Always sharp?

[Tim Bishop]

Temperature can have an impact on any instrument as it relates to tuning or otherwise. What I do know for certain (after 15 years of playing every model Smith made) is this: The necks on Smith basses are as stable as they come. End of discussion.

Just as one example: I had a Smith 6 (KSA6 20th. Ann.) I purchased new and used on a few recordings back in and around 2000. I then put that bass back in it's OHSC and didn't remove it for about 5 years. When I did remove it after 5 years, it was in tune as I had stored it previously. There have been times where temperatures (hot or cold) have either caused a flat or sharp impact to one of my basses. The impact, I believe, you are experiencing is related to 'string temperature'; not neck movement.

Here's a good one: There are times where the tuning on my Smith, only when in a cold environment, was equally sharp from B to G (5) or B to C (6). When this occured, I placed both my hands (starting at the first fret) on top and back of neck for a few seconds, and slowly moved up the neck incrementally until I reached the body. The warmth from my hands actually put the strings back in tune. I only tried this out of curiousity and found it worked perfectly and quickly.

Again, Smith necks are as stable as they come. Unless I want to change the action on my Smith, I rarely (if at all) have to make a truss rod adjustment. There are many well known bass makers out there that can't make this claim.