Can a Ken Smith Rock or do Metal?

[Lance Bunyon]

No reason a KS can't do that style - how well is up for debate. An experienced ear can tell that the iconic Smith tone simply won't work with a wall of huge guitars and even bigger drums. It's voiced and intended for club dates, Fusion, and Jazz, and by association will work well in R+B and Urban Gospel where the Smith mark has found its home. The brand just never caught the imaginations of the players doing Hard Rock over the last few decades. I can't recall any popular and/or nationally known act where the bassist used a Smith, live or on record.

Boutique basses were not unheard or unseen in those times, but were rare. Smith, however, was strangely absent. Lots of MTV bands were big on product endorsement and manufacturers were big on being seen, because being seen on TV turns into sales. Ken Smith had little to no interest in that aspect of the business, but he can afford not to be.

These days, more boutiques are prevalent (i.e. Dingwall). It also has to be said that Ken simply wouldn't be receptive or kind to today's Heavy Rock practitioners if and when they attempted to engage with him. We laughed him off and refused to do business with him 25 years ago, but today's kids simply will not have that.

I find this thesis preposterous. "The iconic Smith tone simply won't work with a wall of huge guitars..."
What???
Plug it into the right dirt pedal and a dimed SVT plugged into an 8x10 fridge and I'm certain (having owned one) that you'd be dead wrong.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, a Ken Smith Bass can be used for any format.
The real question is, why would a Ken Smith owner take his treasure to a gig where grown men are moshing into each other next to the stage?

 

[cxcxcx]

I find this thesis preposterous. "The iconic Smith tone simply won't work with a wall of huge guitars..."
What???
Plug it into the right dirt pedal and a dimed SVT plugged into an 8x10 fridge and I'm certain (having owned one) that you'd be dead wrong.

It’ll sound good to you - it may not sound good to me or anyone else. I’m certain this tone wouldn’t last 12 seconds in a professional recording session. I wouldn’t even try it as a joke. If a Smith plugged into the right pedal into a dimed SVT sounded so awesome, why isn’t it the standard? Why isn’t everyone doing it?

 

[Timmah]

can you repost that or just the link as I cant see it

That might work a little better. 30 minutes into this is the original link, but he plays it for a large part of this show

 

[beatdatthang]

It’ll sound good to you - it may not sound good to me or anyone else. I’m certain this tone wouldn’t last 12 seconds in a professional recording session. I wouldn’t even try it as a joke. If a Smith plugged into the right pedal into a dimed SVT sounded so awesome, why isn’t it the standard? Why isn’t everyone doing it?

For the same reason nobody is doing it with a Fodera, Carl Thompson (except for Les Claypool), F bass, Roscoe, LeFay, Marleaux, Ritter etc. they’re just too darned expensive and nice to jump around on stage wearing rings, jeans with bullet belts, leather studded wristbands, etc (by your logic, the basses listed above couldn’t be used for metal either which is hogwash).

I guarantee you it has nothing to do with some kind of baked in tone that the bass has. The shape of the bass has absolutely zero to do with how it sounds and the woods used (pretty much the same as other basses) has very little). Which bass looks the most “metal” to you:

1)

2)

3)

I don’t know about the rest of you but Bass #1 looks a hell of a lot more “metal” than 2 and 3.

 

[corvette_br]

Kevin Chown, former Artension bass player and present Tarja Turunen bassist, has used Ken Smith basses to play metal. He appears on pictures on the back cover of both Artension's Into the Eye of the Storm and his solo album Freudian Slip holding a Ken Smith. In the latter, he also thanks Ken Smith "for the world's greatest basses".
Link to the Artension album:

 

[Lance Bunyon]

It’ll sound good to you - it may not sound good to me or anyone else. I’m certain this tone wouldn’t last 12 seconds in a professional recording session. I wouldn’t even try it as a joke. If a Smith plugged into the right pedal into a dimed SVT sounded so awesome, why isn’t it the standard? Why isn’t everyone doing it?

Because a 2023 Ken Smith starts at around $5000 and the sky is the limit from there? I think entry level price is a huge barrier for many.
I find an active Jazz Bass to have a similar "polite" sound. Yet rockers and even metal musicians use them prolifically outside of jazz and R&B...

 

[corvette_br]

The (not very good) pictures.

 

[Veldar]

You tell me;

 

[Smooth_bass88]

You can play anything on any bass. Will the look be appropriate for the gig though is the question.

How 'bout a a Hofner with mile-high action strung with flats on a Prince tribute gig lol. Seriously though, it really shouldn't matter that much what bass you use on any given gig. A Smith would probably sound great for metal especially with some nice overdrive.

 

[Blazer]

Maybe not metal in the strict sense of the word, but Ready Freddie Washington used a Ken Smith five string with Michael Jackson during the "Dangerous" tour.

 

[Bluestar]

Maybe not metal in the strict sense of the word, but Ready Freddie Washington used a Ken Smith five string with Michael Jackson during the "Dangerous" tour.

It's Rock and Roll. And that's all that counts

 

[scuzzy]

"metal" might be the most diverse genre of all. I now feel silly for trying to contribute.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I remember seeing a country band on TV (that thing we had before online streaming) and the bassist was playing an Alembic Spoiler. It was at that moment that I realized: EVERYTHING I KNOW IS WRONG!

The Bar Band Bassman

 

[Bluestar]

I remember seeing a country band on TV (that thing we had before online streaming) and the bassist was playing an Alembic Spoiler. It was at that moment that I realized: EVERYTHING I KNOW IS WRONG!
How so? Please explain

The Bar Band Bassman

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I fell into the trap of thinking certain musical styles required certain bass models. An obvious example is: Country Music = P-bass. The fact is there are very few musts or must-nots in bassland. Granted, there are some basses that really don't lend themselves to slap technique but even that would change if someone played a slap part on say, a Dan Armstrong Ampeg, or maybe a scrollhead Ampeg. If the tune became popular or well regarded in the bass-playing community, there would be considerable interest from folks wanting to replicate the technique and sound.

The Bar Band Bassman

 

[Koshchei]

Are there any examples of any rock or metal band using a Ken Smith bass? I cant find a single one, or even anybody doing a cover of a rock or metal song who has a ken smith bass. Or are they truly that limited in the sound? Or Do the rock and metal guys just not care the basses look and or sound?

No, metal musicians are poor and Ken Smith basses are expensive.

 

[Michedelic]

By rock and metal I was referring to 80s rock and metal. Not the djent stuff of today

But it’s not the 80’s any more.

 

[Michedelic]

What’s the best Ken…oh, nevermind.

 

[mikeswals]

No Michael Jackson is NOT metal in any sense of the word, and neither are the tones in that song.