BAD Experience with Ken Smith Strings

[bassbengoa]

I bought about a month ago a set of Ken Smith Rock Masters medium for my six string. I liked how they sound, except for the B string that i thought was too thin. Well, they lasted 3 weeks and the D string snapped. A week later, the C string snapped.
I'm not buying Ken Smith strings anymore, especially because in Chile string are waaay too expensive for them to last a month. I'll guess I'll strick to DR strings, that last for sure at least 4 months.
Now I'm without string and money. Man, I'm pissed.

[bassman blue]

hmmm... you sure there's not something up with your bridge saddles? i've used smith strings before and will use them again...they were awesome. i even cut a string too short once and ken sent me one on the house.

[Halftooth]

Wow, that's really strange...I've been using Smith strings for like 6 years without one problem.

I bet if you sent them an email, they might be able to work something out with you.

[cheezewiz]

I havent broken a string in at least 20 years, and have used MANY sets of Ken Smiths.

[WalterBush]

I've used Ken Smith double-ball end strings on my Steiny for years. I've had more bridge claws break on my Steiny than Ken Smith strings-usually when I couldn't get Ken Smith and was forced to use another brand.

I break strings on a fairly regular basis, but on the basses I string with DRs or Dean Markleys, not the Ken Smith strings.

[bassbengoa]

Originally Posted by bassman blue

hmmm... you sure there's not something up with your bridge saddles?

Yep, I had the stock Elixirs that came with my bass for a while. When they died I replaced them with the KS. I loved the set. Im pissed it lasted so little, especially when I paid about US$65 for it.

Originally Posted by bassman blue

i've used smith strings before and will use them again...they were awesome

I loved them, but if this is how much they last I'm not using them again.

Originally Posted by bassman blue

i even cut a string too short once and ken sent me one on the house.

You live in the USA, i don't

[Lorenzini]

I've only had good experiences with KS strings.
especially their 6 string sets.

Let Ken Smith know - I'm sure he'll make good on it

[guy n. cognito]

Maybe you should contact Ken and ask him to address your concerns. It might have been wiser to do that before you came here to complain.

Ken is a member of this board. He should be along shortly......

[bassmonkeee]

No offense, but I find it highly unlikely that two strings snapped from the same set without the fault being with the instrument, or the player.

One bad string in a batch, I can understand. But, two?

Maybe they were damaged in shipping? If they were shipped in a padded envelope, and something heavy were set on them, it could have creased multiple strings, but short of that, I'd look somewhere else for the culprit.

[lonote]

When I used rounds, I used Ken Smith strings for years with no problems at all. As others have suggested, talk to him about it. You can usually find him on the URB forum here at TB.

[bassteban]

I have bought strings direct from the factory when I couldn't find them locally. Once a set got lost in shipping due to a train wreck(seriously)& KS replaced them. Ken Smith definitely stands behind his product. Additionally, I am an occasional string breaker, but I've never broke a KS.

[bassbengoa]

Originally Posted by bassteban

Once a set got lost in shipping due to a train wreck(seriously)& KS replaced them.

LOL! How did that happened?!

I don't know about the shipping, because i assume they were shipped from the States to Chile in a proper box. Well, It seems I'll have to gather some money to buy a new set of strings... Any suggestions?

[bassbengoa]

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

No offense, but I find it highly unlikely that two strings snapped from the same set without the fault being with the instrument, or the player.

Thanks for the trust
Thats what annoyed me as well, i never expected them to last this little.

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

Maybe they were damaged in shipping? If they were shipped in a padded envelope, and something heavy were set on them, it could have creased multiple strings, but short of that, I'd look somewhere else for the culprit.

As i just said, i can't say anything on the shipping, because they're imported from the States and i buy them to a local dealer.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

First I have to see what YEAR we last sent strings to our Distributor in Chile. I use the word 'distributor' VERY loosely. He buys a few things ever few years at the most. Second in a south american climate the humidity and finger oil/sweat etc. getting into the windings of the strings of just on the string will kill it even before they become hard to tune. Third, we have no control of what the expences are to ship to Chile, Duty or taxes, Dist. mark-ups or Dealer mark-up as everyone is trying to make a profit along the way (Street Price is published on our website). We make only about $1-$2 profit a set at most in the wholesale business. Fourth, if I had paid that much for strings as you did, I would play them until I break them. The better a new string makes your Bass feel, the more you want to play and not realizing you put 100 hours of hard playing before something gives.

I am not saying that you got 100 hours on a possible OLD set in stock there but I have seen this in the past. One time a customer told me they didn't last as long as they should have and sent the Strings back for me to inspect. I called him on the phone and asked, "Do you play a 20 Fret, 34" scale Fender type Bass?". He replied "Yes, how did you know?" I relpied back, "Because I counted the deep dents from the frets on the underside of the Strings and measured the Scale length".

Folks, If you dent the under side of a Stainless Steel String (at least ours) then you have played the heck out them all ready even if you do an all nighter with the set.

What you, he or anyone else has to do is go back to where you buy what doesn't live up to what you expected and have the Dealer or Distributor handle this. This is the Service they OWE you when they make that retail profit. I have no clue half the times where the strings came from as we sell Musicians, Stores, Domestic Distributors, Foreign Distributors, Foreign Stores, International Distributors and .Com sellers as well.

I am a consumer as well as everyone else so I can feel your pain. It is important that when a product fails (in your opinion), go back to who sold it to you first. If there is a repetive problem with the seller, I can at least on my part make sure he doesn't carry our product anymore if he refuses to do his job which is to service the customer.

[bassbengoa]

First, I wanna thank you Ken for replying this thread. I never tought you would do that. I guess I'm used to chilean stores.

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

First I have to see what YEAR we last sent strings to our Distributor in Chile. I use the word 'distributor' VERY loosely. He buys a few things ever few years at the most.

Didn't know that... Damn, but how could I ever know if the strings are old? Is there a way to do that just by loocking the package? I don¡t know, maybe a code number or something. I don't want this to happen to me again, especially because I may be buying more KS if there's a way to check how old they are... I miss them

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Second in a south american climate the humidity and finger oil/sweat etc. getting into the windings of the strings of just on the string will kill it even before they become hard to tune.

Santiago, the city I live, is not like that, but Im no expert in strings.

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Third, we have no comtrol of what the expences are to ship to Chile, Duty or taxes, Dist. mark-ups or Dealer mark-up as everyone is trying to make a profit along the way (Street Price is published on our website). We make only about $1-$2 profit a set at most in the wholesale business. .

I'm truly sorry to hear that. The price you pay in the States for anything, you pay the double here for the same thing. Burocracy...

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

Fourth, if I had paid that much for strings as you did, I would play them until I break them. The better a new string makes your Bass feel, the more you want to play and not realizing you put 100 hours of hard playing before something gives.

Believe me, thats what I do with every string that I get. This was the only exception (with Elixirs I mean) I've ever made. I don't know what type of Elixirs were, they came with my bass. But after like 5 months something started coming from them, like a coating or something (maybe the most external winding?, i dont know) all over the strings, and the sound changed completely.

Every other string Ive ever gotten is broken, played to death.

Originally Posted by KSB - Ken Smith

I am not saying that you got 100 hours on a possible OLD set in stock there but I have seen this in the past. One time a customer told me they didn't last as long as they should have and sent the Strings back for me to inspect. I called him on the phone and asked, "Do you play a 20 Fret, 34" scale Fender type Bass?". He replied "Yes, how did you know?" I relpied back, "Because I counted the deep dents from the frets on the underside of the Strings and measured the Scale length".

Folks, If you dent the under side of a Stainless Steel String (at least ours) then you have played the heck out them all ready even if you do an all nighter with the set.

What you, he or anyone else has to do is go back to where you buy what doesn't live up to what you expected and have the Dealer or Distributor handle this. This is the Service they OWE you when they make that retail profit. I have no clue half the times where the strings came from as we sell Musicians, Stores, Domestic Distributors, Foreign Distributors, Foreign Stores, International Distributors and .Com sellers as well.

I am a consumer as well as everyone else so I can feel your pain. It is important that when a product fails (in your opinion), go back to who sold it to you first. If there is a repetive problem with the seller, I can at least on my part make sure he doesn't carry our product anymore if he refuses to do his job which is to service the customer.

I'll sure go do that. And please, to everyone, if there's a way to know how old a set of strings are let me know! I don't wanna end up in the same problem again.

[KSB - Ken Smith]

There is no way really to know the age as we do not code them in anyway. As far as price, www.juststrings.com ships by post and may be cheaper than buying from a local store. They buy from us almost weekly and they strings are fresh from them. Look into have them ship you strings, it may be cheaper and fresher strings as well.

[bassbengoa]

I'll try that, and I'll post later any results. Thanks Ken

[bassbengoa]

I just checked juststring.com and this is what i get
Your Order:
Item Name SubTotal

1 Ken Smith Electric Bass Rock Masters Stainless Round Wound 6 String, .030 - .130, AA-RMM-6 29.76

Subtotal: 29.76

Shipping: 35.00

Total: 64.76

It's what it costs here, without taxes. I'm sorry to say I'll have to look for other options then.

[1kinal]

Originally Posted by bassbengoa

I just checked juststring.com and this is what i get
Your Order:
Item Name SubTotal

1 Ken Smith Electric Bass Rock Masters Stainless Round Wound 6 String, .030 - .130, AA-RMM-6 29.76

Subtotal: 29.76

Shipping: 35.00

Total: 64.76

It's what it costs here, without taxes. I'm sorry to say I'll have to look for other options then.

You'll save if you purchase more than one set if you go that way. That's what I do, and I save a lot of $$.

[bassbengoa]

I'll try some combinations to check prices ty