Smith Bass Design and its History (The on-line Book in the making)

[Jose Bichoff]

Ken,

Can you comment on how much the Internet and technology advances changed your business and the bass making process itself over the past years? Thank you.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jose Bichoff

Ken,

Can you comment on how much the Internet and technology advances changed your business and the bass making process itself over the past years? Thank you.

Business, yes. Making process, I would say not directly.

Remember that when I started we didn't even have cell phones yet. I learned how to balance a checkbook before we had personal calculators.

I have on my wall a 1985 5-string, one of the last NY Basses. Other than some dimension changes and model differences we still make them the same. We do have some improved processes mostly by choice but try improving on a 200 year old or more Violin, Cello or Double Bass!

It still takes hands and patience. If anything, modern tecnology has hurt quality hand made work. Too many machines with no eyes or feelings. Just shapes cut out with no soul in them.

Business wise with the Internet I have saved a ton on advertising for one. Second, I can make updates to the world in a flash of time.
Third, what's a catalog again?..

Email in itself has improved and sped up communications faster than I would have ever imagined. When I was getting my first Fax machine around 1989 I was told that electronic mail (email) would be the next thing coming to the world and make faxing almost obsolete. I had no idea at that time what they were referring to?
Put a mini preamp under the stamp on a letter??? huh?


Anyone know what a Typewriter is? I have one for sale..

The world is a smaller place now but two things that will never go out is 'hands-on' and 'word of mouth'. A product needs to almost sell itself with some basic explanation. You can't hard sell quality. Either you understand what you are looking at or you don't.

Just like 'Electronic Mail' when I first heard the term. You couldn't sell it to me if you were paying me because I have no clue what it was.
---------------------------------------------------------------
By the way, I was moving some wood around downstairs in the storage area yesterday and within these tiger maple blocks I bought over 10 years ago I found some beautiful highly flamed Tiger blocks for the BT model as far as the length goes. So, we might make a special model soon to use this stuff.

"The BT Vintage White Tiger Elite" (TBVE). Exhibition grade Tiger Top and high figure backs, Quilted Maple Cores (12-18 year old stock), 12-18 year aged Walnut body features and sawn Walnut laminates, Ebony Head Cap, high figure Tiger/Shedua Heel cap neck-thru on back, Abalone inlaid top and side Dots and Logo (ala 25th), Maple/Shedua 5pc Neck, all the electronics of the Elite (at least) and.. The strap buttons, maybe Dual for longer strap hang (or flush on request). Basically the works on a 5pc body and neck like the first 25th models were.

Interested? Any takers?

We have longer BSR length Blocks as well but thought we would kick off this series with the older BT shape.

I would be glad to hear your comments or answer your questions on this.

[Anton Hasias]

Sounds nice,

I still have some questions:
- Will this be a limited edition, if yes how many pieces approx?
- Will be this edition crafted in 4,5 & 6 strings?
- Which is the price evaluation?
- Only 5/5 or also a possibility of 7/7 ?(as in my personal opinion the 7/7 sound definition is more precise and also offers to this BT model a beautiful ageless upper class status)
- When is it supposed to happen?

Anyway in case this will be a limited edition, please put me first on your list for the no.1 of the 6 strings model.

Best regards

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Anton Hasias

Sounds nice,

I still have some questions:
- Will this be a limited edition, if yes how many pieces approx?
- Will be this edition crafted in 4,5 & 6 strings?
- Which is the price evaluation?
- Only 5/5 or also a possibility of 7/7 ?(as in my personal opinion the 7/7 sound definition is more precise and also offers to this BT model a beautiful ageless upper class status)
- When is it supposed to happen?

Anyway in case this will be a limited edition, please put me first on your list for the no.1 of the 6 strings model.

Best regards

- Will this be a limited edition?.. Not sure yet. We have plenty of wood..

- Will be this edition crafted in 4,5 & 6 strings?.. Yes

- Which is the price evaluation?....... Not totally sure but similar to the Black Tiger Elite which is Elite$ plus Exhibition wood$

- Only 5/5 or also a possibility of 7/7 ?... For 7/7 I would move it to the 25th model and just go all the way.

- When is it supposed to happen?... We usually do stock bass making in the Summer when we are not so busy. I will make a group of 5s first most likely.

[Anton Hasias]

Ok, got it, but, in case of choosing a 25th, it will not be a BT6 model right, or...
Best regards

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Anton Hasias

Ok, got it, but, in case of choosing a 25th, it will not be a BT6 model right, or...
Best regards

You can basically ala a carte the bass and let it fall into whatever model it's closest to.

The main thing mentioned here was these few 5a blocks I found that are too short for BSRs so I will make some special BT models with them. White Tiger is a name we have used before in Japan for similar basses sold there.

[Anton Hasias]

Ok, thanks,

Can't wait to see the result in 5s and also in 6s.(I think you will post the information as soon as you will have a planning).
For sure I was waiting for a more exclusive high flyer "limited edition" of this Vintage BT beauty model but even like this I think this is a refreshing new.
Maybe later, I hope.

For the moment, what about the typewriter? - lol!

Best regards