My first double bass - String suggestions please

Railwarrior · #1 01-29-2010, 12:50 PM

Hello, All,

I've been playing electric bass for a number of years, but today I picked up my first double bass. It is a 1949 Kay S-8. It has 3 steel strings on it, but the E is still a gut string. Since E won't tune, I'm guessing it's possible this string hasn't been changed out for 25+ years and is probably just worn out!
I'm looking to get that rockabilly tone (Bill Black).
Any suggestions? I'm clueless.

Thanks in advance for any input,

Dave

BTW. He's a picture of this bass in action back in '49.

Jake deVilliers · #2 01-29-2010, 09:16 PM

That's a great photo to go with a great bass - very cool!

Gearhead43 · #3 01-29-2010, 10:33 PM

Yeah that photo kicks ass. If you want the old-school Rockabilly, Country, and Western Swing tone then get a nice set of gut strings and learn how to play on them.

(I may be a bit biased on this, but RAB, Country and W. Swing is what I play)

Velvet Garbos are also great for this style, I am using a Garbo E&A and gut D&G right now.

Also, check out the forum here:

http://www.doublebasschat.com/forum/index.php

This is the new Rockabillybass forum home.

MR PC · #4 01-30-2010, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railwarrior

Any suggestions?

Some photos of the bass as she stands today would help.

davpal · #5 01-30-2010, 09:57 AM

Strings - I would put on Velvet Blues - low tension and they put out a Lot of sound. Not as expensive as many of the strings others will suggest. I had a set on my Upton hybrid for about a year and really thought they were great. I only swapped them because I came upon some guts that I really wanted to try. The guts are still loosening up (I think/hope) but they are still not as powerful (loud) as the Velvets.
Good Luck and Have Fun with it!

ps - you really should have somebody that knows basses look at it and make sure the bass bar is secure - my old Kay got really messed up because of a loose bass bar and steel strings....also make sure the E string not tuning up problem is indeed the string and not something else.

Railwarrior · #6 01-30-2010, 01:52 PM

Thanks for all the help. In the photo, my grandfather is on fiddle, his first cousin on bass (who I got it from), my grandfather's brother on guitar, his sister-in-law on piano and a preacher man on lap steel.

Here's what the bass looks like now:

kmanley_29649 · #7 01-30-2010, 03:09 PM

Awesome bass. You may want to look into the Innovation strings, like Super Silvers or Silver Slaps. They both have a nice gut-like tone, but not as expensive and without the maintenance of guts. The slaps are lower in tension than the Supers.

davpal · #8 01-30-2010, 08:11 PM

Man, That's a Great looking Kay !!

Great History too !

Gearhead43 · #9 01-30-2010, 08:49 PM

What a cool story! It's nice to see people still appreciate family and pass on their instruments instead of flipping them on Ebay for a quick buck.

Guess I am just old-fashioned but I plan on leaving my instruments to my kids, and teaching them how to play.

My son already has a "cello-bass" I made for him, he is six years old and already loves to play our drumset and sing.

That is a beautiful Kay you have there, not many S8s still around that I have seen. I wonder how many were made?

Bobby King · #10 01-30-2010, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmanley_29649

Awesome bass. You may want to look into the Innovation strings, like Super Silvers or Silver Slaps. They both have a nice gut-like tone, but not as expensive and without the maintenance of guts. The slaps are lower in tension than the Supers.

+1 Also, Innovation's Black Rockabilly strings are good for what you're looking for. Labella Supernil is inexpensive and not bad for "synthetic gut"

More expensive, but very good quality is Velvet Garbo.

Another good combo I like is Super Sensitive Sensicore for the E&A, and Lenzner or Efrano plain gut for the D&G. There's nothing like plain gut for the old sound.

Railwarrior · #11 01-31-2010, 09:13 AM

The serial number on this one is 9740. I'm glad to be able to keep it in the 'family'. I figure I owe it to the history behind it to try and learn to play it. I really appreciate all your responses because I know nothing about these. For example..I don't even know is this is a 3/4 doghouse?

TPugh · #12 01-31-2010, 12:08 PM

Very nice bass and story. Yes, it is 3/4 size. This is a great site/forum for information as you are getting started. Also, you may check out http://www.kaybass.com for additional information from Roger Stowers on Kay's.

As far as strings, I am biased towards gut, but I have played the Innovation strings and was pleased with them. I found the Silver Slaps to be the closest to gut that I have played, especially the bottom strings. I have no significant experience with Velvet strings, though, FWIW.

Have fun,
TPugh

Bobby King · #13 01-31-2010, 12:17 PM

Most of the basses you typically encounter will be 3/4 size. 7/8 and 4/4 size will have a larger body and sometimes a longer string scale (called "mensure" - the measurement from nut to bridge). I'd say an average string scale is around 41.5-42 inches but can go higher to 43-44" and lower to maybe 39". I'm not entirely clear on this and maybe some other folks can clarify, if it's the body size or mensure that determines whether a bass is 3/4, 7/8, etc. I know I've played basses considered 7/8 that had a 42" scale, and I had an old King that was considered 3/4 and it's scale was 43.5 inches, so I'm inclined to think that the body size is the determining factor. Others here may have better info.

MR PC · #14 01-31-2010, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railwarrior

The serial number on this one is 9740. I'm glad to be able to keep it in the 'family'. I figure I owe it to the history behind it to try and learn to play it. I really appreciate all your responses because I know nothing about these. For example..I don't even know is this is a 3/4 doghouse?

Really nice Kay Bass! And a great history as well, nice that you are adding to your family's heritage thread by sharing here. I've got a Kay similar in vintage to yours, though I'm afraid she'd spent a lot of time on the road by the time I got her over 35 years ago.Have you taken a look at the Kay Bass serial number list?

http://www.kaybass.com/KayHSerialNoList.htm

William Hoffman · #15 02-01-2010, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railwarrior

...It is a 1949 Kay S-8...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railwarrior

The serial number on this one is 9740....

If you look on the Kay serial number list ( http://www.kaybass.com ), it seems the bass with the number 9740 was made in 1942 (not 1949).

Great family history. I'd say get some guts, at least G and D plain gut. Then experiment for an A and E you like. Lots of gut players are of the view you don't need gut E and A and there are less expensive strings out there for E and A.

Good gut strings like Gamuts are expensive, but they last for a long time, years. There are also the less expensive guts, or even a used set from someone here on TB if you are inclined to get gut.

PB+J · #16 02-01-2010, 07:35 AM

Gut strings are what Bill Black used. They are expensive--very. If you want a very inexpensive string that's really easy for slap style try the weedwhackers

http://www.gotofmi.com/upbaclkerowe.html

I recently tried somebody's bass that had these things and I found it almost totally unplayable, but then I'm not primarily a slapper. When I did play it slap-style it was really easy to do.

I like the velvet blues a lot. They have a softer, lower tension feel but they play well in the more conventional style

Railwarrior · #17 02-01-2010, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by William Hoffman

If you look on the Kay serial number list ( http://www.kaybass.com ), it seems the bass with the number 9740 was made in 1942 (not 1949).

Thanks. I don't why I was assuming it was 1949. I guess because of the year of the picture.

The more I play with this thing, the more I realize it's going to take me a while to get solid with it. I think I'm leaning more traditional style with some slapping.

MR PC · #18 02-01-2010, 02:40 PM

You certainly have the perfect instrument then!

William Hoffman · #19 02-02-2010, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railwarrior

..The more I play with this thing, the more I realize it's going to take me a while to get solid with it...

you can say that again. extremely few are born with a double bass in their hands, maybe Oscar Pettiford was. learning to play it is a lot of hard work. you are luckier than most to have had a beautiful instrument given to you.