Like from '39 to '45 .

i have a `39er, thats my second kay. had another ´39er that i sold last year to a bluegrass player over here

[Buogon]

On the topic of Kay's, i have two a C-1 serial # in the 50 , and a H-10 serial # in the 33.
My question is does anyone have any information on the H-10 , or do you own one.

[Tejano Bass]

FROM:
http://www.kaybass.com

Kay produced a 1/4 bass, (M-3), along with at least three different sized cellos. The H-10, S-10, M-3, and S-3 are all the same size and have the same string length. The S-10 bass is the fully decorated H-10. The S-10 is the top of the line quarter bass. The S-10 is fully purfled, with ebony fingerboard and tailpiece and ebony horseshoe on the heel of the neck. Schools bought the majority of the upright instruments intending to provide the beginning student with an affordable, playable instrument. In early years the quarter bass was called the H-10. About 1954 the H-10 was renamed the M-3 and the S-10 came on the scene.

[Buogon]

Thanks, that was good info, I thought it was a half size, but a 1/4 size that is a "surprise"
It is a beautiful bass a cherry stain , i don't play it much it just sits in the corner of my livingroom. When i did play it i put a fishman BP-100 pickup on it and the sound was "light to mid" not the boom from my C-1. I would like to here from people who had one or who has one.

[MT Spaces]

Originally Posted by bassist14

i have a `39er, thats my second kay. had another ´39er that i sold last year to a bluegrass player over here

Now That's Kool B-14 !! Thanks for checking in. Two Thirty-Niners ?? Sheee-Ittt !

1939 Is An Old Kay .... Originals .... Hot Off The Press .... Back Then ..... I have a '40 Kay O-1.

So .... You have a bluegrass player in Germany thumpin' a 1939 Kay ?? Sweet There's Hope for Europe After-All !

P.S. Hey Tejano .... Don't I know you from somewhere ? Rumor has it that you play a sweet Converted-To-Lefty-Sinister '39 Kay ... What's Up With That ? Shouldn't you be out tending yer flock outside Washington D.C. ? You are s'posed to be hanging out at BlueGrassBassPlace and spoutin' off just like I should be doin' .... Go To Bed !@! Yes Yes I know .... You also are a Lame-1939-Kay-Fanatic ... But That's No Excuse !

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by Bob Knebel

Now That's Kool B-14 !! Thanks for checking in. Two Thirty-Niners ?? Sheee-Ittt !

1939 Is An Old Kay .... Originals .... Hot Off The Press .... Back Then ..... I have a '40 Kay O-1.

So .... You have a bluegrass player in Germany thumpin' a 1939 Kay ?? Sweet There's Hope for Europe After-All !

hi bob,
there is hope!

here you can see my old kay with its new owner
http://www.lbowgrease.de/bandeng.html

[Tejano Bass]

. . . ya got me, bb . . .

[mapleleafbass]

Originally Posted by Bob Knebel

So .... You have a bluegrass player in Germany thumpin' a 1939 Kay ?? Sweet There's Hope for Europe After-All !

!

Hi there!
Here I am - the german bluegrass player thumpin' on my 39 Kay. I love that bass...:

www.myspace.com/alexandrakrings

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by mapleleafbass

Hi there!
Here I am - the german bluegrass player thumpin' on my 39 Kay. I love that bass...:

www.myspace.com/alexandrakrings

...and let me tell you bob, there´s a mean thumpin goin´ on



[hi alex!]

[MT Spaces]

Originally Posted by mapleleafbass

Hi there!
Here I am - the german bluegrass player thumpin' on my 39 Kay. I love that bass...: ..... www.myspace.com/alexandrakrings

Sehr Gut Alexandra ! I think I'm about 1/4 German. I studied a bit of German in high school . Nice to meet you. I checked out the pix on your myspace. Nice-looking Kay you have there. I see it is a maestro-shape ..... Is that one of the military M-2 models by any chance? Whats the label inside the bass say? It looks to be vintage with original neck, Kluson tuners, and Kay tailpiece ..... Is that correct? Do you know anything about its history?

From one 'grasser to another ..... Keep on thumpin' . It is mighty-fine to play bluegrass on a Kay, isn't it? Do you visit Bluegrass Bass Place website at all? Stop over sometime and introduce yourself and your Kay. Lots of friendly Folks over there .

Originally Posted by bassist14

...and let me tell you bob, there´s a mean thumpin goin´ on [hi alex!]

Good Deal B-14 ! Thanks for the info. I wish I could hear her play that Kay sometime. Maybe there's a CD somewhere, somehow .... I'll have to check into that.

[mapleleafbass]

... I bought this bass from B.14 (above, who got it via ebay from an antique shop in Spain... the upper register looks well-used... label says M-I-W.
And yes, we are currently recording my mean thumpin', so you can expect our third CD soon!

[MT Spaces]

Originally Posted by mapleleafbass

... I bought this bass from B.14 (above, who got it via ebay from an antique shop in Spain... the upper register looks well-used... label says M-I-W.

Hmmmm .... Not a military M-2 ... I wonder how it got over the ocean and eventually to Spain? No matter. According to Roger Stowers' Kay Bass website http://www.kaybass.com/ , you have got an "albatross" on your hands .... No one seems to know what the "W" stands for . Have fun with it.

Originally Posted by mapleleafbass

And yes, we are currently recording my mean thumpin', so you can expect our third CD soon!

Love that name for your band .... "L. Bow Grease" ! I'll check the website later on and see if the new CD is for sale. Best Wishes.

[RattlesnakeDadd]

hi from germany,
i am the owner of three kay basses. one is a ´39 M1 (it was sold in india, sticker of the music store inside). the other one is a ´51 M1,
the last one is a ´69 S1.
i know about 13 kay basses in europe. one in belgium (i sold it), one in france and 11 including mine and bassist14 basses in germany. but there must be many more..somewhere...
i don´t play my kays live. my live bass is an engelhardt EM1.
my band: Hank Cash
all the best,
thomas

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by Bob Knebel

Hmmmm .... Not a military M-2 ... I wonder how it got over the ocean and eventually to Spain? No matter. According to Roger Stowers' Kay Bass website http://www.kaybass.com/ , you have got an "albatross" on your hands .... No one seems to know what the "W" stands for . Have fun with it.

here is another M1-W
FS 1939 Kay M1W

my second one is a M1 W too, serial nr 6081



[hi thomas!]

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by Bob Knebel

No one seems to know what the "W" stands for .

what about molly?