Show your Smith bass!

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Chris Fox

...However, who did the mod on the pre-amp and body? It looks like someone replaced the mid control with a 1/4 jack.

[Chris Fox]

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

...However, who did the mod on the pre-amp and body? It looks like someone replaced the mid control with a 1/4 jack.

If the seller is to be believed, all mods came straight from the shop. He claimed to have worked at KSB in the 1990's, and told me he had this bass built while employed there. His name is Scott He_ _ _ _d. It was sold without a case, btw.

The pics are interesting. First one is the lower bout: no jack plug hole ever drilled as far as I can tell.



Next is the control cavity. Yes, jack plug goes through the rout usually designated for tone pot. Looks like pretty good work to me! And if anyone would like to chime in, I'd like to know whether this is the old 9v BT circuit, or if it's the BMT minus the mid.



And finally, here's the maker's mark.



So there you have it. I'd be interested to hear anything that Ken might recollect or have to say about the bass or the story that came with it. And I appreciate your eyes, Tim: I haven't spent enough time with enough different KS basses to be able to quickly discern something as noticeable as a jack plug where a tone pot should be!

[Ken Smith]

I don't remember the exact order other then he wanted the Mahogany Core thicker for the sound and I guess from these pictures, the bass drilled for the BMT (5 holes) but only the BT section (4 holes) of it so the Top jack could go it its place.

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Chris Fox

If the seller is to be believed, all mods came straight from the shop. He claimed to have worked at KSB in the 1990's, and told me he had this bass built while employed there. His name is Scott He_ _ _ _d. It was sold without a case, btw.

The pics are interesting. First one is the lower bout: no jack plug hole ever drilled as far as I can tell.



Next is the control cavity. Yes, jack plug goes through the rout usually designated for tone pot. Looks like pretty good work to me! And if anyone would like to chime in, I'd like to know whether this is the old 9v BT circuit, or if it's the BMT minus the mid.



And finally, here's the maker's mark.



So there you have it. I'd be interested to hear anything that Ken might recollect or have to say about the bass or the story that came with it. And I appreciate your eyes, Tim: I haven't spent enough time with enough different KS basses to be able to quickly discern something as noticeable as a jack plug where a tone pot should be!

Well, looks like this bass was ordered this way. Nice bass, very clean. I have a '92 BT5G Zebra. Looks similar to this one, except a neck-thru with same woods, however, 3 band pre. I LOVE it!

[Tim Bishop]

BTW- Looks like the original 2-band BT pre to me.

[Chris Fox]

Ken, Tim--wow. Thanks so much for the backstory and assessment. While conducting the transaction with Scott, he said repeatedly this was a special bass, and he couldn't have been more right. So glad it's mine.

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Chris Fox

Ken, Tim--wow. Thanks so much for the backstory and assessment. While conducting the transaction with Scott, he said repeatedly this was a special bass, and he couldn't have been more right. So glad it's mine.

Yep, I hear ya. Looks and sounds like you got a keeper!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tim Bishop

BTW- Looks like the original 2-band BT pre to me.

Tim/Chris, this was the 9v BT/BMT 4 or 5 knob circuit that came out in late 1992.

[Chris Fox]

I wanted a production-level J-bass-ish 5 string, and after realizing how much I love my CR-5, I thought, well, duh. So I sold my EBMM Sterling 5, scoured the internet, and found this in Los Angeles. A bit of text messaging, Paypal, and Fedex, and here she is.





So now I have low and medium tiers covered. Next up: a high-end, neck-through. That one'll take a bit more time and marital finessing. But for now, I'm there.