PaulKing

If you can get hold of an Innovation Braided 140RB E string try that ... a dark sounding string that slaps nicely, with plenty of sustain and projection. Matches gut, doesnt have the boing of Silverslaps. It's remarkably similar to the EP slap actually... Or try Presto .. Light or Standard guage, You talking Lenzner wound or plain gut? Dont get plain gut unless you know what you're getting into... vey different sound, different technique to get projection out of it. Useless for pizz. But I'm surprised you're finding that with the Pirazzi Slap E ... it sounds lovely and rich and dark and loud and bassy on my Mortone. Less good on my Kay funnily enough, lacks a bit of balls. But it certainly isn't slack, neither does it rattle, on either bass. At that price I cant imagine you're too pleased with the result! So maybe its just your bass

http://bbc.in/1m487du "Never underestimate the power of spray painting things gold. It triples the value instantly" Chabuddy G Entrepaneer People Just Do Nothing

Oh I forgot I already posted that pic, so you can see the plates before anyway...

[quote name='GaryDay' timestamp='1467654426' post='3085182'] Nice post Paul! Big fan of the Specials and Horace's work with them. I'm guessing you already know of [font=Verdana, Arial][color=#000000][size=3]Andrew "Blueblood" McMahon? He played bass for Chester Burnett (Howlin wolf) in the 50's before becoming a singer, the reason [/size][/color][/font]kay k162 bass is referred to as the Howlin' wolf bass. [/quote] Cheers, Yeah Gary (that Gary? I'm an ageing 80s psycho...) . That's the exact bass I got hold of ... except I pimped it with tiger-stripe scratchplates like the earlier 50s originals. That famous Wolf pic must date from 1959 or later, as that's when they started using white scratch plates like McMahon has (and changed model name from K162 to K5965). Here's mine ... [attachment=226920:5 basses update.jpg]

Short. Well I use for blues, but occasionally venture into some fat rocksteady and a bit of ska. Big fat full sound, but I dunno if thye'd give the punch you need for a big room shaking dub. Maybe a bit too woody. But double-bass-ish, so good for Skatellites style ska.

There are now re-issues of that bass Horace is playing, £500ish. Big sound, only improved with Mojo of a 50s original (massive collector lust for them) Here's mine (2nd left) ... with family. [attachment=221936:5 basses.jpg]

Nice one, thanks tredders. Ask him about it someday, I bloody love them but they're so rare. I bagged me a Kay K162 from '59 recently and it is incredible - for rootsy Chicago blues at least.

What a very special gift from a very special friend. Hehe.

Ah yeh, deep and authentic rocksteady but with modern inventiveness and energy. Great player.

Watching reruns of TOTP (gotta love BBC4), was very surprised to see Fender man Horace Panter sporting this delicious looking vintage Kay on Ghost Town - more than once. Not many of them around ... last seen with Paul McCartney on Wings tour. Anyone seen one anywhere else? [attachment=221918:Horace Kay.JPG] I wonder if he still has it ... drooooool. One going for $5k on ebay right now.

shes [size=1]tiny[/size]

Now I feel somehow closer to Sheryl Crow... .[url="http://kayvintagereissue.com/img/sherylcrow.jpg"][/url]

Well I decided to pimp. I know it's against the rules, but I've done nothing that ain't reversible. After owning and loving a reissue K162 with it's sexy tiger-stripe scratch plates, I'd always lusted after an early (pre-'59) original with same tiger stripe. Sadly the later (post-'59) are much more common, and delighted as I am to have one at all, that's the model I got my hands on eventually. But I kept thinking "I wish it had the tiger stripe, instead of plain white...". So I googled a bit, bought some vintage-white blank scratchplate material and some repro vintage tortoiseshell veneer, cut them to shape by hand, and made a new set of scratch plates. Plus, the old bridge was practically matchwood, so I made a new one out of a bit of old ebony. Criminal, strictly speaking, but I like. Before: [attachment=220562:body.jpg] After: [attachment=220563:Pimped2.JPG]

A surprising amount is down to your state of mind I reckon (note - I am not a hippie). I only get blisters occasionally - yes if I've not played for a long time, but also sometimes totally unexpectedly. It's when I get nervous, tense, sweaty (more than normal), grip too hard, work too hard ... If you're relaxed, your tone is good, you're not fighting to be heard ... you're much less likely to blister. Permanent callouses are a must. My biggest is on 3rd finger left hand, which is odd seeing as that should be the LEAST used finger. Technique? pah.

[attachment=214112:Willie Dixon Mortone.jpg] Willie Dixon, treating a King Mortone dirty ....

[attachment=214040:image.jpeg] Thanks to a little trade (enjoying the Kay Baz?) a 1959 Kay K5965 (aka K162) has finally joined the family... L-R 1963 Jolana Basora 1959 Kay K5965 1965 Kay Speed Demon 1963 Hofner President 1966 Harmony H22