Ken Smith back in PA

[Rumblefisher]

Hey everyone, sorry if I’m late to the party and this was already posted…I did a quick search of “Ken Smith” and didn’t see anything come up. Looks like he’s back to having builders make the bass entirely in PA (as opposed to Mr Brubaker’s shop in MD with final inspection in PA). What do you think? Will there be a Brubaker era? Does it matter?

Regarding build quality, to me not really, each bass is its own animal and can be a gem or a dud wherever it was made. Regarding resale, I think it might to the picky buyer/collector. Either way, I just thought it interesting fodder for our never ending discussions!

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Interesting .

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Interesting .

Interesting indeed. I wonder how much demand there is for Smiths these days?

 

[Rumblefisher]

Interesting indeed. I wonder how demand there is for Smiths these days?

I would imagine high as ever. We are peak FOMO all the time

 

[Killing Floor]

I would imagine high as ever. We are peak FOMO all the time

That’s kinda our jam here

 

[bass12]

I would imagine high as ever. We are peak FOMO all the time

Do you think so? I'm under the impression that there's much less interest in Smiths than there was even seven or eight years ago. The people who want more of a hi-fi sound seem to lean more towards other brands and I rarely hear about or see anyone playing a Smith these days. There seem to be fewer of them in the TB classifieds as well.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Do you think so? I'm under the impression that there's much less interest in Smiths than there was even seven or eight years ago. The people who want more of a hi-fi sound seem to lean more towards other brands and I rarely hear about or see anyone playing a Smith these days. There seem to be fewer of them in the TB classifieds as well.

That is the way it appears to me too. That doesn’t mean Smiths are bad. It just means that bassists are prone to trends like everybody else.

 

[Rumblefisher]

Do you think so? I'm under the impression that there's much less interest in Smiths than there was even seven or eight years ago. The people who want more of a hi-fi sound seem to lean more towards other brands and I rarely hear about or see anyone playing a Smith these days. There seem to be fewer of them in the TB classifieds as well.

I wouldn’t doubt it. There are so many fantastic brands out there. Maybe there aren’t as many because collectors have bought them up? There used to always be something on reverb or eBay, nowadays not much at all.

 

[DeltaPhoenix]

Gosh, it seems like that partnership ended amicably

 

[80jazz]

Interesting indeed. I wonder how much demand there is for Smiths these days?

I'd play one.

 

[Jesuguru]

Interesting indeed. I wonder how much demand there is for Smiths these days?

Practically none. You really have no choice but to sell me your elite 5-string for (relatively) cheap. Please.

 

[Element Zero]

Black Tiger 5 BSR is still HIGH on my “if I won the lottery” list, but I’ve yet to even play one.

 

[Les Fret]

Do you think so? I'm under the impression that there's much less interest in Smiths than there was even seven or eight years ago. The people who want more of a hi-fi sound seem to lean more towards other brands and I rarely hear about or see anyone playing a Smith these days. There seem to be fewer of them in the TB classifieds as well.

I play one. And I follow the KS Facebook group and obviously there are a lot of KS players there. I think they are still in high demand and prices of used KS basses seem to go up a lot the last few years. The high price is becoming a thing but I think he will have a lot of business going.

 

[MattZilla]

each bass is its own animal and can be a gem or a dud wherever it was made.

the truest words ever spoken about any bass guitar brand or model.

That is the way it appears to me too. That doesn’t mean Smiths are bad. It just means that bassists are prone to trends like everybody else.

A pretty good product designer in a different industry put on a page for a few of his discontinued but beloved products “we made enough for everyone who would actually buy them”.

 

[ardgedee]

Do you think so? I'm under the impression that there's much less interest in Smiths than there was even seven or eight years ago.

The BT shape is popular among Chinese counterfeiters so there must still be a fair number of people somewhere who wish they could have one.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Are Smith necks chunky? I went to the Bass Bootcamp Expo in Philly and Ken Smith was there with a few of his basses. Tried one and only played a few notes and handed back said “Thank you” and moved on. The neck felt more like an upright neck than an electric bass neck to me.

I don’t know what happened between Kevin Brubaker and Ken Smith, but the Brubaker era Ken Smiths looked good at least. There was one on Reverb that had a center horizontal burst that really caught my eye. But for that price I’d have to try before I would buy.

 

[frankie5string]

Most of the people I know who bought Smiths aren't really interested in anything else. Many of them are pros or working in music somehow and have no time for online chat.

They are all over the place, if you know where to look.

 

[Jefus]

Ever since watching John Patitucci play one in his instructional video as a teenager I've wanted one. But I've never had a band where I thought, "this would be the perfect project to play a Ken Smith". And that's before looking at the prices.

I'm with @Element Zero ; if I won the lottery I'd be placing an order right away. In the meantime, maybe I should find a Squier and drop some Smith pickups in it.

 

[Highs&Lows]

IMHO Smith basses are as good as it gets in terms of consistency and craftsmanship. Ken Smith might be a character but he has a strong vision about his basses and knows what he is doing. I have never heard of a Smith with neck issues. Plenty of Alembics with backbows that need a heat bend, Foderas with twisted necks etc. Dont get me wrong I also like the aforementioned brands. But I really respect Smiths uncompromising attitude.
They have a unique voice that works great in a mix or solo. IMO they are already a classic and wont come down in price anymore. Once Ken Smith will close his shop that will be it and many who have a Smith will hang onto it and appreciate what they have. I certainly do.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I'm with @Element Zero ; if I won the lottery I'd be placing an order right away. In the meantime, maybe I should find a Squier and drop some Smith pickups in it.

I have a feeling such a bass would not come very close to actual Smith, given the way they are constructed. I had one for two years during the Nineties. It was bolt on, but the body was made of many layers of wood, the neck was three piece too. The pickups were located in way that emphasized lots of mids. I don’t imagine a Squier body would capture the Smith essence.