What have we got?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Thomas Barnwell

Thanks -- that is exactly the kind of information we were looking for. The line above should have read

1948 3/4 Kay bass and 1946 1/4 Kay bass.

Thanks again,

-Tom

Don't play that bass outdoors. It will get ruined easily. It i a real bass made to be played in a Symphony hall. I had a couple up to my shop a year ago and traded one of these kinds of basses for an old Kay that someone was trying to unload. I paid them the difference and bought the Kay to trade in the deal. They came up from the south as well.

That bass, considered to be a Morelli brand full sized orchestra bass was sold to a dealer and then fitted up for a Symphony player. That's where these kinds of basses belong.

Regardless of the intended brand, shop, maker or size of the bass, this is a carved bass that is sensitive to weather and humidity changes. Unlike your Kay basses that can be tossed around, the more you damage the original finish, the wood, edges or what have you, you will be decreasing its value each step of the way. Repairs have to done only by a qualified Violin trained Bass Luthier. If done poorly, re-repairing is 2-3x the cost to un-do and re-do and each time, loosing value as well if these repairs are visible.

Call me if you want to sell the bass and get something more suitable for the venue you would use a bass in. In the mean time, be careful not to slap the bass or scratch the original varnish off in any way. Do not do tricks with this bass or attempt to stand on it either.