Any Ken Bebensee owners/users?

Oh yes - - - Mine is like a thumb bass on mwahhhh acid

 

Only laid my hands on one once. The bass was owned by my luthier, Gregg Halteman, and was super smooth and nice. Fretless mwah monster.

 

This thread is 16 years old.
16. Years. Old.

But if there's a discussion, carry on...

 

For their credit the OP is still active on TB

 

If this thread wasn't resurrected I never would have read this:

 

... are those the truss rod nuts that we see through the end of the fretboard? Why would a luthier do that??

 

Yes - They can be adjusted right through those openings while the bass is in tune (although they have never needed to be touched since it was built in 1996) - - - Those holes are located at around the 200th fret(less) position - so they only create a problem when I'm trying to sound like Ravi Shankar

 

I'll just assume you meant 20th fret
Interesting design, but a little impractical if you like to play up at the end of the board!

 

25th fret - which to me is like 200 - - - Unless I play on the c string (where there is no hole) then it goes up to 30

 

I requested a 24 fret(less) fingerboard - Everything from the truss rod holes and above is just bonus ebony - So I'm not complaining

 

WOW. Now I can't help but feel it would have looked nice on my build too...with 24 full fret positions it makes way more sense.

Hm. I guess I'll retract my initial statement. That feature went from "what in tarnation" to "neat" real quick.

 

Man, what a sweet looking bass! He puts mad attention into detail. Might be eccentric, but one of the best.

 

Might be...if he delivered what people ordered. I played one at Bass Alone and it was nice but I would rather give my money to Fodera or Ken Lawrence - I know I will get the bass I pay for!

Dan

 

Like I said - - - $1000 to get started and $1000 upon delivery to my doorstep 3 or 4 months later - - - Bass is still growling like nothing I've ever heard after 20 years

 

To be fair, one of those had serious backlog issues before bringing in other people to help things out, well known and documented and I was in that boat of thinking it was nonsense as it affected me. It never took away from what I thought the work was, which was stellar. Which is MOSTLY what the KB thing is about, though I am familiar with that one that wanted a bunch of specific customized stuff and didn't come out that way. I bet it's not the only one, but I've also been not too excited about some of my custom orders from various builders as well, sounds lame but with non-production stuff, it happens.

 

Brian Barrett had one at his shop in Murfreesboro, TN when I was there late last year to check out a Lull he had. Would loved to have checked the KB out as well but I was pressed for time.

 

I ordered a 5 string on 1999 with 10 months wait time. I'm from another country and made my order knowing I'll be visiting US right on time to get it. All was on the table ahead of time. Upon my arrival the bass wasn't ready. I had to accept it not totally complete, missing some finish coats and final touches. Ken complained he was tight on time but as I said he knew my schedule months in advance and promised the bass will be ready on time.
I ordered the bass with a 19mm bridge. Through the build I discovered he was using an 18 or 17mm (can't remember which). I reminded him I asked for 19mm. He ordered the right one and installed it. He never told me the neck was build for a tighter spacing. It came out the outer strings were too close to the edges of the fingerboard, easily slipping over while playing.
The top I ordered was burl walnut. I got something else, some kind of maple dyed brown. The fret job was not great too. I had it refretted a few years later. There was one weak glue line in the 5 piece neck. A tiny void between the laminates. Not a construction problem but definitely not a good glue work.
The bass sounded great and was perfectly balanced weight wise but with all those issues it wasn't worth the money and time I spent. It was about half of what he charges today.
I no longer own that bass.