Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop
I'm totally with you Dennis and I've always said that: "Ken makes a bass that is perfect for me and there just happens to be an S on the head-stock". Never have given "a rip" less about what magazines and/or endorsements show (unless of course it's Eden's and Smith's  ).
A recent experience I'll attempt to keep short.......
I recently (and reluctantly) sold one of my favorite Smiths (a '97 Tiger Maple 5GN) to an acquaintance and bassist. Wonderful individual and player and I was totally wanting to help him out by fixing him up with THE bass. Understand, he was accustomed to a bolt-on neck feel ( there's another thread on this topic, so, don't want to get into that debate here), so, a neck-thru would be a new experience for him.
I set the bass up perfectly for him ( as we discussed set-up beforehand) before I shipped. At any rate, when he received the bass and played it, he later decided it was not the bass for him....  ....come again....say what! This was the first time I EVER ran across anyone that wasn't pleased with a Smith. His decision was totally based on feel as I clearly understood and prepared him for that beforehand. So, I asked him "did you change anything"? To my dismay, he responded, "yes, I changed the strings from Taper Core Mediums to Lights" (which changed the set-up as we had initially discussed) ....  .... errghhhhh!!! .... I said to myself: Take a deeeeeep breath in, now breeeeathhhh out......repeat.....ok.....
Yeah, I know, another lesson learned. Just goes to prove, you cannot please everyone (particularly those that don't understand the importance of set-ups). Had I anticipated this, I would have NEVER sold that bass. I'm hoping, as I've discussed with him, he will give it more time to work out the "feel thing", otherwise, I will be working toward getting that bass back ASAP!  |
Well, this is going off topic, but I can certainly feel you here. It falls under that "no good deed goes unpunished" category. Years ago, out of necessity I learned very well the painful process of properly setting up a tremolo strat. It's a MF cause everything you change changes everything else. But there is a systematic way to do it, it just takes time, and lots of it. So I get this neophyte fellow a great deal on a pawn shop strat, go to great pains to get genuine replacement hardware for a few things that were missing, bought some brand new strings and got the thing as near perfect as any set-up I've ever done. First time he changes the strings he changes the gauge to heavy because some idiot kid at GC tells him thus and so.
And then he has to file the nut because the heavier gauge is sticking and he's wondering why his "action" is all high now, he can't get it in tune, and comes asking me what is wrong with this guitar I "sold" him;- "
All I did was change the strings....", he says. !@#$$%!!!!!
Note, I never sold him anything. I helped him pick it out. And he blames me because I lined him up with it. OK, that's as much as I can bear to re-live. So I leave neophytes that don't take my advice alone now, and I never do anything to a guitar unless someone pays me. Otherwise they think you must be getting some advantage somewhere. They only respect your work if you charge them. So someone wants me to set up a tremolo strat- $100 minimum. The normal response is, "I can buy a guitar for that.." And I'm like "Fine, but can you play it that way..."
One of the things that impressed me the most about the KSB's that I have played was that the set-up was perfect everywhere. And the fret work is the best I've ever seen. There are many other things as well, but those stick out so far above the other makers that these are worth remark. Truly here in Atlanta, we have a treasure in the Atlanta Bass Gallery. But he never has enough fretless basses. I was in there a couple of days ago and he must have had 6 or 7 Smiths and not a single fret-less. I guess if he gets one, it goes pretty fast. But here, that place is great because you can really play and hear all the "best" makers' work. Of the top hand-made basses I think he sells more Smiths than anything else. I would say having Smith basses in these types of bass specialty shops is a great way to get the news across. There are some makers who you must deal with directly, and to me that is just too risky for an instrument that is truly an investment. Even if I were ordering an instrument custom to my specs, the fact that I have seen several in a store and been able to play them against other makers work is very important. Otherwise you don't have much to go on but looks and endorsements in magazines. With KSB, I think I would have no worries about a commissioned instrument;- but that is because of the long history of consistent quality. That reputation has been earned over many years.