Ken's Corner (Bass Forums Sponsored By KSB)

Go Back   Ken's Corner (Bass Forums Sponsored By KSB) > Electric Basses > Smith Basses, Handmade

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #41  
Old 01-13-2009, 08:37 PM
Tim Bishop's Avatar
Tim Bishop Tim Bishop is offline
Senior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 02-25-2007
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 1,274
Tim Bishop is on a distinguished road
Cool Yep.

+1 Ken.
__________________
Tim Bishop

Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 05-18-2011, 05:18 PM
Jens Westerinen Jens Westerinen is offline
Posting Member
 
Join Date: 10-01-2009
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Posts: 77
Jens Westerinen is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
VERY very close.. As I recall, the BSR and the CR had slightly different names from what you've posted.

On the CR, Chuck Rainey's name was NEVER used in any form of marketing, advertisement or catalog. As a matter of fact, the first group of 28 Basses and the only group made were designed and completed before Chuck and I ever spoke about it. The 'C.R.' initials actually has another name but was only mentioned 'in-house'. When we mentioned the Chuck Rainey name there after we had to tell the Dealers who Chuck Rainey was. Some Bass players knew him but most didn't including the Dealers who seemed to need most of the educating. It was after Chuck was named a Smith Endorser than several other companies started approaching him. I guess the figured that if I thought he was worth endorsing then they would go after him as well. This has happened with us with other Smith players that were approached by companies but usually unsuccessfully on their part. The Necks and Bodies were made as universal fit like a production. The only problem was that some Necks would only fit 'some' of the Bodies. I had to personally match up the Fits back in the NYC Office/Shop where all the Set-ups were done until mid-1995 when we moved the entire operation out to PA.

CR = Crunch Resonator ... CR is so much easier to say and if Chuck Rainey was playing one (2 actually) then why not 'dub' it the Chuck Rainey model? Actually, he had nothing to do with the inception of the Smith Bolt-on Bass. The first initials thought of were actually B.T.B.O.. meaning B.T. (Bass Treble like the BT model) Bolt-On.. B.T. Bolt-On..

The BSR is also close. Body Shape Re-designed. 'Revised' is a possibility but just not the 'exact' word we chose.

Something tells me you had some help with your answers.

Good Job either way..
When did the first BSR leave your shop, Ken? What year?
Saw a BSR that claimed to have been made -95 but never seen one that old.
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 05-18-2011, 05:59 PM
Ken Smith's Avatar
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Cool '95?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jens Westerinen View Post
When did the first BSR leave your shop, Ken? What year?
Saw a BSR that claimed to have been made -95 but never seen one that old.
I would like to see that bass. My records show 1996 as the start of the actual BSR but there were a few models we made leading up to it between the BMT, BT and the BSR that were one-off models in progress.
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 05-19-2011, 06:25 AM
danilo ninkovic danilo ninkovic is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 04-17-2011
Location: bosnia and herzegovina
Posts: 8
danilo ninkovic is on a distinguished road
Default

Hello Mr. Smith
I have a Ken Smith bass which is more than 10 year old, but I am not the first owner. Someone before has took off the label inside the back plate..so I thought maybe it would be better to engrave the date of production and other data inside the back plate,,and maybe your signature as a sign that you adjust each bass you personally.
Reply With Quote
  #45  
Old 05-19-2011, 06:53 AM
Ken Smith's Avatar
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Lightbulb engrave?

Quote:
Originally Posted by danilo ninkovic View Post
Hello Mr. Smith
I have a Ken Smith bass which is more than 10 year old, but I am not the first owner. Someone before has took off the label inside the back plate..so I thought maybe it would be better to engrave the date of production and other data inside the back plate,,and maybe your signature as a sign that you adjust each bass you personally.
The serial number WAS stamped into the end of the fingerboard. If the bass was re-fretted then it might have been sanded off if the fingerboard was re-leveled. The fact that you have neither the number nor the Label leads me to suspect this as a stolen bass at one point. There is no other reason to remove these valuable markings.

Some years ago a bass came into the shop with neither markings. I have other hidden marks on the bass and was able to identify the bass, when it was made and who 'we' originally sold it to which was then a dealer in Europe. The bass was never reported stolen to us so we had no legal right to hold it and just repaired it and returned it. I think we might have re-stamped the number into the bass and put a new label in it with the original date.

I would have to have your bass in my hands to do this, and the doors closed as I look for the hidden marks. Secret stuff, you understand..
Reply With Quote
  #46  
Old 05-20-2011, 06:17 AM
Jens Westerinen Jens Westerinen is offline
Posting Member
 
Join Date: 10-01-2009
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Posts: 77
Jens Westerinen is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Smith View Post
I would like to see that bass. My records show 1996 as the start of the actual BSR but there were a few models we made leading up to it between the BMT, BT and the BSR that were one-off models in progress.
Sorry but don't have a pic of it and haven't been able to acquire the serial number yet.

About another thing. For how long have S/P-switches been an option?
Reply With Quote
  #47  
Old 05-20-2011, 11:18 AM
Ken Smith's Avatar
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Lightbulb S/P's?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jens Westerinen View Post
Sorry but don't have a pic of it and haven't been able to acquire the serial number yet.

About another thing. For how long have S/P-switches been an option?
Since about the early 1990's. They first became standard on the BMT models but were optional at first. Same with the EG, TN and GN models. First offered as an option and then became standard as the demand grew.
Reply With Quote
  #48  
Old 05-20-2011, 12:20 PM
Jens Westerinen Jens Westerinen is offline
Posting Member
 
Join Date: 10-01-2009
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Posts: 77
Jens Westerinen is on a distinguished road
Default

Thank you very much for your quick reply!
Reply With Quote
  #49  
Old 05-20-2011, 12:39 PM
Jens Westerinen Jens Westerinen is offline
Posting Member
 
Join Date: 10-01-2009
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
Posts: 77
Jens Westerinen is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop View Post
You gotta love Ken's cut-thru-the-BS and get to the bottom line approach.
I didn't quite get it at first since I was a bit unused to it but now I couldn't appreciate it more.
He says what's needs to be said.
Thank you Ken for all the knowledge you share.
Hope I'll be able to swing by the shop one day and shake hands with the man who's given me these tools to use when I do what I love to do.
With a KS bass it's me who sets the limits, not the bass. It makes me better and has a sound better then any. There's not a bass on the market that gives you what a KS does at its price. The looks of one doesn't hurt you either.
Thanks again.
Reply With Quote
  #50  
Old 05-21-2011, 07:26 AM
danilo ninkovic danilo ninkovic is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 04-17-2011
Location: bosnia and herzegovina
Posts: 8
danilo ninkovic is on a distinguished road
Default

I see that you are thinking of all possibilities.
It is hard to find any objection.
Reply With Quote
  #51  
Old 06-02-2011, 07:19 PM
Frederick Schurger Frederick Schurger is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 02-20-2011
Location: United States
Posts: 5
Frederick Schurger is on a distinguished road
Default Fretless bass trends

I've just read thru this thread, and I suspect Ken will give us a simple and amazing answer to my question here. I'm the proud owner of a CR-5G (I'll post a pic and serial number a little later) and in my playings, I've decided that my next bass will be a 6-string fretless. I've been trying out other basses just to see what else is out there, but the 6-string fretless basses aren't readily available in Central IL at most shops. But I did happen across one recently that only had one pickup near the bridge. And looking around online, I've seen that trend more and more. But not on the Smith basses.

So my question to Ken is simply, is there some benefit in doing that (single pick-up only near the bridge), or is it just a fad?

BTW, the more I look, the more I know I'll be getting a Smith 6-string fretless when I make the move.

Frederick
Reply With Quote
  #52  
Old 06-02-2011, 07:28 PM
Jason Mendelson's Avatar
Jason Mendelson Jason Mendelson is offline
Posting Member
 
Join Date: 01-27-2007
Location: Southern CA
Posts: 118
Jason Mendelson is on a distinguished road
Send a message via AIM to Jason Mendelson Send a message via MSN to Jason Mendelson
Default

I have a BSR6EG fretless and it is absolutly amazing.

You want a neck and bridge pickup.

You can get so many different tones out of the smith fretless and you can use only the bridge pick up if you want.

If this will help you, I did this little vid showing the different sounds with the electronics on different settings....

The single pick up design imho limits the sounds you can get from the instrument. But some of those also have a piezo pickup.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzWDl-mB030
__________________
Thump_
Reply With Quote
  #53  
Old 06-02-2011, 07:58 PM
Ken Smith's Avatar
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Cool Just 1?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick Schurger View Post
I've just read thru this thread, and I suspect Ken will give us a simple and amazing answer to my question here. I'm the proud owner of a CR-5G (I'll post a pic and serial number a little later) and in my playings, I've decided that my next bass will be a 6-string fretless. I've been trying out other basses just to see what else is out there, but the 6-string fretless basses aren't readily available in Central IL at most shops. But I did happen across one recently that only had one pickup near the bridge. And looking around online, I've seen that trend more and more. But not on the Smith basses.

So my question to Ken is simply, is there some benefit in doing that (single pick-up only near the bridge), or is it just a fad?

BTW, the more I look, the more I know I'll be getting a Smith 6-string fretless when I make the move.

Frederick
One pickup at the bridge sames money. Less one pickup, routing, blend/balance control and some screws, springs and wiring.

That's what you save!

What you loose more importantly is the sound of the front pickup and the ability to blend the two of them.

I have no idea why whomever made that bass. Our first basses had just one pickup because someone talked me into it. Shortly after I was back on track with 2 pickups in every bass.

I have two sayings;

One I heard years ago, "the blind leading the blind". No offense intended here at all to people that are actually blind.

The other I heard when fishing one day and asked why all the boats scooted over to another spot with a splash in the water, "one fool draws many".

So, just because someone does something for what ever reason, doesn't mean you have to follow.
Reply With Quote
  #54  
Old 01-14-2014, 02:12 PM
Cristian De La Torre Cristian De La Torre is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 02-12-2010
Location: Bolingbrook, IL
Posts: 1
Cristian De La Torre is on a distinguished road
Default Registering new basses

Mr Ken

I recently bought a new BSR5TN this one didn't came with the registration form, where can I go to register my new bass
Reply With Quote
  #55  
Old 01-14-2014, 03:02 PM
Ken Smith's Avatar
Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Exclamation

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cristian De La Torre View Post
Mr Ken

I recently bought a new BSR5TN this one didn't came with the registration form, where can I go to register my new bass
Email me. Only new basses to the first owner comes with a warranty. Used basses do not. If new, contact your dealer. Everything was in the case when it was sold.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:57 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 2007 - Ken Smith Basses, LTD. (All Rights Reserved)