BSR 'B' & Burner Series Basses

[Sercan Say]

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/bass%20pics/cm6%28body%29.jpg


I just bought Custom 6 from a friend what do you think about this basses?
Are there any major diffrences these pickups and 'M' Series (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/custombolton/bsrcrm.htm) pickups?

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/bsrb.html

This is my first Ken Smith bass and I hope this wont last :).


Note: I'm sorry about my english :)

[Tim Bishop]

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/bass%20pics/cm6%28body%29.jpg











I just bought Custom 6 from a friend what do you think about this basses?
Are there any major diffrences these pickups and 'M' Series (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/custombolton/bsrcrm.htm) pickups?

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/bsrb.html

This is my first Ken Smith bass and I hope this wont last :).


Note: I'm sorry about my english :)



Sercan, very nice bass! You did well and should be pleased!

My first Smith was THE last 6-String Burner to leave Ken's shop. I still have that bass and it was THE reason why I use Smith Basses exclusively and have the collection I have today. Just check out my profile and you'll see what I mean. :D

I'm sure you will be happy with this bass. ;) The P/U's aren't in the same class as the Custom Soapbars you'll find on the 'higher-end' Smith's, however, dollar for dollar what you have is better than anything else you'll find on the market in that price range! ;) As your ear and technique for playing continues to develop, so will your need and desire to move to the "next" level Smith. ;)

By the way, your english is fine. :)

[Ken Smith]

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/bass%20pics/cm6%28body%29.jpg


I just bought Custom 6 from a friend what do you think about this basses?
Are there any major diffrences these pickups and 'M' Series (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/custombolton/bsrcrm.htm) pickups?

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/bsrb.html

This is my first Ken Smith bass and I hope this wont last :).


Note: I'm sorry about my english :)



The main difference is the String spacing at the Bridge being 16mm and not 18mm like the USA made Smith Basses. The PUs have internal Poles spaced at 16mm. A mistake at the factory but a blessing for this Bass. It cost me about 7k for tooling and wanted to use these for all the Smith Bolt-ons. The factory wanted 2k more to fix the tooling mistake so I just left them as they were. If they didn't have the Poles they would have been like our Flat tops.

All other features are of equal quality to any USA model as the circuit IS the same but without the Mid board. Enjoy, we only made a few in that Charcoal color. Might be the only 6 like it!

[Sercan Say]

I love this bass It has great sound even with really old strings :) And what a playability, I know this is not my last ken smith bass I will have more :)

By the way is this fingerboard Pau Ferro?

[Tim Bishop]

I love this bass It has great sound even with really old strings :) And what a playability, I know this is not my last ken smith bass I will have more :)

By the way is this fingerboard Pau Ferro?


Most likely Pau-ferro unless custom ordered with other. By the way, the photo you inluded in your original post appears to be the same pic from Ken's Burner Archive off his site. So, do you in fact own the same bass? If so, Ken should be able to help you with all you want to know about this bass.

Here's the link: http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/cm6.html

[Ken Smith]

Most likely Pau-ferro unless custom ordered with other.

Sorry, but there was no custom ordering available on the Burners at all. They were made and shipped as made, period. We supplied all the Fingerboard blanks to Japan for the Burner 6s in Morado/Pau-Ferro (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/woodpages/morado.html) from the beginning to the end of the production and never used or offered any other wood choice for the Fingerboard.

[Sercan Say]

Most likely Pau-ferro unless custom ordered with other. By the way, the photo you inluded in your original post appears to be the same pic from Ken's Burner Archive off his site. So, do you in fact own the same bass? If so, Ken should be able to help you with all you want to know about this bass.

Here's the link: http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models/bsrb/cm6.html

Yes Tim the photos from Ken's site.I took some pictures too.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3339/63913556oa5.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5663/42106959oj2.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/6307/12py0.jpg

[Tim Bishop]

Sorry, but there was no custom ordering available on the Burners at all. They were made and shipped as made, period. We supplied all the Fingerboard blanks to Japan for the Burner 6s in Morado/Pau-Ferro (http://www.kensmithbasses.com/woodpages/morado.html) from the beginning to the end of the production and never used or offered any other wood choice for the Fingerboard.


Ken, can you tell me what fingerboard is on this Burner-6?

[Tim Bishop]

Yes Tim the photos from Ken's site.I took some pictures too.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3339/63913556oa5.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5663/42106959oj2.jpg

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/6307/12py0.jpg


Ahh, that would be Pau-ferro. Wow, if this is the same bass, the fretboard looks really different between the pic from Kens site and yours. Must be the lighting.

Check out my post just before this one. The fretboard has alot of red in it. I've never had a Pau-ferro fretboard with this much red in it. Must be a unusual species of Pau-ferro, or Rosewood.

[Steve_M]

All other features are of equal quality to any USA model as the circuit IS the same but without the Mid board. Enjoy, we only made a few in that Charcoal color. Might be the only 6 like it!

Ken, I know a bloke who is selling a 5 string Burner in that charcoal stain. Would it have been produced in similarly low numbers?

[Ken Smith]

Ken, I know a bloke who is selling a 5 string Burner in that charcoal stain. Would it have been produced in similarly low numbers?

Yes, only a few were made towards the end of the BSR 'B production.

[Steve_M]

Yes, only a few were made towards the end of the BSR 'B production.

Would it be worth hanging onto this bass for future posterity?

[Ken Smith]

Would it be worth hanging onto this bass for future posterity?

That would be totally up to you, not me!

[Tim Bishop]

Ken, can you tell me what fingerboard is on this Burner-6?


Allot of red in this fingerboard, can you tell me what fingerboard wood is used on this Burner-6?

[Ken Smith]

Again, ALL Burner 6-stringFBs were Morado. The color varies from light to dark and reddish to brownish and even a bit purplish on the real dark ones.. That's the species of the wood.