My Dead Mellow Smith

[Tim Bishop]

After many questions and PM's, my final suggestion was for you to send it to Ken and have him look it over. All the questions I asked and suggestions I gave you were thorough. Based on your answers, I don't see any other options for you; send it to Ken.

[Ken Smith]

Tiger Maple is a deep sounding wood. Walnut tops for the MWs are brighter sounding. The bass I am sure was in their stock in a humid climate for some time. That will affect the wood. The Strings by the time you got the bass may be water logged like the bass from the humidity on Florida where the dealer was. The bass needs to settle back and dry out. Mail order is tricky. I am 100 miles from you. I shipped the bass 1500 miles to Fl. They shipped it back to you just 100 miles east of me another 1500 miles.

Blame the climate, not the bass. It probably needs to come in for set-up and will need to dry out a bit as well. We have similar problems with double basses coming in from Italy or England as their climate is much different. From China, woah.. like UNDER water.. lol

Have patience. There is nothing wrong with what we made or how we made it. Just the locale of the bass in its travels to get to you. If you get me the serial number, I can tell you how long it's been down south near the Atlantic.

[franklin peredo]

Hey Ken thanks for replyin! im a total ignorant when it comes to wood ,construction ,and the elements of sound making, what exactly do u mean with settle back and dry out? do you mean that as the time go by the wood will go back to its normal estate? or you have to perform a specific setup for that?..(again ,sorry for my ignorance) the funny thing is that when the bass arrived to NY there was a crazy snow storm.. and here is the serial# 5MW5848T09 date completed 8/19/09, thank U.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by franklin peredo

Hey Ken thanks for replyin! im a total ignorant when it comes to wood ,construction ,and the elements of sound making, what exactly do u mean with settle back and dry out? do you mean that as the time go by the wood will go back to its normal estate? or you have to perform a specific setup for that?..(again ,sorry for my ignorance) the funny thing is that when the bass arrived to NY there was a crazy snow storm.. and here is the serial# 5MW5848T09 date completed 8/19/09, thank U.

This bass was in Florida for over 6 months. It is humid there. The humidity affects the wood and the tone and kills the strings. So, it need's a factory set-up to be at 'its' optimum condition as when it was made. At that point when the bass is back to how we made it, you can see if you like the sound of that wood combo. Right now you, are judging it in a somewhat distressed condition. It is new but it needs to settle.

The weather on the east coast, north and south has been extreme this last year. Your bass might be a victim of it. We can help if you send or bring it in.

[franklin peredo]

thanks Mr. Smith!!! i cant believe how bad the climate affects the instrument, how succeptible is the instrument to the effects of humidity, so the bass absorbs excess moisture, does the wood swell or expand?? im pretty sure im not the only one that had and will experience this situation, so another question: as the bass settles into its new enviroment,.... are changes gonna take place to the action and neck profile? and what do you recommend to do as the "settling in" period goes on? and out of curiosity does a piano gets affected by humidity too?

Thank you

[franklin peredo]

Ok.. so i guess this subject annoyed you guys, i checked some interesting posts about climate and humidity, anyway.... its been a month since a got my smith i set up the bass, change the strings with smith taper cores, and man!! what a sound!! thank you for the patience and the advice, now im saving money for another smith,.. . ill definetlly get this one straight from Mr. Smith.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by franklin peredo

Ok.. so i guess this subject annoyed you guys, i checked some interesting posts about climate and humidity, anyway.... its been a month since a got my smith i set up the bass, change the strings with smith taper cores, and man!! what a sound!! thank you for the patience and the advice, now im saving money for another smith,.. . ill definetlly get this one straight from Mr. Smith.

You went over to Talkbass and in two different threads, two different sections you drug me thru the mud in public. I may not be able to post over there but I can read!

It would be nice if you went over there and let them know what I told you was 100% true and accurate and no ones fault, especially mine and how things worked out.

I am glad to hear everything worked out.