Please help identify this old bass

[ibanezbenz]

Hey, i've had this bass guitar sitting around the house for a while. It was an old bass guitar that my grandfather had and gave to me before he died. Unfortunately he didn't leave any identification nor does it have anything on the guitar itself. I don't have much knowledge in identifying these sort of things, and i am not wishing to sell it, so give me your honest guesses on what it is.

Thanks in advance...

[VintAxe]

Very Cool ibanezbenz.

It looks to me like Granddad has hooked you up with a Kay model K-162 electric bass from the mid 1950's. I believe this was the first guitar style electric bass ever mass marketed. According to Kay literature, 10 years of R&D went into the development of this bass.

Yours appears to be in excellent cosmetic condition with the original case. These instruments retailed for close to $200 back in the 1950's so they were not cheap. I checked the VG Price Guide and they are valuing these around $400 USD which looks low to me given their historical significance. I think you are wise to hang onto it both because it belonged to your grandfather and the fact it is a very cool collectible. Thanks for sharing the pictures. sb

[ibanezbenz]

Thanks a bunch. i do plan on keeping it with the other guitars my grandfather passed down to me. I might show the pictures of them some other time, but thanks a bunch.

[VintAxe]

Sounds good.

It would take a little work to pin down all the details on this bass. I suggested it was a K-162 model since I figured you would have the best chance of finding information searching for the 162. This style of bass was produced for several years and had other model designations over the years. I know that a couple of years after the K-162 was released a short lived K-160 model was offered.

It also seems strange this bass isn't marked, I'm not sure what might be going on there. Does the headstock have any ghosts suggesting a badge was affixed at one time? I don't see anything in the pictures but sometimes you can't tell from photos.

Anyway, I think we are in the ballpark so you should have a good foundation for conducting further research on the bass if you are interested. Let us know if you turn up any interesting information. sb

[Michael Ambrose]

There's only one part you're wrong on, Steve, and thats the value... hahaha...

These are going for RIDICULOUS amounts on Ebay right now... I'm watching them go for upwards of 12-1500 (which is killing me, because I'm DYING to get my hands on one). Kay is also currently re-issuing them (as well as other period Kay jazzboxes) via Fritz Bros guitars.

This is what is known as the "Howlin Wolf Bass," as one of the Wolf's bassist was known for playing one of these. PHENOMINAL bass... marketed alongside their "Jimmy Reed" Twin Thin.

Interesting to note, this is the first of these models I've seen without the "Kelvinator" headstock (which was a large, ornate plastic overlay vaguely resembling a 1950's refrigerator). I have, however, seen Twin Thins with similar unadorned headstock, branded with either the Old Kraftsman or True Tone emblems...

VERY interesting!

[VintAxe]

Now Michael, technically, I'm not wrong. I said VG valued them at $400 which is true and I thought that was too low which is also true.

I had no idea they were going as high as $1,500 but I'm not surprised.

It's a sweet looking instrument.

[cheepaxes]

Drool. :)

-Scott

[jeff mercer]