Fakes?

[Crazykiwi]

And that goes for Bassworld too.

 

[Luchi Luthier]

I personally wouldn't consider buying something like this unless:

1) the seller had a higher eBay feedback rating (his is only 9), and

2) I'd seen some reputable customer testimonials that these things produce a reasonably playable instrument.

i have being on ebay since 1999, and just got my account suspended because of my quality STYLE basses.. i am sure you would not regret to have the bass in the picture above. cheers.

 

[Luchi Luthier]

I'd buy one for sure,seeing as they are not that expensive......oh yeah, I haven't paid my ebay fees in a long time,so my accounts closed....

i am sure you would not regret if you had one of my STYLE instruments... and you are 100% correct, they look good and are very affordable. How can you go wrong with mahogany, purple heart, imbuia, and gonçalo alves? you just cant! cheers

 

[Luchi Luthier]

luchi, you've been warned. that was generous. not only have you trolled this thread, but you have violated the commercial user agreement in every post.

you will not be warned again. any subsequent violations of the agreement or the usage agreement will result in your ip being banned.

Dear John, I am sorry if I had done something that violated the user agreement. Please let me know what can i do to keep posting and participating in the talkbass forum. I apologise if I innocently did it. Please let me know the violation and I will fix it immediatelly. very best regards, Luchi

 

[cheezewiz]

Luchi, I'll buy one of your knock off pieces of crap about the same time Burk votes liberal, Tom Bowlus appears on stage with a SX running through a Behringer, JT cuts his semi mullet, Gard admits the Saints suck, Jong invites Brett Favre over to entertain his wife, and the Qintar gets his butt kicked.

 

[john turner]

Dear John, I am sorry if I had done something that violated the user agreement. Please let me know what can i do to keep posting and participating in the talkbass forum. I apologise if I innocently did it. Please let me know the violation and I will fix it immediatelly. very best regards, Luchi

read the cup link i sent you - this...

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/faq.php?faq=commuserpolicy#faq_cup

this is pretty clear on what kind of postings are allowed and not allowed from commercial users here at tb.

highlights -

Some examples of non-acceptable (ie., not responses to specific questions) posts contributed by a commercial user:​

-- Replies referencing Product or Services in general question threads, such as "What is a good bass for me?"
-- Replies referencing Product or Services in general "what's new at..." threads
-- Discussion initiated regarding Product personally owned by commercial user
-- Excessive "Generic" posts in threads related to the commercial user's product/service that do not answer specific questions, but only "bump up" the thread in the threadlist. These include posts such as "Glad you like it!" or "I should say so!" or "" or other general remarks.
-- Posting photos of Product in the public forums, or submitting PR in the public forums
​

​

 

[Woodchuck]

and the Qintar gets his butt kicked.

All of that other stuff, ya never know. But this?! This will NEVER happen!

 

[180+DecibelBass]

wow, this thread delivers like no other!!!!!

 

[Crazykiwi]

54,000 users and counting...

 

[moro]

i have being on ebay since 1999, and just got my account suspended because of my quality STYLE basses.

Who are you trying to fool? Those of us who have been following this thread know for a fact that you were misrepresenting your knockoff as a genuine Ken Smith. This is the first link in the first post of this thread:

Counterfeit Ken Smith auction

Also, as has been stated, even if you call your bodies "xxx-style," you're still violating eBay keyword spamming policy by using the brand names in the title of your auctions. Why do you find this so hard to understand?

 

[Luchi Luthier]

Who are you trying to fool? Those of us who have been following this thread know for a fact that you were misrepresenting your knockoff as a genuine Ken Smith. This is the first link in the first post of this thread:

Counterfeit Ken Smith auction

Also, as has been stated, even if you call your bodies "xxx-style," you're still violating eBay keyword spamming policy by using the brand names in the title of your auctions. Why do you find this so hard to understand?

Hello Moro: at the time i did not know about keyword spamming policy, and when i had my first ebay id, and got the first email from KS, i told him I would not use his name in the title, and i kept my word. and you say knocoff because you never saw one. also, his emails were not as respectiful as another brand name bass emails, so i sometimes answered at the same level i had received in the first place. i am not trying to fool no one, besides having the style before the name, {not in the title} who doesnt know that all KS basses are made in USA and finished? they are beautiful pieces, and I would love to respect Mr. Smith, but when stones are dropped on top of you w/o knowing the person, than is hard to do it. cheers

 

[Luchi Luthier]

Luchi,
You simply, in my book, lack respect, class, and morals. Not only have you demonstrated a complete lack of integrity on your part by completely attempting to copy someone else's intellectual property, you have succeeded in "shi**ing where you eat".

There are many new luthiers out there who have taken some design cues from the greats, but you are not even attempting to do anything but try to take the money out of people's mouths who created these designs to begin with!

Not that the people who would buy your green chunks of hackery would buy a real Ken Smith, but it cheapens the quality of the real thing having a sub-standard version floating around out there.

TB, although not the entire market, is a sizable percentage of the people who buy high end basses. I for one, will not patronize your business, as I'm sure most of those who are following this thread.
You have no class, pal...no class.

sorry you think like that.

 

[EBMatt]

and you say knocoff because you never saw one. :

Nobody needs to see one of your basses to know that they are a knock-off. They are a knock-off because you are hacking other peoples bass designs that they developed through years of hard work.

And as for for Ken Smith sending mean emails to you - He has every right to. You deserve it. You are selling other peoples designs to make your own profit. Do you get it? Do you understand how this just MIGHT make the designers and builders of these basses upset?

 

[Luchi Luthier]

Um, in all fairness Mr. Luchi Luthier, you DID NOT have the word "style" in your postings. You intimated that they were the real deal, and that's the reason for the initial anger. I offer exhibit A:

Ken Smith 4 strings
Ken Smith 4 Strings Burl Imbuia
Ken Smith 4 strings imbuia
Ken Smith 5 Strings
Ken Smith 5 strings

i do agree with your statement, but that is just a photolog which was not available for public viewing. it is a way to store a lot of pictures. but now that it became public, i am renaming all the abums and correcting the title of them. so i will not leave the wrong impression. I dont want people to think that I make mr Smith's basses, i think his basses are awesome... beautiful and i am sure they sound even more awesome. I promise that those exhibit's will be fixed so people dont have the wrong idea. cheers.

 

[Luchi Luthier]

Nobody needs to see one of your basses to know that they are a knock-off. They are a knock-off because you are hacking other peoples bass designs that they developed through years of hard work.

And as for for Ken Smith sending mean emails to you - He has every right to. You deserve it. You are selling other peoples designs to make your own profit. Do you get it? Do you understand how this just MIGHT make the designers and builders of these basses upset?

100% with you, if i was selling as the originals. but i dont. how many fender style guitars and basses are out there? there are many ways to approach the same subject, and the way i was approached, was not the most effective to get my... ohh my, i need to stop or correct what is wrong" i was approached as i was a criminal, which i am not, i tried to not disrespect anybody, i am understand that selling something that look like an existing product, is upsetting for some. the bottom line is that i dont make them anymore, unless someone ask me for and they know in advance that they are not made by Mr. Smith, they are not meant to be a real one. that is all.

 

[Luchi Luthier]

that was absolutley uncalled for, i am part korean and that was offensive. Korea is a technically advanced industrial area and the KSD are surely not made in "sweatshops"

i had no intention of offend you or any korean. i get enough racism comments toward me because i am brazilian... they just dont know that i speak 3 languages and have 2 college degrees... please accept my appologies...

 

[JahNissi]

i had no intention of offend you or any korean. i get enough racism comments toward me because i am brazilian... they just dont know that i speak 3 languages and have 2 college degrees... please accept my appologies...

Didn't you take any business ethics classes?

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

I Emailed this Brazillian when I first saw his ad. As a matter of fact it may have been either a TBer that alerted me or I spotted it on the Ken Smith Ebay page. I also posted the Keyword Spamming policy in that first email. The Bass was described as a Ken Smith Bass and not a Style or copy. I even got an email from a buyer asking about these auctions and I told him they were fakes. My Emails were FIRM as I demanded you to stop using my name in the title or description.

You did stop in the beginning but popped up again and again telling me I can't stop you with an Army. I even published your email HERE in this thread to show what lack of respect you had and how you are willing to LIE and STEAL within your daily work and be proud of it as well.

You popped up again with a different Ebay name. I emailed again and then got an email from YOU telling me that he was someone else. How then did YOU get MY Ebay Email from HIM if you are not the same person??

The chances of you doing well in this business world wide is slim to none. Most repair shops collect more money for a good fret job that you do for an entire instrument. What does that say to you Brazillian (don't really know his name)?

Now that TB has givin a warning to ban your IP, you come up with your 'I'm sorry mister, I didn't know' with a cry in your voice.

There are some children out here on TB but most are adults and we see thru your Bullxxxx clear as day. The best thing you could do is get off ebay and TB, make your own designs without using any names and then start your business all over again without deception.

By the way, copying me is a sign of flattery and shows how sucessful my work has been. You have given me more advertising than I can afford to pay for.. Gee.. Thanks.. Sorry, but I will not be paying you so don't look for my check in your mailbox anytime soon!!

 

[Obese Chess]

Hello Moro: at the time i did not know about keyword spamming policy, and when i had my first ebay id, and got the first email from KS, i told him I would not use his name in the title, and i kept my word. and you say knocoff because you never saw one. also, his emails were not as respectiful as another brand name bass emails, so i sometimes answered at the same level i had received in the first place. i am not trying to fool no one, besides having the style before the name, {not in the title} who doesnt know that all KS basses are made in USA and finished? they are beautiful pieces, and I would love to respect Mr. Smith, but when stones are dropped on top of you w/o knowing the person, than is hard to do it. cheers

No, it clearly says that it's a Ken Smith bass in that Auction.
And it isn't.
It does not say "Ken-Smith-Style". It says KEN SMITH.
AND IT ISN'T.
THAT MAKES IT A KNOCKOFF, Defined as:
knock‧off  /ˈnɒkˌɔf, -ˌɒf/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nok-awf, -of] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. an act or instance of knocking off.
2. an unlicensed copy of something, esp. fashion clothing, intended to be sold at a lower price than the original.

 

[Obese Chess]

Looking at Ken's replies, it's fair to say that this man carves out more jackasses than he does fretboards.

Keep up the good work, Ken.

Also, Luchi - having the little rockin' out dudes before and after everything in your posts is rather irritating.