Kay bass guitars

my first bass was a kay, and yes I wish I still had it. They generally have a fairly narrow neck so if thats an issue for you then they'll make great wallhangers or conversation pieces. A cool old bass for sure.

 

They were still selling new electric basses under the Kay name into the 80's at least. I know because my first bass was a Kay electric. Piece of total junk. The upgrade from that was a Squier Bullet Bass that actually wasn't much better. I'd stay away from the 80's models at least unless you just feel some nostalgia. Their uprights from an earlier time are a different beast altogether and are very sought after. And one more story: the Kay electric guitar models were very much in favor with reggae players because of their horrible non-existant sustain. The reggae guys liked that because it made it easier for the 2 and 4 hits.

 

The MIA hollow bodies are pretty good.

The MIJ solid bodies are more like Teiscos.

 

I had '65 hollowbody Kay that sounded amazing, but it got stolen two weeks after I bought it. One "speed bump" pickup, a floating bridge (like and archtop), and a 31" scale, the only one I've ever seen.

This is the only recording I ever made with it, straight into the board and cut directly onto a record:

 

I bought a Kay Flying V guitar(!!) back in 1982, I think. Yeah, it was junk.

Traded it for my first bass, if that makes it better.

 

The American made Kays weren't bad instruments...kind of on a par with Harmony or Danelectro. Their Barney Kessel guitars were very well made, and their original single-cut basses from the 50s were good utility instruments. It wasn't until the Kay name was sold to foreign interests in the late 60s that the build quality went down as production shifted offshore.

 

I cut my teeth in 1964 on an "Old Kraftsman" made by Kay. Apparently, Kay made batches of very similar instruments, and named them differently - according to where you bought them. I bought mine out of the Spiegel catalog, including a two channel bass amp for $179 which I understand was exclusive for the "Old Kraftsman" brand.

Not my exact bass but the same model is here:



I understand that the "Old Kraftsman" name has been resurrected in some form, but I have not had an opportunity to play or see any close up.

 

The few kay basses I saw in the 70's all had no ability to have low action. Cheap isntruments overall that somehow have since become collectors items for some reason. As I remember Kmart sold some back then.

 

Just sold my Kay on TB for a handsome price. It's in Nashville being played in demos. You can't beat the short scale tone.

 

This Kay 592 I'm playing below was found at Waldo's in Hollywood... it was great and I can't forgive myself for selling it - never been able to find a decent/affordable one to replace it.

 

Yep, here's my (long lost) '65 with "Kay" script logo, which I think is the same one they used on their upright bass tailpieces.

 

"Vintage junk"? I'd say, "Awesome vintage junk!"

 

Here's a couple Kay pickup pics. One is of the speed bump (on the right) with the cover removed, the other is the one used on the Howlin' Wolf bass.

 

A friend of mine has this. Crazy. George Jetson bass.

 

Just like any bass of that era, they're hit or miss.

Bass Player mag did a feature on a new Kay bass two months ago. It was really cool except for the leftover linoleum from a mobile home pickguard.

 

I had a 1969 Kay SG like this one the action was okay and it stayed in tune. I purchased in 1972 later traded in towards the price of my Gibson Ripper

 

I actually kinda liked that PG. Go figure. I'd probably just modify it a bit, take it off and dremmel off the corners, make it a bit more rounded?:



This one is my favorite, though:

 

Fascinating that anyone sober would relate a pg of that shape to a body of that shape!?!