For all you Kay bass lovers out there
here is a rare one
this is a 1953 Kay TV-1 bass. This bass was painted sparkly gold at the Kay factory
on purpose. We are currently stripping and refinishing this bass because the finish had become so worn
it truly is an ugly duckling that wants to be a swan
this bass is one of THOSE Kay basses with awesome tone. I wanted to share this event because the TV models are so rare
and again just in case it causes a commotion
this is our hobby
restoring vintage American made plywood basses.
Okay with that out of the way here is the good stuff though this bass was ugly, it has awesome tone and in very good condition. Hiding under all that paint are some interesting observations. This bass was painted at the Kay factory which started with a white ground coat, to a grey primer, a gold sparkly paint and then finished with a clear coat. At some point in the life of the bass it was coated with a brown stain to cut the brightness of the gold paint. As we stripped the bass you could see all of these layers, not to mention the gold paint has begun to get a greenish almost Verdi patina to it down right ugly.
Now that the bass has been stripped clean there are some other curious findings there were factory repairs (patch work) under the paint. This bass probably had some issues and did not make the grade for a lacquer finish so it was set a side for the gold paint cover up job. There are two other non-Kay findings, the first is the top is not spruce, it is maple. The front and back do not show signs of any flamed maple wood. The grain is much more similar to our vintage Epiphone B-1 or American Standard, more plain and plywood looking wood. The next REALLY cool thing is the back is significantly more bellied then any of our other Kay basses I dont know what Kay mold they used, but this back it different. As we (I say that like I get my hands dirty I dont) were stripping the bass I could see the pronounced bulge (not a sound post bulge, but a bigger, deep curve at the C bouts) on the back. I kept looking at it thinking this is strange. Once the bass was completely stripped and dry I look a flexible drafting tool and molded it to the TV bass and then laid it against my 1944 Kay bass and wow this bass has a good 1/2 to 3/4 inch deeper bulge on the back really cool. This may also explain the deep tone of this bass. There is a larger then normal cavity for the sound to resonate. Again this bass sounds and looks more like our Epiphone bass.
The bass is currently stripped clean and in the prep stage for the first ground coat of Waterlox (or maybe Watco not sure yet). This bass is going to be a dark, flat brown with a hint of yellow/orange and will get the traditional Kay black double pin stripe. We are excited to get some color on this bass just so we can see the grain more clearly. This Kay bass is unlike any we have restored in the past it is very cool with a real story to tell. Ill post a few pictures of where we currently are and will post more as progress develops.
I know this isnt a three hundred year old Italian bass with a long pedigree but the same passion and research can be applied to an American plywood bass hope you enjoy my findings we are excited about this bass.
Okay with that out of the way here is the good stuff though this bass was ugly, it has awesome tone and in very good condition. Hiding under all that paint are some interesting observations. This bass was painted at the Kay factory which started with a white ground coat, to a grey primer, a gold sparkly paint and then finished with a clear coat. At some point in the life of the bass it was coated with a brown stain to cut the brightness of the gold paint. As we stripped the bass you could see all of these layers, not to mention the gold paint has begun to get a greenish almost Verdi patina to it down right ugly.
Now that the bass has been stripped clean there are some other curious findings there were factory repairs (patch work) under the paint. This bass probably had some issues and did not make the grade for a lacquer finish so it was set a side for the gold paint cover up job. There are two other non-Kay findings, the first is the top is not spruce, it is maple. The front and back do not show signs of any flamed maple wood. The grain is much more similar to our vintage Epiphone B-1 or American Standard, more plain and plywood looking wood. The next REALLY cool thing is the back is significantly more bellied then any of our other Kay basses I dont know what Kay mold they used, but this back it different. As we (I say that like I get my hands dirty I dont) were stripping the bass I could see the pronounced bulge (not a sound post bulge, but a bigger, deep curve at the C bouts) on the back. I kept looking at it thinking this is strange. Once the bass was completely stripped and dry I look a flexible drafting tool and molded it to the TV bass and then laid it against my 1944 Kay bass and wow this bass has a good 1/2 to 3/4 inch deeper bulge on the back really cool. This may also explain the deep tone of this bass. There is a larger then normal cavity for the sound to resonate. Again this bass sounds and looks more like our Epiphone bass.
The bass is currently stripped clean and in the prep stage for the first ground coat of Waterlox (or maybe Watco not sure yet). This bass is going to be a dark, flat brown with a hint of yellow/orange and will get the traditional Kay black double pin stripe. We are excited to get some color on this bass just so we can see the grain more clearly. This Kay bass is unlike any we have restored in the past it is very cool with a real story to tell. Ill post a few pictures of where we currently are and will post more as progress develops.
I know this isnt a three hundred year old Italian bass with a long pedigree but the same passion and research can be applied to an American plywood bass hope you enjoy my findings we are excited about this bass.
It's a player grade new instrument, not a historical object.
