Kay M1-W....What Does The "W" Mean?

joeyd · #1 10-16-2006, 08:12 PM

Hey all....I have a 1940 Kay M1-W and was wondering if anyone might know what the "W" designates? At first I thought it ment a blond or without finish but now I'm not sure.

uptonbass · #2 10-16-2006, 08:18 PM

weary neck will break soon......

Jake deVilliers · #3 10-16-2006, 08:43 PM

It may have been made for the 'Wabash' company. Roger Stowers has some thoughts on that topic (and many others!) at www.kaybass.com.

Its a great resource for Kay information, though it irks me that he hasn't made the registry public.

He also has lists of King and American Standard serial numbers on the website.

joeyd · #4 10-17-2006, 07:40 AM

Jake....thanks for the info. I've looked at kaybass but guess I missed that section the first time so will look again.

Gary....maybe so but after 66 years, it's still going strong and solid as a rock. Will you be able to say the same for your imported Hawkes?

drurb · #5 10-17-2006, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyd

J...Gary....maybe so but after 66 years, it's still going strong and solid as a rock. Will you be able to say the same for your imported Hawkes?

Take a look at the construction of the neck and neck-block of a Kay and then do the same for one of the Upton Hawkes. Hey, I played a Kay for years and the neck was fine from 1967 until just a few years ago when I traded it in.

Randy Ward · #6 10-17-2006, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeyd

Jake....thanks for the info. I've looked at kaybass but guess I missed that section the first time so will look again.

Model (M-1W) This "W" is an albatross. At first it was thought the "W" stood for white because a couple of basses were white. It was reported the "W" stood for Wabash music. Supposed they had ordered 1000 basses to be distributed to school systems. I have quite a few M-1W basses now listed that are not white and they have not been refinished. There may be a possibility the "W" stands for "in the white" or unfinished. Kay did sell some basses unfinished; however, after studying the finish on many of the M-1W basses, I believe it was factory applied. Kay also sold a few bass bodies which resulted in people adding their own features. Kay sold a few basses to Sears and Montgomery Ward which were unmarked. It is also possible they sold basses or parts of basses to other manufacturers. The "W" may also be related to the H.N. White Co. located in Cleveland, Ohio.