Hi Folks,
CLIFF NOTES
Ken Smith Burner Five fretless, for sale only. $1,200 PayPal, shipped UPS Ground CONUS. OR... $1,000, cash, local SF Bay Area pickup.
SPECS
Circa ~ 1991
Maple body (three-piece, quilted wings)
Five-piece maple and (walnut? - not sure) neck
Lined rosewood fingerboard
34" scale
[DEL]17.5mm[/DEL] 16mm string spacing (corrected)
Dunlop strap lock pins
Smith humcancelling J's and two-band pre, Vol/Blend/Bass/Treble
Fresh DR Sunbeams
Smith leather-ish gig bag
BACKGROUND/CONDITION/YADA YADA
I can trace this back to roughly 1995. This previous owner took the bass all over North America, the UK, and a bit of continental Europe. Punk and folk rock. Go figure.
I bought in March - it had been on consignment for roughly six months at my local store. Every time I went in, I played it, and just smiled at the tone. Ultimately, I gave in, mostly because the bass needed some TLC, and I was interested in making a small project out of it.
The neck needed a few days to settle, so some back & forth with the truss rod adjustment, and things have been well since. This thing sets up LOW, and plays like a dream. I took some Scotch Brite to the fingerboard, and over a few days I applied three light coats of Planet Waves Hydrate. (I purposefully used a flash when taking photos, which gives a clear view of the fingerboard.) I polished the body, back of the neck, and the headstock by hand, using diminishing grades of Meguiar's abrasive polishes. I thought about it, but did not pull hardware or electronics to machine polish. Accordingly, this is a genuine five-footer. Look close, and you can see the hazing and micro-scratches you'd expect on a gloss finish of this vintage. However, the finish is smooth, free of major defects, and from that five feet the bass looks fantastic. The electronics are in perfect condition. I installed a fresh Procell, but otherwise this thing is just awesome - noise-free operation and that pre-amp really is a beast.
The original gig bag tells the tale of ~ 21 years of globetrotting. The zippers work, but the shoulder straps are long gone. It came with the bass, so I'm including it. Aside from nostalgia, it wouldn't be of much value for regular use. I will pack carefully, but if this is a showstopper for you, let's talk. I can offer an as-new Mike Lull or Roscoe gig bag at a negotiated upcharge.
Sonically, this bass is really something. The Burner is (obviously) kind of a niche take on the J vibe, but this one offers it in spades. Organically, it offers tons of focus and bite - just what you'd expect from maple. Being fretless, and with a rosewood board, it does have very nice table manners. But, there's no doubt here...bias the bridge pickup, add a little boost for spice, and your inner Hadrien Feraud will bounce around the room with joy. Certainly the playability adds to that - the narrow string spacing and 34" scale bring unsolicited smiles. It's all in there, though - from deep 'mwah' and full blossom, to Jacoesque bite & snarl, and everything in between.
TERMS
For sale only....thanks, but no trade interest. As a lowest common denominator, PayPal will work fine...$1,200 confirmed payment and you'll get the bass with insured UPS Ground shipping included...CONUS only. If you're in the bay area, I'd love an in-person transaction. You can play the bass, through my rig our yours, and we can trade straight-up for $1,000 cash. I'm open to special circumstances...if, for example, you have a UPS account that offers a discount than the crazy amount I pay from a personal account...let's talk. The bottom line for me is a net of $1k. If there's a way to work that and save you a few Scheckles, I'm all for it.
I think that covers it all, but please feel free to hit me with any questions. At that, I'll thank you for your time, and will leave you with a coupla' more pics... Happy shopping!
CLIFF NOTES
Ken Smith Burner Five fretless, for sale only. $1,200 PayPal, shipped UPS Ground CONUS. OR... $1,000, cash, local SF Bay Area pickup.
SPECS
Circa ~ 1991
Maple body (three-piece, quilted wings)
Five-piece maple and (walnut? - not sure) neck
Lined rosewood fingerboard
34" scale
[DEL]17.5mm[/DEL] 16mm string spacing (corrected)
Dunlop strap lock pins
Smith humcancelling J's and two-band pre, Vol/Blend/Bass/Treble
Fresh DR Sunbeams
Smith leather-ish gig bag
BACKGROUND/CONDITION/YADA YADA
I can trace this back to roughly 1995. This previous owner took the bass all over North America, the UK, and a bit of continental Europe. Punk and folk rock. Go figure.
I bought in March - it had been on consignment for roughly six months at my local store. Every time I went in, I played it, and just smiled at the tone. Ultimately, I gave in, mostly because the bass needed some TLC, and I was interested in making a small project out of it.The neck needed a few days to settle, so some back & forth with the truss rod adjustment, and things have been well since. This thing sets up LOW, and plays like a dream. I took some Scotch Brite to the fingerboard, and over a few days I applied three light coats of Planet Waves Hydrate. (I purposefully used a flash when taking photos, which gives a clear view of the fingerboard.) I polished the body, back of the neck, and the headstock by hand, using diminishing grades of Meguiar's abrasive polishes. I thought about it, but did not pull hardware or electronics to machine polish. Accordingly, this is a genuine five-footer. Look close, and you can see the hazing and micro-scratches you'd expect on a gloss finish of this vintage. However, the finish is smooth, free of major defects, and from that five feet the bass looks fantastic. The electronics are in perfect condition. I installed a fresh Procell, but otherwise this thing is just awesome - noise-free operation and that pre-amp really is a beast.
The original gig bag tells the tale of ~ 21 years of globetrotting. The zippers work, but the shoulder straps are long gone. It came with the bass, so I'm including it. Aside from nostalgia, it wouldn't be of much value for regular use. I will pack carefully, but if this is a showstopper for you, let's talk. I can offer an as-new Mike Lull or Roscoe gig bag at a negotiated upcharge.
Sonically, this bass is really something. The Burner is (obviously) kind of a niche take on the J vibe, but this one offers it in spades. Organically, it offers tons of focus and bite - just what you'd expect from maple. Being fretless, and with a rosewood board, it does have very nice table manners. But, there's no doubt here...bias the bridge pickup, add a little boost for spice, and your inner Hadrien Feraud will bounce around the room with joy. Certainly the playability adds to that - the narrow string spacing and 34" scale bring unsolicited smiles. It's all in there, though - from deep 'mwah' and full blossom, to Jacoesque bite & snarl, and everything in between.
TERMS
For sale only....thanks, but no trade interest. As a lowest common denominator, PayPal will work fine...$1,200 confirmed payment and you'll get the bass with insured UPS Ground shipping included...CONUS only. If you're in the bay area, I'd love an in-person transaction. You can play the bass, through my rig our yours, and we can trade straight-up for $1,000 cash. I'm open to special circumstances...if, for example, you have a UPS account that offers a discount than the crazy amount I pay from a personal account...let's talk. The bottom line for me is a net of $1k. If there's a way to work that and save you a few Scheckles, I'm all for it.
I think that covers it all, but please feel free to hit me with any questions. At that, I'll thank you for your time, and will leave you with a coupla' more pics... Happy shopping!