Body size

[Hazza Evang]

Hi Ken
can you tell me the difference in body size and width between the fusion shape, the vintage shape and the bsr shape .. i am asking becouse i have beautiful black tiger 6 vintage shape but am struggling with the size slightly ( due to a car accident) so looking at changing it for another 6
I have no porblems with using my bsr 5

many thanks

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Hazza Evang

Hi Ken
can you tell me the difference in body size and width between the fusion shape, the vintage shape and the bsr shape .. i am asking becouse i have beautiful black tiger 6 vintage shape but am struggling with the size slightly ( due to a car accident) so looking at changing it for another 6
I have no porblems with using my bsr 5

many thanks

The BSR and Fusion are the same exact same wings but with the neck cut different at the bottom. The BT/Vintage is wider slightly and shorter on the upper horn. Overall mass is about the same for all 3 models.

[Tom Albano]

Hello, Since there is a thread similar to what I was going to post I thought I would try my question here...

Are the sizes of the Bolt on bodies the same as the Neck throughs... is there any difference at all?
I am looking at possibly buying a NT Smith in upcoming month/s .
Thanks and sorry if I hijacked the thread it seemed like a good place to post my question
- Tom

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tom Albano

Hello, Since there is a thread similar to what I was going to post I thought I would try my question here...

Are the sizes of the Bolt on bodies the same as the Neck throughs... is there any difference at all?
I am looking at possibly buying a NT Smith in upcoming month/s .
Thanks and sorry if I hijacked the thread it seemed like a good place to post my question
- Tom

It's a very good and valid question. I have probably answered similar questions before but maybe not as exactly asked.

We make two body 'wing' shapes. The BT and the BSR. The Fusion is a modified BSR in the Neck Tail shaping and the older pre-BSR shape the BMT was just a bit bigger.

If using the same shape, a Bolt-on has a tapered center block and the Neck Thru a tapered neck. It's the exact same taper so between the two, with the exception of some sanding for glue-up of the body to the neck or center and the sanding of the bass by hand during the carving/pre-finish stage. It is the Neck or Center Block for a 4, 5 or 6 string that makes any of our basses wider, not the body 'wing' as they are all uniform in size for each shape. Although the Necks and Center Blocks are machined flat on the Shaper machine and the Body Wings Jointed, there is still some slight movement in the wood as it sits between stages so just before glue-up, we use small sanding planes we have made and a square to true up all the glue surfaces to perfect the joint as humanly possible.

Some links here that might be helpful and/or interesting to look at;
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...on/naptha.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...nterblock.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho.../wingjoin.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...blockjoin.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...velsquare.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...BDYglueup.html

[Tom Albano]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

It's a very good and valid question. I have probably answered similar questions before but maybe not as exactly asked.

We make two body 'wing' shapes. The BT and the BSR. The Fusion is a modified BSR in the Neck Tail shaping and the older pre-BSR shape the BMT was just a bit bigger.

If using the same shape, a Bolt-on has a tapered center block and the Neck Thru a tapered neck. It's the exact same taper so between the two, with the exception of some sanding for glue-up of the body to the neck or center and the sanding of the bass by hand during the carving/pre-finish stage. It is the Neck or Center Block for a 4, 5 or 6 string that makes any of our basses wider, not the body 'wing' as they are all uniform in size for each shape. Although the Necks and Center Blocks are machined flat on the Shaper machine and the Body Wings Jointed, there is still some slight movement in the wood as it sits between stages so just before glue-up, we use small sanding planes we have made and a square to true up all the glue surfaces to perfect the joint as humanly possible.

Some links here that might be helpful and/or interesting to look at;
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...on/naptha.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...nterblock.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho.../wingjoin.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...blockjoin.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...velsquare.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/sho...BDYglueup.html

Thank you for the links, I will go through them for sure.
So the center block determines size or overall width, which is obvious now that you say it
... So both the BO's and NT's are basically the same size.
I am looking at both body styles (NT) And I thought I read somewhere that the vintage body has a wider bottom as opposed to the longer horn on the BSR's.
- T

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tom Albano

Thank you for the links, I will go through them for sure.
So the center block determines size or overall width, which is obvious now that you say it
... So both the BO's and NT's are basically the same size.
I am looking at both body styles (NT) And I thought I read somewhere that the vintage body has a wider bottom as opposed to the longer horn on the BSR's.
- T

The BT/CR Vintage body Wings are slighter wider but with a shorter upper horn while the the BSR wings are slightly narrower and has a longer upper horn. The basic overall mass is about the same between the two so it's mainly the proportions of where the wood is placed are rather cut/shaped to.

For sitting (and I just played a show last night) the BT shape is more comfortable for most. For standing depending on you you hold and play the bass, it's a split some decision. Some say they can't balance the BT vintage style body but those that rest their arm on the body in a more traditional fashion and non-guitar style hold, LOVE the older BT model.

I can use and live with either but do not prefer the BRS over the BT for balancing the way I play. What feels good to 'you' is between you and your playing style.

[Tom Albano]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

The BT/CR Vintage body Wings are slighter wider but with a shorter upper horn while the the BSR wings are slightly narrower and has a longer upper horn. The basic overall mass is about the same between the two so it's mainly the proportions of where the wood is placed are rather cut/shaped to.

For sitting (and I just played a show last night) the BT shape is more comfortable for most. For standing depending on you you hold and play the bass, it's a split some decision. Some say they can't balance the BT vintage style body but those that rest their arm on the body in a more traditional fashion and non-guitar style hold, LOVE the older BT model.

I can use and live with either but do not prefer the BRS over the BT for balancing the way I play. What feels good to 'you' is between you and your playing style.

There definitely seems to be more BSR than BT out there, I love the BT shape also, right now I have 2 basses Im looking at... on my short list on is a Black Tiger BT (Walnut Top, Figured Maple Core, Walnut Back)
The other is an amazing EG (Quilted Maple & Back/Figured Maple Accent Laminates/Mahogany Core, 5-Piece Maple/Morado Neck)
Both basses are at Bass Central (at least I think they are in stock I havent even gotten that far yet)
Ill ask about tonal qualities in another thread I guess