What rig do you use with your Ken Smith?

[Vakmere]

What rig do you use for your Ken Smith? Be it 4, 5, or 6 string. To be honest, I’m still trying to find my sound and sometimes wonder if I’ll ever find it. I want to know just what combination of amplification (including speakers) makes your Smith sound as supurb as possible in a live setting. If we have to categorize lets break it down into what genre you play with your Smith. If you can get all mentioned sounds from just one amp lets hear about it. Post some pics and sound clips (live or recorded) if you have them.

Jazz - Smooth jazz

Gospel

Rock

Blues

Here’s what I was recently using and have tried other things like a BBE-BAX thru a QSC 1850HD, Ampeg SVT6-Pro, and a few others. Why can't I seem to be happy and find that "one"?

[xqusemuah]

My Smiths sounded great with Epi UL502 + Epi UL212 and also a UL410, i preffered the 12's, i also used a Markbass Little Mark II w the Epi cabs as well

[Whitbass]

Smith CR5MW + Fender Nickel + LMII + Bergantino AE410
I like a very focused, yet muscular tone......
I play Gospel, but go more for a quick jazz tone.....
I really dig the Ric Fierabracci finger style tone, and mainly used the p/u balance to change my sound, for tighter, or more open, smoother sound depending on the song.....and of course a touch of EQ as needed, but close to flat.....and a touch of VLE and VPF.......
the AE410 is quite aggressive, but with a little taming on the upper-mids, etc...if really offers a very nice focused tone, but not too harsh, plenty rich.......I like pronounced lows and low-mids, not an open-mouthed whaaaa.....sort of tone......I like the notes to talk....not just shake and rattle.........there can be a fine line between good focus and thin........IME....

[BassmanPaul]

Try stacking your cabinets vertically instead of horizontally. You might like that better. The skinny stack looks odd at first but it brings your speakers up closer to your ears. Plus eye level controls on your amp.

Paul

[okcrum]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Try stacking your cabinets vertically instead of horizontally. You might like that better. The skinny stack looks odd at first but it brings your speakers up closer to your ears. Plus eye level controls on your amp.

Paul

One note of caution with that. Make sure you've got some isolation between your cabs on the narrow side - feet or a pad or something. You want to decouple the cabs so they don't rattle like mad between the adjoining sides or the metal corners.

That said, properly done, the narrow stack can work nicely.

[Vakmere]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Try stacking your cabinets vertically instead of horizontally. You might like that better. The skinny stack looks odd at first but it brings your speakers up closer to your ears. Plus eye level controls on your amp.

Paul

My handles will make them unbalanced. Would look cool though. And with my 8 rack case on top would bring oohs and aahhas from the crowd as it tips over.

[tiz_1]

I have a burner 5 and a bsrb 6. I have played through, and liked:

1) svt 8x10 with yamaha p2200 amp and pb1 pre amp

2) hartke 7000 head in bi-amp with 1-2 410xl and 1-2 115xl

Current rig is carvin bx1200 with dr bass 2460D and 112LF, biamped.

Sometimes have a bit of trouble getting a deep bass sound with the burner but I'm learning to make that happen.

--Kevin

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by Vakmere

My handles will make them unbalanced. Would look cool though. And with my 8 rack case on top would bring oohs and aahhas from the crowd as it tips over.

Add thick rubber feet and whatever else you need to make it happen. You, the rest of the band and the audience will all hear your rig much better as your midrange dispersion angle will be more than doubled.
That thick pad between the rack and cab can be replaced by a piece cut from a camping sleeping bag pad. Much higher density, and only 3/8" thick. The same might work between the cabs.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by okcrum

One note of caution with that. Make sure you've got some isolation between your cabs on the narrow side - feet or a pad or something. You want to decouple the cabs so they don't rattle like mad between the adjoining sides or the metal corners.

That said, properly done, the narrow stack can work nicely.

Most cabinets have locking plastic corners and my cabinets have never rattled.

Paul

[Vakmere]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Add thick rubber feet and whatever else you need to make it happen. You, the rest of the band and the audience will all hear your rig much better as your midrange dispersion angle will be more than doubled.
That thick pad between the rack and cab can be replaced by a piece cut from a camping sleeping bag pad. Much higher density, and only 3/8" thick. The same might work between the cabs.

Not a bad idea. I have 4 rubber feet to screw in. I'll give it a go.

[pedulla1]

BSR5GN=>Ampeg SVT7 Pro=>Acme LoB2 or Aguilar DB112

or

BSR5GN=>Aguilar DB600 and Mackie 1400i power amp=>Acme LoB2 or Aguilar DB112

[DONZI97]

Bringing this thread back, cause I'm looking to get a Smith, and want to hear some clips in the various styles.

[john9]

I am so happy to join this forum.
I appreciate any help I can get!

[pedulla1]

Search youtube for "Ken Smith bass". Many great clips especially with the new 18 volt pre. Big improvement IME.

[DONZI97]

Originally Posted by pedulla1

Search youtube for "Ken Smith bass". Many great clips especially with the new 18 volt pre. Big improvement IME.

Yes, there is a lot of clips, but.....they're all slap! Well 90% of them are, no offense to all the Ken Smith owners who like to show their mad slap skills, but how about some more clips with some finger style grooves, and maybe some in a rock content? I am not a big slapper, so I am looking to hear some non slap tones of the KS.

[JimmyM]

About two weeks ago, a dude playing with Martha Reeves on a bill with us brought in a Smith 6. He's an Eden endorser but he used my 69 SVT/73 810 and even used my same settings. After soundcheck, I walked up, and he was telling the guitarist how every note was sharp and clear and had weight to it and he forgot how good a tube amp could sound. He was completely over the moon with my rig in every way.

So yeah, SVT/810 would be my choice as well

[pedulla1]

Lots of finger playing from this guy: YouTube - ‪TI PRETENDO (LIVE VERSION) BY RAF PERSONAL BASSLINE BY RINO CONTEDUCA WITH BASS KEN SMITH BSR5‬‏

[bottomzone]

I play a Ken Smith Black Tiger 5 (and a Cirrus 5) and my rig consists of an EA Micro amp, a Phil Jones Bass 6B Neo cab and an Xotic RC Booster. I've received many complements in church and in other venues as to how good my setup sounds from musicians and non-musicians.


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[pedulla1]

Does the RC Bass Booster change your tone much? My Smith has plenty of volume.

[dlvalure]

You can't go wrong wit anything Eden