Are Ken Smith Basses heavy or is it just me?

[Steve_M]

FWIW it's always possible to chamber denser body cores out if weight is an issue for some. Alembic do it with super dense mahogany and the range of basses I'm currently developing will feature it as well although I prefer the sound of alder for the prototypes. But we might offer mahogany as an option too.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Steve_M

FWIW it's always possible to chamber denser body cores out if weight is an issue for some. Alembic do it with super dense mahogany and the range of basses I'm currently developing will feature it as well although I prefer the sound of alder for the prototypes. But we might offer mahogany as an option too.

First off, our Basses are not Heavy. Some of the woods you guys request for the Body Tops & Backs like Ebony, Cocobolo and several others are heavy, not the Bass they were put on. Also, Mahogany is NOT a dense wood by any means or measurement that I am aware of.

Chambering the Body also creates overtones that you can't control not to mention possible Glue drips internally. We have made some of these back in the 1980s and it's not any kind of improvement. If anything, it lightens the body area and makes the neck feel heavier.

Our Basses are not light either. They are what they are, solid! Take the Pickups, Bridge and Circuit components and weigh them. These are not plastic toy components. They have a bit of mass on their own. Maple and Walnut were the first woods we used for body materials and I would be more than happy to stick with them. The problem is that some people want something else and they often weigh more. The bigger the Neck (6 over 5 etc), the more the bass will weigh.

I can't see the point in this Thread by the Title it has. It starts out with a false assumption. If our Basses were really heavy, we would not still be making them after 30 years, I think.

Steve M., are you working for Alembic now, promoting them or starting your own company? If so to any of the above, remember what forum you are on.

[Bob Faulkner]

Ya I'm not sure where the heavy idea came from.

My Smith bass is not the lightest I own, but it's also not the heaviest I own either. It darn sure is the best bass I own, hands down.

[Michael Wilson]

If anybody does not like the weight of there Smith i will be glad to take them of your hands[for free of course] There is nothing and i mean nothing like my 91 BTG6 Ebony. I sent it to Ken for some TLC and when he heard the tone, his words were and i quote, "This Bass Is Slammin" No more to be said.

[Michael Wilson]

Ken,

Do you make custom basses? like a bass with a maple fingerboard. If not why? if i wanted any type of wood combo for a custom bass would that be a issue for you to make.

Mike

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Michael Wilson

Ken,

Do you make custom basses? like a bass with a maple fingerboard. If not why? if i wanted any type of wood combo for a custom bass would that be a issue for you to make.

Mike

We offer what we offer because I feel that is the best for what we make in general.

Maple is way softer than Morado for a Fingerboard and even softer than the harder Ebony. That is going backwards. They gave up Maple when Ebony got popular, about 100 years ago. Fender solid Maple necks were made for cost, not quality.

I am not going to cut down some tree for an idea someone has about a Bass. I have already what I think makes a good Bass. We are not new at doing this. I think 30 years doing says something.

On the "Custom" question we do make Custom combinations of the woods within what we offer. Not trying at all to be harsh on my reply above but to get the results I am comfortable with in advance, I need to stick with what I already know. I do not want to experiment with your money.

[Bob Faulkner]

Ken has a thing about his basses.. He likes to know that when he sells one, it will be kicking along just fine 20-30 years later as long as it's taken care of. When I ordered my Smith I also wanted a custom neck, but he shot the idea down because he didn't want to compromise on the longevity of the bass.. If you order a bass today, it's getting a neck that was glued up often several years ago and has been acclimating since then so that it's as stable as possible when it goes on a bass.. This method works.. I've had my bass for 7 years now and through hot, cold, humid, dry, light to medium gauge strings, etc, I've never had to touch my truss rod.. That neck is a rock..

[Ken Smith]

The Thread originator posted a potential damaging claim which by the replies posted from other Smith Bass owners easily disputes any misconception about the average weight of a Smith Bass.

By his own Profile statement (Musical Background;Not much to tell, have been more of a bass collector than a musician, but I love all things bass.) our friend Kraig Gregory is not a regular player so this is just his viewpoint.

After several Replies in the Thread he originated, he has not come back at all to interact or discuss this possibly damaging comment. Therefor, I have re-name this thread to reflect his viewpoint rather than just a statement of fact.

If one is only a part time player, the physical aspect of playing the Bass can be more fatiguing than it would be for those that play daily and work within the music profession regularly. I myself rarely play Electric (Smith) Bass outside of the office these days as I mainly only play Double Bass for Symphony or Jazz gigs. When playing that 'occasional' BG job, even 9 or 10 lbs. on your shoulder is noticeable if you are not used to it, period.

[Kraig Gregory]

First off let me say that I in no way started this thread to damage or insult anyone or brand. I love Ken Smith Basses and have owned four of them and loved them all. I expecially love the BMT basses made during the mid 1990's. While I would say that I am more of a collector than a player, I have owned over 50 high end and vintage basses and two of my BMT's are in my top 5. As far as neck through basses, nothing compares to a 7 piece body and 7 piece neck Ken Smith. I am currently droolling over Tim's Cocobolo 6 right now, wishing I had the funds.

Yes, I know a cocobolo 6 is at the top of the weight scale, but I can just imagine how the bass sounds. I rarely get out and play anymore and there is something about purchasing a smith that tells you that you made a wise investment. The fact that Ken's basses hold their value is not by chance. They are extremely well built and have incredible tone and the highest level of craftmanship.

Of the BMT's I have owned, two were quilt maple, one tiger maple, and one cocobolo. I regret that am currently BMT less, because they were all extraordinary basses. The weights of them ranged from 10-12 lbs (5-6 strings only).

So as you can tell, I am a fan of Ken Smith Basses and would purchase one today without blinking an eye. I appreciate everyones input and time.