KT CST Bass?

[Quadzilla]

Saw a nice looking bass for sale today that I never have seen before. It was a beautiful neck thru body, P/J configuration, 4 string. Looked very custom. The store said it was called a "KT CST" bass but didn't know much about it. Looked like it had been around for a while (80's or 90'd maybe?). Anybody heard or know of these? I can have it for $550 and it's in pretty good (7 out of 10) shape. The shop had it previously for $1100 used.

 

[schwarzstop]

KT Custom Bass and Electric Guitars were manufactured in the Dickeyville Mill in Dickeyville, Maryland (just outside Baltimore). KT (stood for Koontz-Thurston) evolved into a high quality competitor of Paul Reed Smith guitars, but KT never got the capital necessary to take the next big step in production. I purchased the very last white 4-string bass from their factory on the very same day they closed the doors forever (1983?). Fabulous instrument, very light-weight...my favorite. PRS has never been able to produce a bass guitar nearly as good or as playable. Great bargains rarely exist for old KT instruments...few owners ever give them up!

 

[g00eY]

i think that means you should get it.

 

[Quadzilla]

Since the initial post (from many moons ago), I've learned all of this and more. I met up with John Thurston a few months back. He is still around and and in the industry and runs a small guitar repair shop in Catonsville. I've had him do some work for me. His work is top notch! I've since seen a couple more of KT basses come thru GC. One I really like but they wanted over $1000 for it and I just didn't have that kind of cash at the moment.

Oh, for a funny story, turns out I visted the old shop in the Mill as a young teen (13 or so) in the early 80's. I had just gotten into playing guitar (not bas yet) and a few of us were riding bicycles thru Dickysville (I grew up near there outside of Woodlawn) and stumbled upon the shop. One of the guys was real nice and gave us a tour even though he knew we didn't have 2 cents to our name. Ironic that all of this other stuff came abgout years later huh?

 

[inrock66]

So I found this bass in a dump in East Hampton Long Island. The second I picked it up I knew it was a quality build. At least the neck was. After doing a lot of research, emails and texts I came to the conclusion that it was a Koontz and Thurston otherwise known as KT. So eventually I got in touch with John Thurston and we conversed about the bass. After sending photos and him doing his own research with his records we have confirmed that it is definitely a KT neck. Solid rosewood! Thought I would share because I know there's some people out there that know exactly what I have. What do you think?