my Batchelder and TB

[Ken Smith]

There's a funny thread on TB right now and one of the 'posters' who plays an Upton according to his Profile called my Batchelder Bass "Ugly" and more.

The Thread started out as an honest question about my Batchelder up on Ebay that I use for general DB advertising (until it's sold and then I will use another Bass).

Have a read.. have fun..

ALL comments are welcomed here.. "Fire it Up".. "Are we Ready?"..

Really, the original poster was just curious and the thread had a few reads. Once the guy came up and called it ugly the thread just lit on fire. I have to thank him because I am getting more than 10x the reads that I am on Ebay.

What looking like a shill type post is actually working in my favor... lol

[Eric Swanson]

Yeah, its enough to make a cat laugh (or cry, maybe). You are surely missed over there, Ken.


The photos the Batchelder-spurner posted certainly clarified his perspective...

[Ken Smith]

This my TB response to date which Phil will post a link to over there.. Thx Phil..
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Hello TB DB Posters, this is Ken Smith from the 'other dimension' responding thru a friend.

First off I will not discuss why or how I was banned and also will say that the ban looks fairly permanent and will probably stay that way. There are other ways now other than here at TB to get in touch with me so the world is just fine as it is..

On this Batchelder thread topic I will just say a few 'non-shilling' things and hopefully they are within the rules or close to them.

On the Bass itself, I bought it around 2001 when I decided to get back into playing again and was hungry for an old Bass like I used to own when I played professionally in NY. I sold my 18th century Italian Bass to move and buy a house out here in fresh air Pa. That Bass was recently sold again and has its home in the hands of a fine player named Mikko who is the Princ. of the Helsinki Phil. Now that I no longer use the Batchelder, I am trying to find it a new home. That is all I will say about the sale part because I don't want my buddy here posting for me to take any heat. Also, the OP already mentioned it was on Ebay so no news on that.

On the 'Ugly' comment, I can handle it. Now everyone I know likes 'different' types of Scrolls. Even Paul W. my buddy here who refers to me as 'Kenny Boy' (love n miss you uncle Pauly..) had made public mention that he doesn't like some aspects of the original Prescott Scrolls when talking about the full sized Gamba Prescott I used to own. Another friend of mine here in the area said, "the Scroll is the reason I would never buy that Bass" referring to the Batchelder. A great jazz Bassist Charles Famborough jumped out of bed to come and see the Batchelder when I first got it mainly because he loved how the Scroll looked when he first saw these very same pictures of it.

So you see, 'Ugly', 'Beautiful' or 'it doesn't bother me' are just personal choice comments in my mind.

On the workmanship and non symmetrical looking lines of the Bass I will admit the Bass is on the crude side of making. In the world of old Basses, that often has little to do with the sound or performance providing the Bass has been well repaired and maintained. Just look at 100-200 old non factory Basses from 100-300 years old or older if you can find them and you will see that many of them are less than perfect in shape and design if not most of them. This doesn't seem to bother professionals as I have seen myself some of the most unusual looking Basses played in the higher ranks of the profession.

Enjoy and give my love to the Kids...

[Eric Swanson]

Nicely put. Thanks, Ken.

[Jamie Doris]

Was this bass cut down at some point, or are those the original lines?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jamie Doris

Was this bass cut down at some point, or are those the original lines?

From what I can see it looks original all around. Anything is possible but it doesn't look cut-down to me.