Description
Cosmetic Condition: A rare bass with a cool vintage vibe. These old Kays are some of the earliest electric basses made & are therefore highly sought-after. This one is all original & displays typical wear for its age - various nicks, chips, dents & dings; surface scratches & finish checking. At some point in its life the neck was reglued to the body as evidenced by the epoxy residue around the neck/body joint. The joint is tight with no movement & no problems with playability. Overall the bass has a great look to it with a gorgeous patina & delivers a warm, rich tone.
Neck: Super chunky, v-shaped maple neck with thick rosewood fingerboard & large cream side-dots. Frets are in great shape with hardly any wear. Tortoise headstock overlay, but the Kay logo is missing. Nickel Kluson tuners are in good working condition. 1 7/16" nut width; 31" scale length. The neck is pretty straight & plays well up & down the fingerboard. There is no truss rod.
Body: Hollow maple body in sunburst finish with some nice flame figuring, mostly in the back. Nickel trapeze tailpiece with a simple rosewood bridge. Bass weighs 6 lbs 13 oz.
Pickup: Single-coil neck pickup with large cream surround. Master volume & tone controls with "cupcake" knobs & 2-way toggle switch. Both pots date to '58 & all electronics are original with original solder points. The volume control works fine, but the tone knob & toggle switch don't really function. It's possible there's an issue with the pot or capacitors, but because everything is original we decided to leave it alone.
Case: A newer Gretsch hardshell case is included.
