1952 Kay M-1B 3/4 Double Bass

Yikes! Sorry for woofing the mic so much in the video. I guess I'll have to record that again at some point. It just goes to show that this puppy moves air, huh? It has that typical, boom-boom Kay sound, though the steel-core (perhaps rope-core?) strings still give it plenty of definition and zwwwmmmwaah to the voice.

A local customer used to play this bass all the time, but due to hand issues and lack of band use for it, he hasn't played it for a while. He brought it in for local-pickup-only resale, and I have to say that it's one of the cleanest blonde Kay uprights I've seen. It has its fair share of scratches, nicks, minor dings, and edgewear that you'd expect of a '50s ply bass, but overall this piece of furniture looks grand.

It also arrived in the shop with nothing to do save a photo-shoot and a video-clip. The fingerboard has only the faintest hair of a scoop to it (it's flat for all intents and purposes), the strings are in good order, and someone obviously spent some time adjusting it, setting it up, and making sure it was in good health. The owner has certainly taken care of it, too. It has quick, low action, a fast neck profile, a well-set soundpost, and an adjustable bridge with a piezo pickup installed on it. It's ready to go for gigging use and seasonal action adjustment via the bridge thumbwheels.

Aside from the bridge, pickup, and a non-original endpin rest (said rest is a duct-taped stool-leg-protector), the bass is actually all-original. Its serial number dates it to '52 and the original fingerboard, tuners, nut, and tailpiece look excellent and work as-intended.

It comes with: a TKL black/red-lined gigbag and a good-quality, folding stand that serves for gig use or storage at home.

She's a beaut, right?

The figured-maple veneer on the back and sides looks lush under lighting.