Description
Why do we call this bass an EngelKay, you ask? In the beginning of production of Engelhardt double basses, shortly after Kay’s demise in the late 1960s, Engelhardt purchased Kay’s tooling, jigging, manufacturing system and furthermore, their inventory – such as instruments that were already in production. This included various pieces, scrolls, tuners, etc. Engelhardt’s basses resembled the Kay Upright Bass so much, from the tuners and the scroll all the way to the endpin, that out came the upright bass nickname.
Although this double bass dates roughly four years after Kay’s last basses, every part of its construction, including the varnish to the Kluson tuners, is a Kay. And we’re not talking about glancing at it from 50 feet away… we’re talking a hard stare from 5 feet away. The only difference, in our opinion, is a label that says “Engelhardt” on it. This double bass epitomizes the respect that Engelhardt was still paying to what Kay created.
This Engelhardt C1 double bass needs a bit of work and TLC, but it has a solid base and a good sound. Some nicks, cuts and scrapes give this upright bass a good deal of character. We’ve been around this bass and there are no delaminations. We’ve done a rough going through, and while by no means does the setup rank with an Upton Bass setup, this upright bass is completely functional.
We have thrown on a rough-cut bridge, new endpin, ebony tail piece, and Supernil upright bass strings. This double bass already possesses an ebonized fingerboard made of black painted maple, but in a perfect world we would recommend the replacement of the maple fingerboard with a nice thick ebony fingerboard. This double bass would be perfect for a bluegrass player who wants to get started tomorrow.
Looking for a similar double bass, only new and created specifically for you with our signature Upton Bass setup? Check out our UB Standard Double Bass Laminated Upright Bass.
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