Got a Kay in an unexpected way...

bpclark · #1 12-28-2005, 09:35 PM

I was minding my own business today when my cousin shows up and gives me a Kay bass complete with wooden mute and some kind of wooden bow. My aunt had gotten this bass for my cousin from a school that was disposing of old student instruments. Since my cousin is really a cello player and didn't play it much, it has been sitting in the corner of a room in my aunt's house for probably ten years or so. There was a huge cloud of dust when I took the cover off of it.

My aunt told me that she had this bass last summer and that I could have it since she didn't use it, but she didn't know what kind it was. I figured it was going to be a near unplayable completely beat up instrument and I didn't really think she was serious because she never gets rid of anything. Wrong on both counts. It is beat up and needs some work, but it plays really well and sounds much better than my Engelhardt of the same model (C1). Based on the serial number, the bass was made sometime in the middle of 1954.

Kind of completes my Christmas. The next best present I got was pajamas.

Brett

Charles Shores · #2 12-28-2005, 11:54 PM

nice! clean it up and post pics!

anonymous0726 · #3 12-29-2005, 01:50 AM

Of the bass...

bpclark · #4 12-29-2005, 01:08 PM

Sorry the picture isn't too good. I don't have a digital camera so I used the photo feature on my camcorder, which obviously isn't too good.

Peter Ferretti · #5 12-29-2005, 01:35 PM

What kind of Fingerboard is that....? Birdseye?

bpclark · #6 12-29-2005, 02:43 PM

According to kaybass.com, the bass's fingerboard should be Hard Maple. The same material was used for the tailpiece. It's a darker color than what the picture shows. The odd thing is there are black marks in places that don't look natural to the grain of the wood. I'm wondering if the fingerboard was ebonized at some point or whether it's just dirt that embedded in the wood.

Ed Fuqua · #7 12-29-2005, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bpclark

According to kaybass.com, the bass's fingerboard should be Hard Maple.

For a 50s Kay? I had an early 60s M-1, the fingerboard was Brazilian rosewood. I thought they didn't start using "ebonized" hardwoods until the cheap corporate days?

dvmweb · #8 12-29-2005, 02:54 PM

Cool. Isn't it great that every once in a while something nice and unexpected happens. Good Luck with your new bass. Keep us updated.

Happy New Year;
Walt MI/US

Ike Harris · #9 12-29-2005, 02:54 PM

I once had a C-1 c.1950 with a painted fingerboard. The M-1 probably was a more upgraded model. Could be a light rosewood though to match the tailpiece. Good way to end the year, with a free Kay. Enjoy.

Ike

Ed Fuqua · #10 12-29-2005, 02:59 PM

Ayup. Nothing like a free bass.

Wait, that didn't come out quite right...

anonymous0726 · #11 12-29-2005, 03:07 PM

I'd heard that the maple fingerboards were a WWII thing.

bpclark · #12 12-29-2005, 07:11 PM

My first thought when I saw it was "wow, rosewood", but then I didn't think the color was quite right. I really don't know my woods, though. I'm gonna get it to my friendly neighborhood luthier soon for an evaluation and repairs that are needed (not a completely free bass). I'm sure he can sort it out for me. And then I'll report back.

Ed Fuqua · #13 12-30-2005, 09:16 AM

I wouldsay "There's no free bass", but that wouldn't sound quite right either...

bpclark · #14 01-10-2006, 12:01 PM

Dropped off the Kay at the Cincinnati Bass Cellar today and for those who were interested the fingerboard is .... maple. And hooray, no nasty suprises as far as the condition goes, mostly good news as a matter of fact. The bridge is salvagable, getting a used Gotz endpin to replace the thing that was in it, the top needs glued back to the side in one spot, and they'll be putting varnish on the chipped edges so the lamination won't separate. The only disappointment is that I can't have the fingerboard profiled the way I would like as it would take off too much material. I was very happy to learn that the repairs would cost less than I expecting. So much so that I left my Engel there to get it's fingerboard worked on as well.

The work should be done in about a week. In the meantime, they gave me a loaner they call "Big Red". It's kind of an interesting bass in it's own right. Carved, flatback with reddish varnish and it looks like it's being held together solely by willpower (actually it's epoxy). I've been warned that it could "explode" at any time.

bassteban · #15 01-10-2006, 01:38 PM

I'd like to see a pic of 'Red'.

bpclark · #16 01-10-2006, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassteban

I'd like to see a pic of 'Red'.

Use this link Big Red Pics

mje · #17 01-11-2006, 08:16 AM

Ah, that's a lovely thing when serandipity comes along like that. Sounds like it should be a standard...

"Got a Kay,
in an unexpected way..."

wasn't that Mel Torme?

bpclark · #18 01-19-2006, 09:18 PM

Picked up my Kay from the Bass Cellar today and whoo hoo!!! Kudos to Chris for the job well done. She needs new strings yet, but it is sure nice to have back.

Sidenote: I had all sorts of intonation problems (beyond my regular ones) with the loaner "Big Red," so I figured maybe they were different string lengths. I measured the Kay tonight and the string length is just shy of 42", vs. 41" for "Not-So-Big-After-All Red". I guess I can look forward to another week of intonation adventures as I transition back to the longer scale.