Blues Bass
The Hot Wire Blues Bass is a vintage style hollowbody bass, based on the Kay Electric bass of the early fifties. The Kay was often played by blues bassists who did not have the money for a fender - or liked the Kay sound more!
Blues Bass
Robert Johnson would have loved it. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and his mates... - The Kay is often heard on the old recordings. Howling Wolf sends his regards. When I discovered the Kay, I was thrilled with the big sound. We worked out the concept with the Hot Wire team.
The Hot Wire Blues Bass has a semi-resonant maple body with a flat, solid top, and a round back. The set-in Medium Scale maple neck sports a rosewood fretboard with 20 frets. We found the original Kay Pickup to be microphonic, so we developed an improved version together with Bassculture, which works well at high volumes, avoiding finger noise and reducing feedback sensitivity.
The Blues Bass has volume and tone controls. With flatwound strings this bass brings a "big" sound, which is particularly suitable for blues, jazz, rock'n'roll and - played with plectrum - Sixties Rock. The bass has a trapeze tailpiece, the bridge is floating to adjust the intonation more exact. Despite all the improvements, the blues bass sounds identical to the original Kay.
The blues bass weighs only 2.5 kilos and is therefore also an option for bass players with back problems. Each blues bass is handmade and is a unique piece, we are happy to fulfill customer requirements. Various vintage finishes are possible, as well as fretless versions.
We use the proven Hipshot Ultralite mechanics. The strings also have a big impact on the sound. Only with flatwound strings does the blues bass show what it can do! For blues and jazz Pyramid Gold Flatwounds sound very authentic. Classic Sixties Rock sounds authentic with the plectrum. With Pyramid Black Nylons, the double-bass character is even more effective.
Each Blues Bass is handmade and is a one-of-a-kind instrument, and we are pleased to fulfill customer requests. So you can have your favourite neck dimensions. Various vintage finishes are possible, and versions such as Fretless, and even five-string.
Now hear the Blues Bass here:
For an acoustic sound, the Blues Bass is unmatched. In the studio, it can replace the double bass. In live use, it makes a rich sound without feedback, because the pickup is totally shielded.
Blues Bass - Making Of
I had borrowed a KAY bass in 2008 and fell in love with the sound. So we decided that we build the Blues Bass as a Kay Tribute but the way a guitar maker makes it. The 50ies Kay was a factory bass with a neck like a young tree and no truss rod. We wanted to build it in guitar maker quality with a comfortable neck and a truss rod, also using timbers like on a double bass or an acoustic guitar.
Back in 2007, I had the opportunity to hear the first BB live on stage with the BluesCasters band - bass player Erkan had lent me one of his Kay basses for research. On the Bingen jazz festival, big stage, and 8x10 Ampeg. Right in the first song a string broke on his Kay but I had the BB ready and handed it over. He played the whole gig on the BB and said he could not really make out a difference - other than the BB is lighter in weight and he had to adjust to the thinner neck. Erkan then used the BB in the studio but he forgot what tracks he played it on - there is no audible difference in sound to the Kay, so we knew: Mission Accomplished.
I play mine when I want real bass tone on the track.