Engelhardt-Link, Violin model, blond

“Founded in the mid-30s by German-born Henry Kuhrmeyer in Chicago, Kay began building up production of basses and cellos in addition to importing string instruments from Germany. They started out with models Concert (gamba model) and Maestro (violin model), and added top models Supreme and Swingmaster in the 1950s. A five-string version of the top model Swingmaster was available under the name Chubby Jackson. Jackson, bassist for Woody Herman and others, was involved in the development of that five-string model and endorsed Kay basses. In cooperation with bassist Ray Brown, Kay designed a cello for jazz bassists, launching it under the name “Ray Brown Jazz Cello”.
Unlike a classical cello, it was tuned in fourths, had a wider fingerboard, and double bass mechanics. Besides Ray Brown, several other popular jazz bassists such as Sam Jones and Percy Heath utilized these piccolo basses as solo instruments. In 1969 the company Kay Musical Instruments was dissolved, and the name and the means of production such as the special tools, templates and moulds were sold. From 1970 to 2019, the Engelhardt-Link company has been using that equipment to build their basses more or less identically by following Kay’s original patterns.“
source: “The Double Bass Book” by Jonas Lohse