Melissa,
Not to clash with our host, but should you decide to abandon the baby Kay I have a lead for you if you're willing to buy blind through the mail.
A luthier I know in Massachusetts named Mark Leue told me recently he lucked into a few unusual, small Shen basses he was selling for $1100. This batch was mistakenly made with a small 5/8 body and a 42" 3/4 neck. That could be the best of both worlds -- enough string length to get a good sound mated to a manageable body.
These basses have solid wood tops and sides so they would require more care than a battle-axe Kay. Just a thought.
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