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Double Bass 1938 Kay #3955

frede

frede

Feb 1, 2007
69
17
Fort Washington, MD
www.edelkam.com
#1
Meet “Judy Kay” my newly acquired 1938 Kay Bass. The Serial number is #3955, all could find is a handwritten number, no tag and the model looks to be a C-1, Concert Bass. The tuners are a combination of nickel and brass on a black background, no engraving. She came with a nice bow and the neck has never have been broken. The bass appears to have been poorly refinished at one time, needs a new bridge and some strings.

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Now I guess I need to find a real instructor to learn how to really play her.
 
#2
Nice bass. I did pretty much the same thing. I purchased a 1941 Kay M-1 off of eBay and then had a luthier set it up with a new bridge and strings among other things. I have since found a teacher and have been taking lessons. I posted a thread a couple months back with pictures of my bass both pre and post setup. Learning to play has been more difficult than I anticipated, but it makes me that much more determined. I love my Kay, and I'm sure you will love yours as well.
 
#3
Nice bass! It looks like the neck has been reset (shim behind the neck heel between the heel and button), possibly to increase the over stand/neck angle. Nice thick fingerboard too, the neck profile looks deeper than some other Kays I've seen. I wouldn't worry about the bridge and strings to much. Give yourself some time to get used to playing it for awhile before sinking $$$ into it. It looks like it's been set up to play as it is. Just my opinion, have fun!
 
#5
Scotty DelMar said:
What's going on at the bridge under and along the outboard side of the G string? It looks like someone attempted to raise the notch and replace wood that had been previously removed.
Click to expand...

I have no idea, but it kind of scares me, that's why I think the first thing Judy Kay needs is a new bridge. Since the steel strings are shot, I'll add a new set of Obligato's while I'm there.
 
#10
Old Kay basses (and many others) used beveled boards. Some people prefer these. If this were my bass, I'd leave the bevel. If you remove the bevel in an attempt to make it have a round profile, you will lose a lot of your fingerboard thickness.

You should check with your luthier on the cost of planing the board, it's a time consuming process that requires master skill, IMO. And it ain't cheap.:)
 

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