Need to upgrade

[loon784]

i'm using a Romainian carved flat back for folk/blues/traditional. I paid $1700 and put $500 into it, bridge,strings,pearl fret markers. The bass is just ok not great, looks perfect, plays so so. Would buying a Kay swingmaster 1946 s-1 be a step up or down?

[Mike D.]

Kay's are great plywood basses. and plus they've been played for many years in many instances. The best advice is to try a Kay bass and figure out what feels/sounds right to you.
keep in mind that a Kay bass is a plywood bass, and you are already using a carved bass (not a great one probably, but carved none-the less). You may notice a difference in sound-quality. depends what your looking for.
A lot of people feel the sound of a carved bass is far mor superipor than that of even the best of plywood basses. There's also people that prefer the 'durability' of plywood basses as well as the punchy, perhaps loud sound of a good plywood, going for the 'less-complex' sound that's simple and easy to mic.
you're choice. hope this helps.
Mike