1960s Kay Bass — $1500 (You Pick Up)

[the elephant]

I don't have much info on this readily at hand. (My records are buried deep within my cave-like storage unit). If you want this to add to your manly collection of plywood jazz basses I *can* get you the serial number, etc. but you'll owe me a cold one for my time and effort.

If you just want a good-sounding jazz upright and don't care about how "important" or "historical" it is then this will be much easier for me, and that counts because I am essentially a lazy slob, heh, heh…

I remember that it is a Kay C-1 (the gamba-shaped model, not the M-1 with violin corners). I cannot remember what year it was made, but the whole era was very consistent so the exact year will have no bearing on price. I think my SN search placed it at 1966, but 1964 and 1963 also sound vaguely familiar, so let us just say that it is an original Kay with the original finish from "the 1960s" and leave it at that. The SN is inside, clearly visible, and has make/model info on the tag, so you can have fun geeking out on that with Google.

SO FAR AS I KNOW (meaning that I very well could be wrong) the neck has never been broken, damaged, or reset. I can find no evidence of this, BUT I AM A BRASS REPAIRMAN AND NOT A LUTHIER.

It has had some middle-school modifications, meaning some "young scholar" has scratched up the fingerboard to mark certain "fret" positions, and it looks like there are some sharpie marks on it to this effect, too.

Some idiot (that would be ME) changed out the tuning machines with four individual ones with much larger gears to help make tuning it smoother. It is an improvement over the original tiny-geared two-on-a-plate machines. (Somewhere around here I have both original machines if you want them. A collector would; a bassist probably would not.) They sure look better.

I would recommend replacing the four individuals with similar quality or better two-on-a-plate machines to hide the ugly factory holes in the head that the original, big machine head plates covered. However, if you don't care much about aesthetics and just want an upright, what I put on there works very well.

The original spray-paint-looking finish is mostly there. The back is in need of replacing. The seam is open in at least two places and the plywood has delaminated some at these points. (Looks like more "young scholar" love to me. Since I took ownership none of this has gotten any worse at all, so it is not damage that is progressing over time.)

It plays, to the ears of myself and my colleagues, very well. I have Thomastik-Infeld Spirocores (in either medium or heavy gauge) strings on it that are in decent shape and probably do not need to be replaced for some time unless you start to play this instrument regularly. (The normal usage lifetime for strings is about a year, and these cost about $300 a set, I think.)

It has a ridiculous "gig bag" thing that is truly just a very thin cover with handles and some pouches. It was the cheapest one I could find years ago when I started gigging on this bass. It has worked well enough, so I have not upgraded. Had I installed a new back and had this bass refinished I would have bought a "nice" padded gig bag. But I never felt a need to improve on what I currently have.

I am sorry, but I cannot include the ability to play a fretless instrument in tune. You have to provide that skill set yourself.

$1,500 — pick up in person only. Cash in full at the time of purchase. No haggling.

It is your responsibility to make certain that you can get the bass home before you hit the road. Ask a bassist to try and fit their bass into your car before you ever hit the road. If they can, then ask them to show you how they packed it, and perhaps allow you to get their axe into and out of your vehicle. Note that in a Honda Accord and other sedans, the bass body takes up the entire passenger seat, which must be folded down. The head SITS IN THE REAR WINDOW SHELF. This is not safe for a long trip. Also, whenever you turn to the right the bass will want to roll over onto the driver. and the bridge can partially cover the parking brake. If you drive a stick like me, it will interfere with shifting in 5/6/R to a small degree. PLAN FOR THIS BY USING A REAL BASS when you try to see whether you can use your car or will need to borrow or rent one. (The bass fits fine in an older Ford Explorer with the split rear seat folded down.)

In my opinion, to be a legitimate "gigging" instrument, it needs…

• adjustable bridge
• work to the back (eventual replacement)
• fingerboard needs to be dressed
• new strings (eventually)
•less ugly tuning machines

However, I gig on it as it is right now, and a lot of local bassists like it. It plays great and has earned me more than $125,000 over the last 25 years. I got it in 1994 but did not start using it at work until about 1998 or so. I last gigged on it before COVID. I am only selling it because I no longer play bass.

Photos can be taken for a serious buyer if needed. I have none right now and the big wooden whale is all packed away. But I can drag it out and I do have a camera…

[the elephant]

BUMP…

[bloke]

Heck, if I was still playing a significant amount of bass these days, I would have been right down there.

I wonder if you're like me and hesitate to advertise it on bass player and guitar player pages, because of the type of clientele (with apologies to mostly guitar and bass players who are on this page ).

I'm sure you saw that I have my vintage Fender electric bass and Ampeg amp advertised here, but I ~only~ advertised it here for reason hinted at above, and it still isn't sold.

Your piece of equipment and mine put together would be quite a nice set for someone to own.

[the elephant]

PACKAGE DEAL OFFER

If you buy my stuff AND bloke's stuff AND you drive to the Memphis area to pick up from bloke I will (for an additional $250) bring my gear up to bloke's to save you the additional six hours of driving to get to me and then back to Memphis.

ALSO

For an additional $250 I will throw in my excellent Ibanez amp, which is a nice 50W puppy with a cutaway in the back that allows it to be used upright as a mains speaker in a small club or tilted back at 45º to use as a very nice monitor. I have used it as both on many occasions, and when paired with this Kay upright it works really well.

So if you buy bloke's classic E-bass and amp and my classic U-bass and amp at the same time I will deliver the bass and amp to bloke's place. My gear—delivered to bloke's place—for $2000, plus whatever Joe and you work out for his instrument and amp. This is a very good deal for a lot of stuff that can make you actual money.

Do you want to get into bass playing?

Are you excited about all the "hot chicks" you'll get as a long-haired, dirty bassist?

Do you want the undying respect of musicians (and drummers) for your mad musical skills expressed through the voice of the bass? (Everyone respects the bass player, dontchaknow.)

THIS IS YOUR BIG CHANCE! STUFF YOUR FILTHY LUCRE INTO A BAG AND GET THEE TO TENNESSEE!

Side effects of bass playing may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blindness, seizures, flatulence, crapulence, corpulence, digitalization, cranial-rectal inversion, anal spasms, male lactation, piles, loose stool, tight stool, bar stool, plague, chlamydia, sightings of Elvis, sightings of elves, COVID-19, genital levitation, sudden unexplained death, and sudden fully-explained death. And chicks will *never* dig you.

[the elephant]

Ibanez amp, not to be sold separately, only with the bass: add $250 as per the above post.









Again, if you are serious about buying, let me know and I can provide photos of the bass. I am just too lazy to unbag it and set it up for a photo shoot. Truly, it looks just like any other Kay upright from the 1960s.

[the elephant]

bumpy-wumpy…

[dobiefeld]

where are you, that is, where is the pick up location ?

[the elephant]

I can meet a buyer in Jackson, Mississippi.