Your first time (when you feel in love)

[Bob Faulkner]

My first time ever even hearing of Smith basses was when I was in Guitar Center placing the order for a custom Jackson bass. There was a used Smith 5 string in their bass room and I played it to death that day. It was without a doubt the best bass I had ever played, and Guitar Center thought so too with a used price of of $3000.

After months of waiting for my custom Jackson I was informed they had no record of my order, so I would need to reorder and wait the full 9 month cycle time again, even though I had in my hand the faxed and dated order confirmation and design drawings they had sent me. I told them to forget it and that's when I recalled that great experience with that used Smith. I did a few days of research on the web about Smith basses and placed my order shortly after that. I've never regretted it, and I'm quite happy Jackson dropped the ball.

[Albert Smith]

The first time I heard a "Smith Bass" was at a Gospel concert my ensemble was invited to participate in. The bass player was kind enough to allow me to play his bass back stage before it was our turn to go on. It was love at first sight. From that moment I was on a mission to obtain a "SmithBass". The sound that came forth from that bass was everything I had been searching for, at that time I was playing a Ibanex SR 905 5 string bass, it was neck through, and it was equipped with Bartolini pick-ups but it just didn't have the sound or feel of the "Ken Smith Bass".

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Albert Smith

I was playing a Ibanex SR 905 5 string bass, it was neck through, and it was equipped with Bartolini pick-ups but it just didn't have the sound or feel of the "Ken Smith Bass".

That's funny Albert. I was playing a custom neck-thru Ibanez 6-String at the time I was searching for that illusive bass sound. I can't remember the model of that Ibanez bass now....lol....Smith basses will do that to ya!

[Christopher Rhodes]

My 1st time with a Ken Smith bass was not good. It was in Akron Ohio (late 1980s), however it was with a "Burner Bass". I did not feel it all!

About 2 years later I had a brain drain - and purchased a Peavy TL-5. That was the most frustating experience of my bass life.

Years later it happened... I was in the DC area on business. I went to Chuck Levin music center. Played a few Smith's and thought - now this is it! They had the tone and the feel I was craving for.

One of the salesmen said - "We just got this special bass sent to us by Ken Smith, you wanna try it?". They retrived it from the back room. I played that bass for hours - I knew it was going to be mine! Two days later I returned and "pulled the trigger" - and she came home ( back to the hotel with me - BWI).

My trip to DC and my flight back to Florida - was joyful!

She is still with me today - nearly 15 years - it is my 1993 BMT Elite G bass with the seven piece neck. I'll never depart from her!

I tell my wife the only girlfriends I will have - are wooden - and they are all home - in the basement - with a "G" String, and other strings!

[Tim Bishop]

[quote=Christopher Rhodes;2275]My 1st time with a Ken Smith bass was not good. It was in Akron Ohio (late 1980s), however it was with a "Burner Bass". I did not feel it all!




So, you didn't like the Burner huh? I'm surprised. Was it possibly due to a set-up issue, bad strings, etc????

While it certainly doesn't compare to Ken's neck-thru's, for the money, I was quite pleased. My first Smith was a Burner 6 (it's was literally THE last one to leave Kens shop). I think I paid $1.5k for it. For me, it was the best $1.5k expenditure I ever made on a bass and is the reason I have the collection I have today.

For whatever reason, I feel the Burner models have gotten an undue "rap". Maybe because they are made in Japan??? Whatever........I don't know, but for the money, I'll take a Burner over any comparably priced bass, any day!

[Christopher Rhodes]

I think I just had a bad one, - bad setup + dirty dead strings. It was the only Ken Smith bass in the shop and it did not play well - but that was then. The Burner Series are in there. I see them from time-to-time at a local 2nd-hand gear supplier ( www.atomicmusiconline.com). They generally sell extremely fast - high demand for them!

It's funny, sometimes those 1st impressions can be lasting ones. Nevertheless - that was the extreme distant past. My 1993 experience changed all that.

I am even a fan of the KSD 5-string. Check out the tone in this youtube.com video.

Lee Ritenour - Papa Was A Rolling Stone ( 5 minute mark - mini solo)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e1zvA41qcVg

Lee Ritenour - Is it you
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oaDlO0I7i...related&search=

I am going over some blues-type tunes now for a short gig tomorrow - with the 6-string

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes

I think I just had a bad one, - bad setup + dirty dead strings. That's usually the unfortunate case. It was the only Ken Smith bass in the shop and it did not play well - but that was then. The Burner Series are in there. I see them from time-to-time at a local 2nd-hand gear supplier ( www.atomicmusiconline.com). They generally sell extremely fast - high demand for them!

It's funny, sometimes those 1st impressions can be lasting ones. Nevertheless - that was the extreme distant past. My 1993 experience changed all that.

I am even a fan of the KSD 5-string. Check out the tone in this youtube.com video.

Lee Ritenour - Papa Was A Rolling Stone ( 5 minute mark - mini solo)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e1zvA41qcVg

Very nice version of this tune! Great story behind this tune when the Temptations did it. I loved this arrangement.

As far as the bass sound with the KSD-5? Obviously a very nice sound for a bass in this price range! I was more impressed with the sound of this bass during the verse and chorus. Great bottom end tightness! Of course, tasteful playing does contribute a bit.

As far as the "pop-n-thumb", these basses sound really good, but just can't compete (IMO) with that "in-your-face" tightness of clarity and pop as you find in the BT circuit; then of course you are getting into the upper-end neck-thru's with this circuit and all that goes with that.

At any rate, like the Burners, nice bass and sound for the $'s. Very impressive!

I am going over some blues-type tunes now for a short gig tomorrow - with the 6-string

Make it good, Chris! Enjoy the gig tomorrow!

[Mike Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes

I am even a fan of the KSD 5-string. Check out the tone in this youtube.com video.

Lee Ritenour - Papa Was A Rolling Stone ( 5 minute mark - mini solo)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e1zvA41qcVg

Lee Ritenour - Is it you
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oaDlO0I7i...related&search=

I agree with you about the KSD 70's 5 string. I have the Lee Ritenour video called "Overtime" in which those recordings come from of Melvin Davis playing that bass. Everyday I check ebay and I'm tempted to pick one up. Only reason I don't is because I don't have enough time to play all the basses I have now. But I have a feeling that one day I'll go ahead and pick that puppy up.

Get that video, dim the lights, and watch it on a Big Screen HDTV with a great sound system and you'll feel like you're right there in the audience sitting on the floor with the others You'll also see that Melvin has about 3 or 4 other Smiths sitting right next to him.