My first Smith

[Ed Friedland]

Played this one at NAMM and fell in love. I TRIED to forget it, but ultimately realized I had to get it. I've been wanting a Smith for about 30 years, so I guess I waited long enough.

I'm very happy with it. I've gone through several 6 strings over the last few years, trying different string spacings, pickups placements, woods, etc. Nothing has really worked for me, even some really nice ones. With each bass, I thought I was refining my idea of what I wanted, and frankly - this particular Smith did not "fit" a lot of those ideas. I was sure I didn't want a neck-through, or maple, or pickups placed close together toward the bridge... I thought I wanted narrower string spacing.... Well, it's funny how all these prerequisites went out the window when I played the Smith. The bass just has it. The soloing voice is incredibly clear and authoritative - it has the presence of a saxophone. Every note is right there, no weak spots, no resonant peaks. The lower register is well defined and tight, and the series/parallel switches give the instrument a real variety of tones. And the playability is amazing - I can easily play stuff that I struggled for on other basses, the feel is just right for me. It really inspires me to play, I'm actually practicing again. Maybe this will be the year I turn pro.... lol!


It's a real pleasure to finally own one of these basses, you can really see, feel, and hear the quality. Problem is... now I want more of them.