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Double Bass First time Kay owner

#2
Congrats!! I love Kays. "Punchy" is the key word about the Kay sound I think. It's not for everyone, but works for the rest of us. :D

Your bridge needs to come down to be in the correct postion though, centered between the f-hole notches.
 
#6
This ones needs some TLC as well. The bridge looks like a potato chip and the fingerboard has some serious grooves in it from playing a lot in first position. I don't think a luthier has seen it in it's 63 years of existence!
It's great bass and I feel like I own a little piece of history. I'm not selling my carved bass but I'm not planning on parting with this one either.
My carved top is great for my jazz gigs and this one will shine for Bluegrass. Kind of like a hammer vs. a screwdriver. Both are great tools but each one has it's own purpose.
 
#7
altruego said:
This ones needs some TLC as well. The bridge looks like a potato chip and the fingerboard has some serious grooves in it from playing a lot in first position. I don't think a luthier has seen it in it's 63 years of existence!
It's great bass and I feel like I own a little piece of history. I'm not selling my carved bass but I'm not planning on parting with this one either.
My carved top is great for my jazz gigs and this one will shine for Bluegrass. Kind of like a hammer vs. a screwdriver. Both are great tools but each one has it's own purpose.
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Yes that makes sense. I personally don't own a carved bass. Eventually I want to purchase something very nice, but not for a while, because of the expense and the fact that when I do buy it, it will be the last time I buy a bass! For the meantime, my Kay is my jazz workhorse and really has a beautiful tone. I know some would disagree with using Kays for anything other than bluegrass, but I always get huge compliments on its sound from other musicians and engineers in the studio. I wouldn't recommend it for solo classical work, though....!

PC
 
#8
altruego said:
This ones needs some TLC as well. The bridge looks like a potato chip and the fingerboard has some serious grooves in it from playing a lot in first position. I don't think a luthier has seen it in it's 63 years of existence! .....
Click to expand...
Congrats Altruego :) ! You could surreptitiously meet Luthier Jake deVilliers in Blaine Washington, let him stash the '46 M-1 in "Dixie" (his VW bus), and then smuggle it across the Canadian border ;) . He knows Kays pretty-well and after he does his witch-doctoring, I think you would be very impressed with the Kay's playability and loud bark :D .
 
#10
Sorry Jake ;) .... I used too-many Sinister "S" words there ... surreptitiously, stash, and smuggle :eek: . What I meant to say was ....

Altruego would meet you in broad daylight with many witnesses present, you would then carefully place the '46 M-1 in Dixie in plain view of everyone, and then you would properly declare your cargo with the Border Mounties in a transparent and friendly manner :D . Better Now ??
 
#12
Jake deVilliers said:
.... You know, its actually legal to transport double basses across the border for work or pleasure. :)
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Fair Enough .... I stand corrected. But I bet that doesn't hold true for banjos :p .

P.S. Altruego .... That's a nice-looking Kay. Glad you found it. Have fun with it. My '40 O-1 has the same dark color and sunburst and rosewood board on it. It's been a good bass for the past 2 years but I'm having Jake make it even-more-gooder :D .
 

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