Kicked out of violin lessons in the fourth grade

[RC Williams]

The rest is down hill from there. I am in my third or so, career. Started as a social worker'73, opened a cabinet shop'80, and stumbled into the bass world in '92. while I don't play bass I am one. Most of my ideas, dblBass Buggie, pegleg end pins, tilt block end pin blocks, sliding c extension, and a lot of the jigs and devices we use to build our instruments have come from my exposure to the bass community and the instrument itself. I don't always like to take the most traditional rout to solving problems but I do enjoy working on their solutions.

I don't consider myself a luthier, but I am a craftsman and designer. I'm not in the biz alone as my partners in crime are Misha and Anton Krutz. When you roll our skill sets together, we get by ok.

I am looking forward to the other members of the on line community.

[Ken Smith]

Hi Rick and welcome to the Forum.

I have a few endpins you made me and I have several sets of the Krutz gears on my Basses.

I first had them on a Shen 800 Gamba (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/ShenBass/images/scrollright.jpg) 7/8ths that Paul at CSC installed them on new. Then I bought a few sets for my other basses. The first Bass I put them one was this nice lil Italian bass. Stanley Clarke came by to try out the bass and the first thing he said was, nice gears (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/SoloBass/images/sb1.JPG).. I have them on two of my other favorites as well, my Gilkes (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/GilkesBass/images/scrollL.jpg) and Martini (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/MartiniBass/rest_images/scrollR.jpg).

Here's your endpin (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/doublebasses/Lombardi/images/lombardi11.jpg)..

Keep up the good work and it was nice meeting you in person at the ISB as well.