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Double Bass Kay bass neck replacement!

bassix67

bassix67

Apr 5, 2010
259
14
Concord, CA
#1
Happy Fathers day gents...
I have a 60's Kay in need of a new neck.
in short, the block is in good shape so, I'm looking at ordering a neck via ebay
From one of the many chinese instrument makers. I'd be retro fitting it and expanding the dove tail. I've had experince fitting bridges and setting sound post. Is this too daunting of a task? What else do I need to take into consideration? Thanks for your help
 
#6
I'm not a luthier, but I'd be concerned about whether there's enough meat in the neck block, of the right kind of wood, to accept a conventional neck mortise.

Also, everybody has their own Kay Story, but mine involves looking in through the end pin hole and seeing a sliver of daylight through the neck block. It's worth carefully inspecting the block for hidden damage.
 
#8
Would you put a replacement Chinese neck on your vintage Les Paul or Martin guitar? Would you put a Cheap Chinese motor in your Mid 60s Mustang? A replaced cheap Chinese neck will drop the street value of your old Kay by half- best case scenario, if things are done well.

How about posting a few images for us to look at?????

If you want a factory spec neck, buy one from Tom Link at Englehardt ( Bob Golihur and the other suppliers also carry them). Same factory, same specs, same old jigs. I also know a crusty old guy down here in Dixie who has several of them that have been seasoning for several years that may have some available.

Relpacing old Kay necks can be a bit of a challenge. They have their own issues and quirks, in several areas, all of which can be worked around but you need to have a plan. If you've got a bit of patience, a good plan, and a bit of mentoring with the execution, the results can far exceed the original spec necks on many levels.

Where are you located? It might make very good sense to visit someone who knows how to do this work for a bit of consultation and advice. By this time next year, you should be able to buy a very complete workshop guide to completely rebuilding your vintage Kay. Until then, ask lots of questions and good luck.

j.
www.kaybassrepair.com
www.condino.com
 
#9
Here some pic's...if you guys think it can be saved I'll try it. If so I'll clean it up
And get to glue'n and clamping.
Anyone use fish glue??
I'm in S. FLA btw...
 

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#14
The body and block look like all of the other old Kays I've seen; pretty good by Kay standards.

What does the scroll area of the neck look like? If it has been broken up a bit, I'd probably go with a replacement neck. Keep in mind that the Englehardt clones copy a lot of the weak areas in a Kay neck design. I do a lot of scroll grafts on to new necks with old Kays and American Standards; keeping the original scroll, even a factory one, is important to the bass nerds in my area. You've got a lot of options for rebuilding the neck.

From the photos, this one is already dead, so trying a few experiments is not unreasonable. A bit of metal hardware inside the current heel will get you anpther decade of use out of the bass. How to approach it all and what to do depend most on the individual and the intent. Even doing them all of the time, as a fellow bass herd, I get excited every time I get to do a nice workover on the neck of one of these old basses because I know that the end result may take time and effort, but it is going to be a bass that is a LOT more fun to play and that works much better than the stock setup.

j.
www.kaybassrepair.com
 
#15
I'm having déjà vu. That bass looks exactly like the Engel I just repaired, excepting the screw through the fingerboard...the genius that fixed the one I have sank the bolt through the button.

First step is to clean all the crap out of there. Warm water cleans up hide glue, white vinegar plasticizes carpenter's glue. Get in there with a small blade and scrape off whatever gets soft. When the wood surfaces are totally clean, it's time to make glue.

Mix hide glue granules with water at a ratio of 1:1 by weight. Let it sit overnight and heat to 140 degrees Farenheit, no hotter than 145. I use a clean glass baby food jar in a pan of water. Let the glue fully melt and dip a finger into it, then smear it on the sides of the heel crack to pre-treat the glue joint. This should give you a tighter bond.

When the pre-treatment has set, it's time to repair the heel. You will need a basting brush and three adjustable clamps. Mine are cheapos from Harbor Freight. Dip the brush into your glue and slather more than you think you need on one side of the joint. Line it up and stick it together. Use your three clamps to hold the neck heel straight from all six sides and leave it alone for a couple of days.

You will have less than 60 seconds to get it right before the glue starts to gel and the joint is ruined. It's exciting. If you blow it, hit it with steam and try again. Hide glue is great stuff.

When you have that down, we can talk about the next step, which is shimming the pocket in the neck block.

I apologize if I sound like I'm talking down to you at all, but I'd rather be a patronizing jackwagon than leave you in the dark about some crucial point. Please keep us posted. There are a lot of talented people here willing to help, myself obviously excluded from the pool of the truly talented.
 
#17
I would suggest doing a couple of dry runs before gluing and clamping. An extra pair of hand can be a real help too. You want to get it right. Having a good center line can be a big help in making sure things are lined up properly. Good luck
 

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