KSB Major News..

[Ken Smith]

A brand new Website is in the works now for Ken Smith Basses.

Along with the new 'site I am making some new models and re-naming, modifying and merging some others as well. This is all within the Neck-thru models.

After doing some marketing research I noticed that the most popular models are the Elite series and the Black Tiger series. One model version we have made for Japan in the past was nick-named 'White Tiger'. This was basically the reverse of the Black Tiger model in the wood mixing and combinations.

Many of the GN, MS and Elite models sold in the last few years are basically the same wood combinations as used in the Black Tiger models as well as its new sister version, the White Tiger. I have decided to make a combined 'Series' of models called 'The Tiger Series'. These will be available in the same combinations as before with the addition of the 3-pc Maple/Walnut and Walnut/Maple MS series basses we have been making for the last few years. They will be called the 'Standard' Tigers, Black Tiger or White Tiger Standard coded as TNS or WTS. The Black Tiger code has always been in Latin 'Tigre' Negro' aka TN so as not to be confused with out older BT model which stood for Bass/Treble when it first came in in 1981 and now called our Vintage BT shape. Putting the prefix letters TN in reverse in Latin instead of BT has helped to avoid confusion.

There will be the new model name Standard for an MS-like bass, the Pro model name for the current and original Black Tiger and the Elite of the TNE which is only a few years younger than the original TN/Black Tiger models.

Because we are grouping all of the Maple/Walnut and Walnut/Maple models together as a series, 'Chocolate/Vanilla' as I call it generically, they will not be offered in the MS, GN or Elite models as they would be re-directed by name into the Tiger series. Quilted Maple topped basses are not included in this model merger. Walnut and Tiger Maple top/back basses using our other core woods will be available as non-Tiger models where ever they fall within the current new models.

For the GN, MS and EG models that have been separate in the past will now be grouped together as 'The Exotic Series' models as these are not sandwiched with domestic Tiger Maples and Walnuts combined. This series will also have 3 grades as well. The Standard X, Pro X and Elite X, 'X' standing for Exotic. I am adding Exotic to the prefix because the laminated basses are to be made with other body wood combinations that will not include the 'Chocolate/Vanilla' mixed flavors. One exception will be Quilted Maple over Walnut. Same flavor but different figure pattern. The other exception will be the Standard X (formerly MS) which will offer all the solid body materials we have available 'including' Tiger Maple and Black Walnut but not laminated. Just one or the other as solid Body wings as offered in the past.

Also to be added and used in the Tiger Series in the Walnuts is Western/Claro figured Walnuts and in the Maples, our Western, British Columbian and some stocks of other flamed Maples I have collected over the years. These woods range from 10-20 years old since they were cut and dried. Basically, my private stock is coming out of storage. Laminated 5-pc wings in Maple/Maple or Walnut/Walnut or 3-pc Maple/Mahogany or Walnut/Mahogany will fall into the Exotic/X line.

In reviewing my wood usages recently and well as in past reviews over the years, Figured Maples and Walnuts have shown to make up the bulk of the Basses we have made. We are basically (did I say Bass-ic-ly?) a 'Chocolate/Vanilla' Bass body maker. With all of the exotics we have offered over the last 30 years, over 80% of what we get requests for have been some combination of Maple and or Walnut.

To celebrate our success with these two beautiful woods, it's time to give them their own page. Don't you agree?

There are only a few other minor changes to the models but until the the new website is up I will wait to announce them. Prices, if you're wondering will stay for the most part the same with only a few slight increases on some models that reflect our costs.

The biggest change will be the look and ease of navigation of the new Website that Mike is working on. Jon, my older boy is also working with his brother Mike on the modern concepts and the Artist/Musicians pages adding clips and Bio's to those that they can look up.

As far as pictures go for the Basses, I will have to borrow most of them from the current website and place them where they fall model-wise. The 5-pc necks with Bubinga have been replaced by Shedua features within the last year or so. The first 3 White Tiger Elites we are just completing used the last of the Bubinga featured necks we had. Eventually, we will have all new and current pictures of the entire line of Basses. Until then, and it wont be as soon as some would like, please be patient.

I know many of you have questions so ask away. I will do my best to answer them but some information is being kept close to the vest (as they say) until all the ink dries on the new Website.

[Bob Faulkner]

I know it doesn't change the model of my bass, but under the new modeling regime I'm wondering what it's model would be. I assume it would fall in the Elite X line, but I'm wondering what the actual model number would be if I ordered the same bass now..

It's a fretless BSR4EG, with AAAA quilted maple top, Koa core, and Walnut laminates.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Faulkner

I know it doesn't change the model of my bass, but under the new modeling regime I'm wondering what it's model would be. I assume it would fall in the Elite X line, but I'm wondering what the actual model number would be if I ordered the same bass now..

It's a fretless BSR4EG, with AAAA quilted maple top, Koa core, and Walnut laminates.

Exotic Elite Series. It would be if made new **would still be a BSR4EG.

This is a very good question. What you have does not change but what new model it compares to is nice to know. Most model specs will remain the same. They are some slight changes and additions though. Stay tuned..

[Ken Smith]

I just got home after spending the entire day working on the new website layout, bass model listings and descriptions with my son Mike. After spending several hours making up a new price list with new codes and modifying some of the model descriptions on an off-line work copy of the 'site I came to the conclusion that it would NOT be such a good idea to change the names of the Models that everyone already knows.

The website will be a totally new look as I mentioned before and a zillion times easier to navigate. I just feel that doing a 360 with the model names probably wont be in my best interest. So, I went back over the new price list and every model page that I made the changes to and re-coded every bass back to where it was. What aint broke don't need no fixin'!

Ok, so the changes as I mentioned on the Neck-thrus are mainly the Maple/Walnut bodywing combos that will all fall into one of the 3 ranges of Black Tigers or the new White Tiger models. Actually, we have probably made 100s or more basses that would classify as a White Tiger over the years but it was always something else like an MW or GN or BT or EG model. Something with Tiger Top and Back over Walnut core, 3, 5, or 7pc lamination. Now, this combo will have a name of its own within the Tiger Series models.

One model that has not done well from the start has been the MS model. Why? I have no clue at all. This Neck-thru in 3-pc with graphite inlaid and a Morado FB plays and sounds great. I see it as in-between an M, MW or P model bolt-on (depending on the body) and a GN model neck-thru. I see it personally as the answer to a Bolt-on lovers bridge to a neck-thru. It has a mix of both in its feel between the two build styles.

I plan on doing more to promote this model in the coming months. Last year we started offering the MS models with 3-pc laminated wings in figured Walnut mainly from the stock we made for the MW and GN models so in essence, an MS/MW. The figure on them was more like a GN grade rather than a plainer bolt-on body. This is one of the models I will work on and slide it into the Tiger Series models. A Black Tiger Standard model, or White Tiger for the Tiger Maple lovers.

The other model that has been trailing in the last few years are the Custom Bolt-ons we make. There is a history as to how and why we started making them in the first place back in 1990/91 which might be interesting reading. First off, I refer to them as 'Custom' bolt-ons because they are NOT production basses and with then exception of the first batch we made, they have never been.

In 1990, a good year and change into the Burner basses we were importing from Japan (made with some our own woods no doubt), the workers in the shop voiced their opinion that they felt threatened as far as employment goes. I told them this was a lower priced line that we could NOT make here ourselfs and would act as door-opener sales to our handmade basses. We were only making 4s and 5s at the time. Japan was afraid to make the 6s because the necks would be so wide. I assured them that we were making 6s for years with 18mm spacing as opposed to the 16mm Burner spec and without incident. I also assured them that if they followed my design, all would be ok. My foreman of the shop then suggested that WE try and make the 6s here in Pennsylvania in place of Japan so I agreed to try one run of them. The Foreman and I did not see 100% eye to eye and made entirely new body wings instead of using what we had in-stock and used a straight non-tapered hard maple center block that was off-fall from neck production wood. With a tapered center block, the other wings would have worked even better. There were 28 of them and I was going to call them BTBO or BT Bolt-on. While they were in progress I received a call from the wife of Chuck Rainey who had a bass of mine already if not two and asked if I would make a model dedicated to him. I mentioned that I had this bolt-on group in progress and to date was un-named so I would do something. The initials 'CR' became attached to them from which I made a back-up name for the initials, 'Crunch Resonator'. This was incase we started promoting them and Chuck changed his mind. His wife did call me without him knowing and the surprise was not as happy as I would have hoped. Chuck did agree shortly after and did get one of the basses from that first batch of 28.

Shortly after I took over production in the PA shop and made plans to move there eventually. There was so much extra work put into these 28 basses that just didn't have to be. They were 100% the same body wing woods as used on the BT models then which was an Elite of its time. A few necks were done in 5pc but we settled on 3-pc and they all had Graphite bars inlaid as well. The wings were 5pc laminated with good to high figured exotic tops with a lacquer finish as well. I think we did some in gold and some in chrome for cost.

Soon after, I started making 5s and then 4s in the Bolt-ons as well as a simpler solid wing models with an oil finish. This was the easiest to make. The first 28 were done separately between making the necks and the bodies but the tooling was good and so were the neck-to-body joints. I went around personally and fit all 28 to their best mate as far as the fit. They were as tight as they could be.

After that first run we started fitting ONE neck to ONE body regardless of how many were being made. Today our run groups are usually 6 pieces which is good for the time and how many clamps we have as far as doing all for the machining and glue up work. The carving and fitting are one at a time and have been since day one. These are totally hand made basses, one at a time with the exception of glue-ups of the billets and made just as our neck thru models are.

Now that you read all of that (not done just yet), around 10 years ago we reached a peak in our production with 4 people at the benchs carving alone. Half of them on Neck-thrus and half on Bolt-ons. Many of the bolt models made were solid body and took less time to complete over a multi-lam NT. We were averaging 40 basses a month on average and at least 20-30 were bolt-ons at our busiest time then. Since then we have shrunk with the economy and have down sized considerably to cope with the rest of the world in business. This has put nearly a stop in our affordability to make bolt-ons and only do so to order. With overhead much higher in the same building with a greatly reduced staff, our hourly cost is only suitable to make the high end of our line and stay profitable or in business at all. We don't have a 2nd crew doing the lower end models so there goes the savings that we were able to pass along some 10 years ago. All set-up were done the same then regardless of the cost of the bass and I still picked all the body woods so an hour is/was an hour regardless of what we make.

To make an effort to continue the ability to offer bolt-ons with all of what I just laid out here, I have decided to make a model and menu that would work for all those still in love with the sound and feel of a Smith Bolt-on bass. I will offer ONE model BUT it will be a HUGE menu of items. Starting with the M model, solid bodywings/Chrome/3-pc neck, etc. you can al-a-carte that model all the way up to a P or PE if you like. I just shipped a P-Elite to Japan with JJ pickups and as we have to consider costs, it's the same amount of work making one-offs as making a neck-thru. As a matter of fact, the neck-thru models are actually easier. We have it down now after 30 years. Making a center block and routing the neck pocket and making it fit like a glove is no easy task. After a bass is finished, we have to go and fit the neck again as they can swell a little as well. With a Neck-thru we have some extra carving in the back but once glued up, it's a done deal.

So, there will be a Custom Series Bolt-on menu with prices staring with the 'M' series.

To summarize the changes;
-----------------------------
1-All Walnut/Maple sandwiches are in the Tiger Series models forthcoming.

2-The MS with this M/W combination is the now new Standard Tiger model.

3-All of the Bolt-ons will be grouped into one menu for al-a-carte custom ordering. You can even order an 'M' model and have the graphite inlaid if you like. I just finished one for personal use but play mostly double bass so it may hit the inventory list before long. The lacquer model is the same as an Elite neck-thru so becareful in your option choosing. Lacquer is not an option except for an Elite model (They are all handrubbed after finishing and takes well over a day to get the finish lever and that gloss shine.)

Question? Don't be shy. Even I get confused with this stuff.. lol

[Jose Bichoff]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

...I came to the conclusion that it would NOT be such a good idea to change the names of the Models that everyone already knows.

Well, I think you took the right decision about the names, Ken.

Good luck with the new website, I eagerly await to see it.
These are very good news!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jose Bichoff

Well, I think you took the right decision about the names, Ken.

Good luck with the new website, I eagerly await to see it.
These are very good news!

A huge weight lifted off my shoulders once I had all the original names back on the test pages. I eagerly await the completion of the new site as well. After it's up, we will still be working on it but my goal is to get it done asap will all the current stuff and old bass pics. In time, we will replace them with new pics of the same and newer models as well.

On the White Tiger Elite 5s we just made with the BT wings we did a few things different. All of the gears on the 5s are the older 3/2 style and we used external straploks instead of the recessed ones as well. Also, they are 7 pc wings with abalone inlays in the FB and logo as well as an Ebony headcap. I am doing the same on the first few BSR shaped WT's just like the BT/Vintage version.

Some newer regular Black Tigers we will make had the matching Walnut head. It is easier to finish them in oil than are the ebony ones do to the oil content. Since we wont be making ant competing looking GN's in the same wood combos anymore we wont need the Ebony heads to make the distinction between the two models, GN or TN in Walnut of Maple.