PaulKing

I wish they still made Topps Scratch Cover. That stuff is magic and I'm down to my last few drops...

Yeah its sweet. Guess it only works over wood? What if you were put it over nitro? I always feel the satin nitro finish I got on my King Mortone refinish could do with a bit more depth and shine, like they used to have.

😁

No offence taken, honestly! though it did sound a bit that way innit? More in the Partridge 'lets have a heated debate' spirit

Come to my house, I got two lined up next to the Kay! One is my main gigging bass, wonderful thing.

'The one I played on'! ONE! Think what you're saying! I'm sure you can imagine the amount of variety there is in these old cheaply made basses. Some have such a wonderful sound for roots music when strung and set up properly. Depends on when it was made, which model, what condition, strings, sound post etc etc. And if losers like me get off on the cachet of the name, what's so wrong with that? There is such a thing as cultural and historical value, and that contributes to financial value for those that choose to let it. As you say, you don't understand the fuss over Kays. Doesn't make them all great sounding basses, but no-one is saying that. Jack will tell you mine is a bit of an old dog with a horrid fat neck and a sometimes flat acoustic sound because the sound post needs adjusting, and its a bit of a pig to play on ... but I still love it, and I know how to coax a great live sound out of it. (Plus, I scored an ebay steal off a school orchestra...) Now, shall we discuss King Mortones? 😁

But look at that lovely label Jack ... 🤩 😁 That's what people are willing to pay for. Doesn't make it a better bass obvs, just pure lust and (unjustifiable) cool factor! Personally, I think it looks cool as flip. The tailpiece and saddle stink I agree ... but largely fixable. Neck break is a shame, but more have that than don't. The table is right where it should be, no sinking ... that's one crucial thing. As long as the neck is at a good angle too... £2.5k is a reasonable-ish price for that old dawg.

Yes, an actual Kay. Not mine, just saw it on Reverb. I have an almost identical one. https://reverb.com/uk/item/90553106-kay-3-4-double-bass-m-2-restored-very-rare-in-the-uk-cover-and-pickup-included

Trouble coming there... Grooves are a bit too deep really - they should be only 1/2 the depth of the string gauge. But you can get away with deeper ones like this. Bigger problem is that the edges of the string notches are probably too sharp, so they're catching on the windings. The string should glide cleanly through the notch as you bring up to tension. Advice here: Bass on its back. De-tension one string and lift out of its notch. With a fine, round file (or fine sandpaper wrapped round a nail...) just round off the bottom of the groove at front and back of the notch. Just a fraction of a mm. Then get a soft pencil and a pen-knife, and scrape a bit of graphite dust into the groove. Now put your string back and tune up again, gently. The E string is a lost cause sadly - it might snap when you do this, but it might not .. though that unwinding is only gonna get worse if you don't. The notches look OK width wise, but they could be a tad tight. That'll exacerbate the problem. If the strings are a tight fit you really ought to get some files or dremel-bits (ideally the right diameter for each notch) and gently widen them so the strings fit perfectly with no binding. You're welcome.

'hybrid' ... didnt spot that. Even nicer.

... I just noticed that's a Boosey & Hawkes Excelsior in my avatar. Doesnt go out very often these days.

Strunal make great basses. It's the same factory (in Luby) that used to make the old ply basses imported by Boosey & Hawkes in the 1960s (eg the famous 'Aria Excelsior'). I had a factory-new 5/40 some years ago, it had sweet tone and was built like a tank (in a good way). The sound mellows with age and use, so if this one has a few years in it that's not a bad thing. Pictures? I think the 35 denotes some concessins in accessories, so expect slightly cheaper tuners etc, but none of that makes a jot of difference if you're talking a 'starter' bass at good price.