Kapa Continental Bass Guitar - Short Scale - Two Pickups - Slim Hofner Neck - Padded Gig Bag - 1967

I am selling my 30 inch scale Kapa Continental Bass guitar, made in Edmonston, Maryland around 1967. Has a slim Hofner made neck that plays well. Comes with a used moderately padded bass gig bag.

I’ve played this bass a lot and know it well so here is what I can tell you:

• When I first got this bass the neck had a slight back bow, which caused lots of buzzing in the first four frets of the E and A strings. Loosening the truss rod did not solve it so I eventually replaced the light strings (45-90s) with heavier ones until I landed on a set of Ernie Ball 55 -110s. After a few days the back bow settled and action could be lowered. When playing the low E it matters how well you fret them and whether you slap the strings (not recommended on this bass) or play them. There could still be adjusting to do, but the bass now plays pretty well. I have slightly tightened the truss rod but have found no need to adjust it more.
• The pickguard has been cracked in a number of places around the output jack. It has been securely glued and I have added an extra screw. It isn’t pretty but is solid. I’ve also glued pieces of a genuine NYC Metrocard to the bottom of the area for even more stability. This pickguard is the same as a continental 6-string pickguard so could be swapped out if you came across one.
• The original bridge pickup died (I’ve owned about 10 Kapas and the Hofner pickups on them often have issues with the coil wires). It has been replaced with a NOS vintage staple pickup and ring. I took off the tabs in the bottom of the ring and glued the ring to the pickguard to allow for maximum height adjustment of the pickup. Height is adjusted with four little screws on the side of the ring.
• When I last installed strings the G Van Ghent tuner (they are original) slipped around G# (an octave lower than tune). I used a thin screwdriver in the tuner slot and turned it a bit while tuning and it worked fine. Stays in tune, just needed to be nudged. It is possible this tuner may need a replacement at some point. The back tuner cover is included, the screw that holds it in place is missing.
• Am pretty sure the finish has been stripped with a basic poly coating added. Though it is possible it came out of the Kapa factory this way.
• The knobs are not original - the pot stems are pretty wide so most knobs will not fit.
• All of the switches and knobs work. The two switches are a bit finicky, but in a logical way. Up is on, when you pull them all the way up they do not engage, so pull them slightly down and they settle in. Not annoying enough for me to change them out but should be noted.

The original tail, bridge and cover are a really nice design, probably from Hofner (where Kapa sourced other parts like the neck and pickups). The tail cover is often missing on these bass guitars.

I think the pickups are mini-humbuckers but am not sure. At some point Kapa began to make their own pickups, which were single coil.

The frets, like lots of Hofner guitars, are thin style and have some wear but still play nicely. They still sit well in the fretboard after all these years and if you run your fingers up each side of the neck there are no ragged ends. The neck, like many Hofner necks from the 60’s, is a thin style.

Some tech notes:

Scale: 30 inches

Length: About 44 inches

Nut width: 1 5/8th

Lower Bout: 13 inches

Neck pickup reading: 8.3

Bridge pickup reading: 10.2

Both pickup readings: 4.6

Comes with a used moderately padded bass gig bag.

I’ve described this 59 year old bass guitar as best as I can with words and images, if you have any questions be sure to ask me before you buy.

Will pack professionally and ship quickly.