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
  #1  
Old 02-27-2016, 05:04 AM
John Tompson John Tompson is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 11-12-2013
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4
John Tompson is on a distinguished road
Default Yes, you can rawk/rock out on a Smith Bass...

It's really too bad this forum has slowed so much. I've spent hours like a lot of enthusiasts looking at Smith "data". But it is the era of Facebook and instant gratification... Currently I play in a Kinks tribute band and tonight I played my fretless BSR4GN through an early 1980s Ampeg SVT rig (basically the St. Louis Music rendition of the Magnavox SVT amps) -- the most midrangey thing on the planet. It was a "white glove" gig and I'm not going to complain about not having to bring an amp. With so much mids, you can't cover up mistakes so easily, and you can really hear it when you do mess up! People dug it a lot even if it didn't look the part. We forget that music is subject to interpretation, and I love playing fretless everywhere possible. And yes, you can rock out on a through-neck Smith fretless to great effect. No doubt one can rock out on a fretted Smith, too.

In case you were wondering.

Last edited by John Tompson; 02-27-2016 at 01:09 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-27-2016, 05:20 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
Cool

Yes, FB is the new media over forums BUT, Forums are easier to search and follow than a FB thread. Both have their use I think.

On playing, the touch of the player on his bass, how soft or hard, action etc. will make the sound respond faster or slower. A lot goes in to the different sounds people get.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-27-2016, 01:05 PM
Chris Fox's Avatar
Chris Fox Chris Fox is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 01-04-2011
Location: Wichita, KS
Posts: 20
Chris Fox is on a distinguished road
Thumbs up

And that is it exactly. I played my 1995 BT5 at a honky-tonk country VFW dance gig last week. By confining my picking hand to the space between the front pickup and the end of the fretboard, and using a gentler attack than normal, I produced a sound that carried the band perfectly under two guitars, pedal steel, and fiddle. My 1965 Precision never left its case.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-27-2016, 01:20 PM
John Tompson John Tompson is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 11-12-2013
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4
John Tompson is on a distinguished road
Default

I purposely went for a personal challenge at this gig: it was in an unfamiliar room (never played there before) and I didn't know how it would sound on stage, and I knew the amp would not be the most articulate sounding amp and I sing backup vocals, too. A lot of songs we play allow for that playing at the end of the fingerboard and you get that fat fretless sound, and because this SVT had so much mids to it, getting growly was really easy. I can't express myself on my other fretless basses the way I can on my Smith.

(My singing is 10 years behind my playing...)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-27-2016, 08:53 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

Quote:
Originally Posted by John Tompson View Post
(My singing is 10 years behind my playing...)

Lol.. Cant help you with that..
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-05-2016, 04:59 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
Lightbulb Strings....

I would also add: Strings can make all the difference. 'Smith Medium Taper Cores (steels)' are what I've always used on my Smiths. Tried others (only out of curiosity), however, ALWAYS went back to the Smith Taper Cores. If you're looking for more of a 60's/Motown sound, try 'Smith Slick Rounds'. Either way, you won't be disappointed.
__________________
Tim Bishop

Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 03-05-2016, 10:43 PM
John Tompson John Tompson is offline
Junior Posting Member
 
Join Date: 11-12-2013
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4
John Tompson is on a distinguished road
Default TC Burners

I always use Taper Core Burners on my Smith fretless, and now also on my second Smith, a fretted BSR4M. They tend to sound their best (to me) when the nickel plating dulls and turns gray where my right fingers have been plucking them. The BSR4M which arrived last Wednesday is, even with TC Burners, a very bright bass. I've been playing it an average of 90 minutes daily since it arrived to break it in...if a TC flatwound Smith string existed, I might use it on the BSR4M!
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 12:26 PM.


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