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Old 02-27-2007, 10:38 PM
Desmund Nichols Desmund Nichols is offline
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Default Your first time (when you feel in love)

How many of you remember the first time you walked into a music store and saw a Smith then played it? This is before you ever heard or played a Smith. Im talking about the time you was just in a bass section and you saw that instrument hanging on the wall. Then you picked it up and played it. How was your first experience?
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Old 02-28-2007, 01:03 AM
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The first time for me wasn't based on the name or seeing it in a music store. For me it was hearing this incredible sounding bass in a musical I attended: That very distinct and cutting-through-the-mix bass sound! After I heard it, I inquired, test drove and the rest is history. The feel, design, construction, and looks were just icing on the cake! I've never turned back.
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Old 02-28-2007, 10:57 AM
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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.
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Old 02-28-2007, 01:12 PM
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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".
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Old 03-05-2007, 07:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Albert Smith View Post
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!
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Old 03-23-2007, 01:26 AM
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Default My 1st time with a Ken Smith Bass

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!
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Old 03-24-2007, 10:06 PM
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Cool Didn't like the burner, huh?

[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!
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Old 03-25-2007, 12:37 AM
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Christopher Rhodes Christopher Rhodes is offline
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Default The 1st Ken Smith for me...

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

Last edited by Christopher Rhodes; 03-25-2007 at 12:54 AM.
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Old 03-25-2007, 12:54 AM
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Cool Ksd-5

Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes View Post
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!
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Old 04-29-2007, 11:57 PM
Mark Tucker Mark Tucker is offline
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It also helps if you're Melvin Lee

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop View Post
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.
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Old 04-30-2007, 12:28 AM
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It also helps if you're Melvin Lee

Well, maybe. There are many players out there without "the noteriety" that can flat bring it! Never discount that fact!
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Old 05-06-2007, 12:54 PM
Darren Lipper Darren Lipper is offline
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For me, it was a constant tone I was hearing...

I remember hearing TLC's "Waterfalls", and some Chaka stuff with Melvin Lee Davis...

and just thinking how smooth, fat, and sexy the bass sounded...

After I found out it was a Smith, I went to a bass shop in Louisville (I was living in southern Indiana at the time) and tried out Fodera, Spector, Alembec, Fender, etc.. the Smith just killed in terms of playability compared to the other basses...

and the one thing I have noticed is how consistant the playabitity is in every Smith I pick up... always butter.

I really feel that Smith basses bring a distinct vibe to whatever musical context they are put in. It's hard to put into words... like this classy instrument vibe, with a smooth funky phat sound, that also sounds killing in the upper register...
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Old 05-11-2007, 02:40 PM
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My first experience was at the Bass Centre when they were still based in Wapping.

They had an ebony faced BT6 for sale and it was pretty much love at first site - an instrument that lived up to all my expectations in every way (which is a rare thing). It was the only bass I'd ever wanted as much as my then current instrument, a Jaydee (which I still own and is still a killer bass but the Smith is warmer and fuller.)

I knew at that point that a Smith bass was going to be the ultimate modern bass, for me.
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Old 05-11-2007, 06:59 PM
Mike Jenkins Mike Jenkins is offline
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Default It happened in Church

I'm a minister and I come from a pretty musical family. After messing around with various instruments in my youth (I’m still pretty young) I never really learned how to play anything well enough to be called a musician. A few years back the musical jeans lying dormant in me sprang to life and I started to get serious about the bass. In church I've heard many musicians play bass but I never paid attention to what brand of instrument they were playing.

I was a guest speaker at a church one day and I could hear the bass player so distinctly. I watched him carefully the whole day. He was playing through this crappy little amp but he sounded so good and the instrument he held looked more like a finely sculpted piece of art than a bass. After the service I went over and talked with him complementing him on his sound and I mentioned that I was an "advanced beginner" on the instrument. He told me he was playing a Ken Smith. I was somewhat familiar with the name because I’d been told that a lot of gospel bassist played Smiths. He then asked if I wanted to try his Smith. I strapped that big sixer on, later I found out it was a Black Tiger Elite, and played away on it. It felt very natural, it was easy and comfortable to play and it was my first time playing a 6. I figured that if he could sound that good through that crappy little amp with that bass then what could he do with a real rig. I went home and looked up Ken Smith on the net and declared that some day I'd get one.
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Old 05-11-2007, 07:16 PM
Mike Jenkins Mike Jenkins is offline
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Default The KSD 5 is great

Quote:
Originally Posted by Christopher Rhodes View Post
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.
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Old 05-12-2007, 01:00 PM
Steve_M Steve_M is offline
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LOL

Someone give the guy an endorsement deal!

BTW: Is their playing the epitome of taste or what? Very classy! Love it! Love it! Love it!
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Old 05-17-2007, 10:07 PM
Tim Pruitt Tim Pruitt is offline
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I always had heard that distinctive SMITH sound on albums and tracks we perform at church. But where I live there is not a dealer close to here.

The first time I played one...Bass Central in FL. I attended a business conference in Jacksonville and skipped class one day to drive to Bass Central. Once there the first thing I asked for was a Smith. Despite every type / brand of bass hanging on the wall I wanted to put my hands on a Smith. They brought one out and well...I fell in love. Some months later I traded my MTD 635 for my Smith that I have now.

AWESOME. No other sound like it. The definative Gospel Bass sound.
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Old 06-15-2007, 04:44 AM
Simon Bridgeman Simon Bridgeman is offline
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Talking sound dat blends

[quote=Tim Bishop;1101]The first time for me wasn't based on the name or seeing it in a music store. For me it was hearing this incredible sounding bass in a musical I attended: That very distinct and cutting-through-the-mix bass sound! After I heard it, I inquired, test drove and the rest is history. The feel, design, construction, and looks were just icing on the cake! I've never turned back.[/I know exactly what you're saying tim.my experience was indeed similar. i'm 28 with 13 years experience as a bassist,my introduction to smith basses started after listening to a bass player called reggie young who in my opinion is a great bassist,but his sound is what did it for me,no effects or additional pre amps just straight into his rig, I mean this bass was singing,I went into a uk bass store in my teens saw one of the older models, not sure which,played it which had my mouth watering since.to make matters worse I saved up my monies only to learn it was sold.smith basses are like goldust in the uk I only know of two stores that supply em,the few smith owners I met had me foaming at the mouth for the look,feel and sounds of smith basses. ]
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Old 06-15-2007, 07:02 AM
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Cool Keep your eyes open....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Bishop View Post
The first time for me wasn't based on the name or seeing it in a music store. For me it was hearing this incredible sounding bass in a musical I attended: That very distinct and cutting-through-the-mix bass sound! After I heard it, I inquired, test drove and the rest is history. The feel, design, construction, and looks were just icing on the cake! I've never turned back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Bridgeman View Post
I know exactly what you're saying tim.my experience was indeed similar. i'm 28 with 13 years experience as a bassist,my introduction to smith basses started after listening to a bass player called reggie young who in my opinion is a great bassist,but his sound is what did it for me,no effects or additional pre amps just straight into his rig, I mean this bass was singing,I went into a uk bass store in my teens saw one of the older models, not sure which,played it which had my mouth watering since.to make matters worse I saved up my monies only to learn it was sold.smith basses are like goldust in the uk I only know of two stores that supply em,the few smith owners I met had me foaming at the mouth for the look,feel and sounds of smith basses.
Simon, keep your eyes open here, as I'm sure you'll find that you'll have an opportunity to come across a Smith or two and quench that "foaming-at-the-mouth" thing.
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Old 06-15-2007, 06:05 PM
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Cool Gospel Bass Sound

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Pruitt View Post
I always had heard that distinctive SMITH sound on albums and tracks we perform at church. But where I live there is not a dealer close to here.

The first time I played one...Bass Central in FL. I attended a business conference in Jacksonville and skipped class one day to drive to Bass Central. Once there the first thing I asked for was a Smith. Despite every type / brand of bass hanging on the wall I wanted to put my hands on a Smith. They brought one out and well...I fell in love. Some months later I traded my MTD 635 for my Smith that I have now.

AWESOME. No other sound like it. The definative Gospel Bass sound.
Tim if you get a moment check out the Gospel Corner thread here on the Smith forum, I'd love as well as the other Gospel bass player to hear about your experiences and influences in the Gospel world.
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