The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: Thornton Davis on November 25, 2016, 07:25:11 PM

Title: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Thornton Davis on November 25, 2016, 07:25:11 PM
At some point in our musical tenure we all have owned a budget bass. My first bass in the mid 60's was a Tele-Star T2B (Kawai made) Semi-acoustic teardrop bass that my mom bought new for me. I played it for a couple of years and moved on to a Hofner 500/1 which I played for a few more years. When I bought my Hofner the store I bought it from in Toronto had just started receiving inventory of Kent 700 & 800 Series guitars and basses. I gotta say that I was really attracted to them, but having just owned a Japanese made Tele-Star (Kawai) I wanted something different so I bought the Hofner. Well those Kent's were always in the back of my mind, because they looked so cool with their triple layer binding and cool body shapes, plus they sounded better than any Japanese bass that I had ever heard before.

Over the past 20 years I've always kept my eye open for either a Kent 700 Series (solid body) or the 800 Series (semi-acoustic) and I've come across a few of them but they're usually pretty beat up and missing most of their original parts or have been heavily modified. A couple of weeks ago I happened upon a 1967 Kent Model 743 (30" short scale) in a tiny music store in a small town that's about an hours drive from my house. When I saw the bass I couldn't get over its condition and the fact that it wasn't missing any of its original parts I knew I had to grab it quick. Other than the strings it was 100% original including the soft shell case that came with it.

Turns out that a gentleman bought the bass new in 1967 and played it a few times then put it in its case and placed the case in the closet where it remained for the next 48 years. It was found by the gentlemen's daughter when she was cleaning out the closet. Her father had passed away and left her his estate. She ended up bringing it to the small store I mentioned and sold it to the store owner. He sat on it for a year before letting anyone know that he had it. Then recently he advertised it for sale and I saw the listing and immediately contacted him to ask him all the usual questions, then I went to see it. It was worth the drive because although it's an inexpensive 60's made Japanese made bass it's killer as you can see in the photos below that I took of it. Pickup rocker switches, foam mute pad under the bridge cover, 3-tone sunburst and tortoise shell pickguard, upper and lower Mahogany tug bars and those 2 Kent single coil pu's with their huge tone just add to the coolness of the bass. The fact that the neck is as straight, intonation is perfect and the frets are in the condition that they are is amazing for a 49 year old instrument.

I'll never gig this bass but I wouldn't hesitate to use it in the studio. I can honestly say that I'm really glad that I own it even though back in the day it was considered a beginners instrument and really didn't command any respect from musicians of that time period.

Anyone else owned an inexpensive Japanese 60's bass at some point in your life?

(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr347/Thornton_Davis/DSC01122_zpsllgl5t7f.jpg) (http://s498.photobucket.com/user/Thornton_Davis/media/DSC01122_zpsllgl5t7f.jpg.html)
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr347/Thornton_Davis/DSC01119_zpssf5ydu0f.jpg) (http://s498.photobucket.com/user/Thornton_Davis/media/DSC01119_zpssf5ydu0f.jpg.html)
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr347/Thornton_Davis/DSC01124_zpsoau5nrj0.jpg) (http://s498.photobucket.com/user/Thornton_Davis/media/DSC01124_zpsoau5nrj0.jpg.html)
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr347/Thornton_Davis/DSC01127_zpsm09fb8wr.jpg) (http://s498.photobucket.com/user/Thornton_Davis/media/DSC01127_zpsm09fb8wr.jpg.html)
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr347/Thornton_Davis/DSC01126_zpsis1scwkd.jpg) (http://s498.photobucket.com/user/Thornton_Davis/media/DSC01126_zpsis1scwkd.jpg.html)
(http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr347/Thornton_Davis/DSC01128_zpsu1wy33qx.jpg) (http://s498.photobucket.com/user/Thornton_Davis/media/DSC01128_zpsu1wy33qx.jpg.html)

TD
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Pilgrim on November 25, 2016, 07:34:26 PM
I've had a few of the Kay KB-1 and KB-2 models. Simple, basic, but fun to play and not bad basses.

This one was mine...

(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/Kay_ws_outside_tilt.jpg)
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: OldManC on November 25, 2016, 09:37:07 PM
My first bass was a sunburst Kent EB2/335 copy with two humbuckers (guitar sized). Strings (at best) 1/4" off the fretboard... I have looked for years for another one just because, but no luck.

BTW, if any of you have one, putting Model G DiMarzios in a hollow body bass is not a good idea.  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Dave W on November 26, 2016, 05:58:46 PM
Never owned one. A friend had a Kent thinline hollowbody that sounded great though. Unfortunately it was in an accident. Maybe I'll ask him if he still has the remains.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: dadagoboi on November 26, 2016, 10:28:36 PM
One of these was my first bought bass.  It was around $80 new in 1963.  No trussrod!

(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/ME/Bruce%20Bass_zpsygfgpihw.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/ME/Bruce%20Bass_zpsygfgpihw.jpg.html)

I bought my '60 EBO and put the pickup  in the neck position, it was only about 1/4" thick and surface mounted.  Don't know what happened to the rest of it.

(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/ME/Bruce%20Bass%2060s_zpsyxvtabvq.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/ME/Bruce%20Bass%2060s_zpsyxvtabvq.jpg.html)

Apparently Jack Bruce also played one.

Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Dave W on November 28, 2016, 10:09:38 AM
Jack doesn't look to happy about it.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: dadagoboi on November 28, 2016, 11:27:00 AM
Jack doesn't look to happy about it.

I completely understand his unhappiness.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Chris P. on November 28, 2016, 04:32:21 PM
Great score, Thorton! Love the looks!
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Rob on November 28, 2016, 05:54:01 PM
That really looks nice Thornton.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: mc2NY on March 09, 2017, 01:25:42 AM




Nice Looking bass.


In high school, my friend Clark played a Kent.

It was super, man !!  🙄
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Highlander on March 09, 2017, 03:54:10 PM
I had a Japanese EB2/Rivoli copy made by a company called Grenn... next bass was the PC...
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: clankenstein on March 09, 2017, 04:45:42 PM
I had an Ibanez bolt on Eb2d copy as my first bass.Around 1976.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Highlander on March 11, 2017, 02:53:46 PM
Nasty pic I have of me with mine, circa same year, Tony...

(http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu280/kjrstewart/US/771stBass.jpg)
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: clankenstein on March 11, 2017, 03:05:11 PM
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff246/tonypbass/ibanezeb21976.jpg) (http://s236.photobucket.com/user/tonypbass/media/ibanezeb21976.jpg.html)      1976 on a visit to Singapore to see the Family-they made me cut of all of my hair .Oh the horror.The bass had a vestigal varitone that didnt help much.Looks like i had almost mastered G at that point!
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Highlander on March 11, 2017, 05:17:42 PM
 :mrgreen:

(checked date on mine... 1977)
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: clankenstein on March 11, 2017, 06:23:04 PM
I got my Ibanez in a music shop full of copies-no Kents that i remember,was it a brand for export only?
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Dave W on March 11, 2017, 06:58:55 PM
I got my Ibanez in a music shop full of copies-no Kents that i remenmber,was it a brand for export only?

Kent was a brand name of an importer in New York City, that's why you wouldn't have seen one new in New Zealand. They imported from more than one Japanese factory, and at one point in the early 60s imported Hagströms with the Kent brand name.


(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/ME/Bruce%20Bass%2060s_zpsyxvtabvq.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/ME/Bruce%20Bass%2060s_zpsyxvtabvq.jpg.html)

Apparently Jack Bruce also played one.


Getting back to this, the other day I saw the same pic on FB (https://www.facebook.com/OldGuitarsInBlackAndWhite/photos/a.455296291306240.1073741828.455291964640006/759199424249257/?type=3&theater) identified as a Zim Gar bass. Another NYC importer's brand name. Pretty sure it was made by Teisco.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: clankenstein on March 11, 2017, 07:02:32 PM
Ahhhhh...I see!
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Thornton Davis on February 12, 2018, 05:56:20 PM
After a long time of looking I finally found a 1967 Kent 833 Violin Style bass a few weeks ago. It needed a major cleaning and a tuner replaced. It also needed to have the neck pickup rewound cause it was dead.

After a good cleaning and polishing with Virtuoso, picking up and installing a set of NOS exact replacement tuners and having the pickup rewound it's all back together playing and sounding great.

(https://i.imgur.com/G08nXpS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/wJivybr.jpg)

TD
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Pilgrim on February 13, 2018, 08:04:30 AM
Those have great style!  Nice.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: DAVE RICCI on September 07, 2018, 08:36:35 AM
I also have a Kent 833 bass that has a bad tuner. Could you please tell me where you were able to find replacement tuners. I've been searching the internet and am having a hard time finding what I'm looking for. Thanks
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Pilgrim on September 07, 2018, 01:28:01 PM
I also have a Kent 833 bass that has a bad tuner. Could you please tell me where you were able to find replacement tuners. I've been searching the internet and am having a hard time finding what I'm looking for. Thanks

Most often, the answer is to set up an Ebay search and be patient.  I've waited months for stuff like that to turn up, but it usually does.

OTOH, a Kent has zero collector value, so if you find a full set that would fit in place and replace the originals, that would be a good option.
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: Thornton Davis on September 09, 2018, 06:37:53 AM
I also have a Kent 833 bass that has a bad tuner. Could you please tell me where you were able to find replacement tuners. I've been searching the internet and am having a hard time finding what I'm looking for. Thanks

Dave, I have a couple of spare original tuners and ferrules from an 833, which tuner are you needing?

TD
Title: Re: 60's Kent Guitars & Basses
Post by: DAVE RICCI on September 10, 2018, 05:27:52 AM
It's the "D" string that's the bad one.