KSD...Lesson Learned, pt. II

[Visirale]

I don't know where to start. It all started with a player trying to get a truss rod from me.

Quick Couple of Points
1. I do care about the player. You think I find joy in knowing that I am unable to get parts for players. I get real satisfaction in being able to make a great product at a great price that players at all levels want to play.
2. We have sold thousands of these basses worldwide. We get calls everyday from dealers and players looking for product.
3. BG made the decision not to work with the old factory anymore for I could not trust their quality nor parts supply. I would not manufacture any more instruments designed by Ken Smith not manufactured by Ken Smith and sell them if I could not trust the quality. Ken was sitting next to me discussing future designs at NAMM as I pleaded and demanded for the old factory to charge me more money to do better quality control before shipping out instruments. The few dollars more per instrument would save me the problems we have today. If you are a fan of Ken Smith Basses you know the quality in his basses and it is something BG continues to strive for with the KSD line.
4. It is my biased opinion that the KSD Bass Line overall is the best value on the market for less than $1500. Our 6 string retails at $1200.

Going Forward
1. Some of the points brought up in this thread is good feedback to me. I never claim to have all the answers and this forum does give me real feedback not just from dealers but you the players. I have spoken with Ken Smith and starting with the next production run....Brooklyn Gear's name will be added to the Headstock. This will hopefully clarify the relationship of Ken Smith with the KSD line and who the actual manufacturer is.
2. I have been delaying modifying the website as I have been planning to do a major overhaul instead. My original web designer to put it politely flaked on me and has all of my passwords, access information etc...We will be editing it though very soon and replacing Ken Smith Basses to KSD etc....
3. If you are the original buyer of a KSD and have the receipt as proof and you need a truss rod and are able to find one online....email me directly at [email protected] and I will buy it for you.
4. We are not running away from the problems. Earlier in this thread I even posted my email and cell phone number. Unfortunately no Playboy Bunnies called We are directly addressing the problems and trying to fix them.

Adam
Brooklyn Gear

Hey there. I hope I didn't come across as hating on you guys in the thread. I absolutely love my KSD bass, and I'm anxiously looking forward to see what you guys have planned. It's great that you are taking actions to ensure the continued quality of these instruments. Putting Brooklyn Gear on the headstock is a fantastic idea too. People will know who to praise for distributing such a quality product. Any chance of seeing a fretless with a traditional wood fretboard in the next batch? I'd be allll over that .

 

[superblues]

+1 to Adam at BG.

 

[Vic]

Quick Couple of Points
...
Going Forward
...
Adam
Brooklyn Gear

Adam, you're a class act. Nicely done.

 

[gafbass02]

From my point of view i just bought a bass that said Ken Smith Design on the headstock, knowing it was cheaper than the average Smith, I therefore assumed it was sort of a Ken Smith Squire.
But that was all i knew, i thought it looked and sounded great.

It wasnt till i got it home and started to fiddle that i realised the hardware was very poor, the neck was soft with wood splitting in places, the electrics were very noisy and that my initial excitement over the sound in the shop had caused me to spend money on a bass that was clearly below par in many ways...my bad shoulda paid closer attention.

Then i found the truss rod seemed to be stripped and the neck on the move, this was the last straw so i started to look on the internet.

Imagine my surprise when i find out from my email to ken smith basses that my new bass from Ken Smith as id seen advertised, and read a magazine review etc, was actually disowned by them quite curtly and i was sent off to someone called Brooklyn Gear who id never heard of in the uK, shortly after that i found the original thread and realised my suspicions were correct, i had bought a pup with a VERY misleading headstock and marketing.

Now, of course, i understand the score, but as a normal bass buyer who was somehow unaware of the finer details of Ken Smiths licensing contract with a company id never heard of about a bass that didnt wear their name that i feel was sold to me through the press as a new budget instrument from Ken Smith.
I felt a tad upset, esp as i earn £400 a month, the bass cost £650 and i traded my trusty warwick id had for ten years to get it as my Christmas present, as was my wife who gave me money towards it.
I felt so proud at first with my bass that said Ken Smith on it, thinking this is a near to boutique as im gonna get, so i was so embarrased and gutted when i discovered that it was so poor, and i had let my heart rule my head. I even lost sleep over the damn thing and the money wasted.
TBH I felt, rightly or wrongly, that this situation, and me as a customer type was exactly the brief they had in mind with these clearly high margin for someone basses with a famous bass manufacturers name on and i had fallen for it

I just got it swapped back at the retailer for a Fender, that took five months to come, pretty gutted, but thats the POV from me as the average buyer on the street.
To then see Kens response to people on here is just appalling to me, at least Adam seems to be trying to do something, although i would venture that the offer of full or partial refunds would be more appropriate, seeing as they have admitted that the product is below par with known problems.
Thankfully my story had a happry ending with a Geddy Lee jazz bass, and im not calling anyone names, and i REALLY dont want to upset anyone or get into a fight, not my bag , im just saying how i saw it as a normal off the street customer in the UK who was perhaps underinformed.

 

[john_g]

Enjoy your Geddy, I love mine and I couldnt imagine one of these KSDs being better than a Geddy anyway.

From my point of view i just bought a bass that said Ken Smith Design on the headstock, knowing it was cheaper than the average Smith, I therefore assumed it was sort of a Ken Smith Squire.
But that was all i knew, i thought it looked and sounded great.

It wasnt till i got it home and started to fiddle that i realised the hardware was very poor, the neck was soft with wood splitting in places, the electrics were very noisy and that my initial excitement over the sound in the shop had caused me to spend money on a bass that was clearly below par in many ways...my bad shoulda paid closer attention.

Then i found the truss rod seemed to be stripped and the neck on the move, this was the last straw so i started to look on the internet.

Imagine my surprise when i find out from my email to ken smith basses that my new bass from Ken Smith as id seen advertised, and read a magazine review etc, was actually disowned by them quite curtly and i was sent off to someone called Brooklyn Gear who id never heard of in the uK, shortly after that i found the original thread and realised my suspicions were correct, i had bought a pup with a VERY misleading headstock and marketing.

Now, of course, i understand the score, but as a normal bass buyer who was somehow unaware of the finer details of Ken Smiths licensing contract with a company id never heard of about a bass that didnt wear their name that i feel was sold to me through the press as a new budget instrument from Ken Smith.
I felt a tad upset, esp as i earn £400 a month, the bass cost £650 and i traded my trusty warwick id had for ten years to get it as my Christmas present, as was my wife who gave me money towards it.
I felt so proud at first with my bass that said Ken Smith on it, thinking this is a near to boutique as im gonna get, so i was so embarrased and gutted when i discovered that it was so poor, and i had let my heart rule my head. I even lost sleep over the damn thing and the money wasted.
TBH I felt, rightly or wrongly, that this situation, and me as a customer type was exactly the brief they had in mind with these clearly high margin for someone basses with a famous bass manufacturers name on and i had fallen for it

I just got it swapped back at the retailer for a Fender, that took five months to come, pretty gutted, but thats the POV from me as the average buyer on the street.
To then see Kens response to people on here is just appalling to me, at least Adam seems to be trying to do something, although i would venture that the offer of full or partial refunds would be more appropriate, seeing as they have admitted that the product is below par with known problems.
Thankfully my story had a happry ending with a Geddy Lee jazz bass, and im not calling anyone names, and i REALLY dont want to upset anyone or get into a fight, not my bag , im just saying how i saw it as a normal off the street customer in the UK who was perhaps underinformed.

 

[john_g]

When I got married, my lovely bride and I registered at Target (we're not very high on the "hoity toity" scale). One of the gifts we received was a Michael Graves designed electric can opener. A few years back, it stopped working for all but tiny little cans, so it got tucked away until I could figure out what to do about it. After reading this thread, I now know what I'm gonna do about it... I'm gonna find this Michael Graves dude on the net, and give him relentless what-fors in some dark corner of cyberspace. That'll learn the varmint.

Hoo-ah!

I bet you would have if you paid $500+ for that can opener! Lets be honest here for crying out loud.

 

[T-MOST]

No offense, but you make it sound like grinding the sides of an allen key is a highly technical skill requiring years of instrument repair experience. Anybody could do this. Not that they should have to, of course, but it's not that big of a deal at all.

Now where did I leave that grinding wheel after sharpening all those swords and battle axes???

 

[vision]

I have spoken with Ken Smith and starting with the next production run....Brooklyn Gear's name will be added to the Headstock. This will hopefully clarify the relationship of Ken Smith with the KSD line and who the actual manufacturer is.

This is great news!

 

[Ian Perge]

But this argument holds no water. Nobody goes to Leo Fender with questions or complaints about Fender basses.

That's because, frankly, Leo Fender hasn't held water for over 17 years. That's both literally ("...in his hands") as well as figuratively ("in him").

...then again, I remember the G&L ads that showed how they had kept Leo's office/workshop *exactly* the way he had left it since he had passed. The same decision could have been made about... other items.

But other than that, I've mainly learned the there are two companies in the Greater New York area that I had made the decision not to purchase or order anything from about a year ago, and that decision is continually justified every 3 months or so. A generic "Sseesh", "You all call yourselves 'professionals' who claim to work with actual people as your living?!?", and "All 'Professionals' head to opposite corners until you've learns how to do business together... and no playing with Dremels while you're there." to all parties involved.

 

[Bass Boy]

Doesn't he already have that in his version of the overseas J clone?

Rogers Metro line and operation are totally different than the budget lines referred to.

 

[bongomania]

Adam, you're a class act. Nicely done.

I gotta say, I read his post and thought it was like the owner of a cheap diner saying "OK, going forward I'm going to put my own name on the restaurant instead of Wolfgang Puck, and I'm going to start washing the utensils."

 

[Vic]

I gotta say, I read his post and thought it was like the owner of a cheap diner saying "OK, going forward I'm going to put my own name on the restaurant instead of Wolfgang Puck, and I'm going to start washing the utensils."

I partially agree with your analogy, but it's still the right thing to do. He's offered to take care of pre-existing problems, and fix things moving forward, and he's taken the time to respond publicly and make these promises. Assuming he makes good on these promises, that's a class thing to do. He took the high road. I'm perfectly good with that.

I can't find any fault except for not having the foresight in the past, and to be honest, there's a reason why there's a saying "hindsight is 20/20". We all can't always anticipate problems in the future. However, as long as you're always willing to fix problems and take care of your customers, it should be good.

I say "partially" because in your analogy, the indication is the owner knew he had problems before and didn't care until they were made public. I'm not so sure we can assume the same is true here.

 

[BurningSkies]

This is the perfect opportunity to go into the 4.5mm hex wrench bidniz. I'll make a bundle!

Hey Ken & Adam, would you like to pre-order?

We can brand them "KSD/BG Precision Bass Wrenches"

Damn, that might confuse Precision bass owners too...

 

[john_g]

This is the perfect opportunity to go into the 4.5mm hex wrench bidniz. I'll make a bundle!

Hey Ken & Adam, would you like to pre-order?

We can brand them "KSD/BG Precision Bass Wrenches"

Damn, that might confuse Precision bass owners too...

I just called Fender for the Precision Bass Wrench and they were very douchesque with me and told me to call the manufacturer, then asked me how many beers I had.

 

[dean82]

That said, here's some rebuttal to the poor quality/poor customer service - Ken Smith makes an excellent product; Brooklyn Gear have been forthright in their dealings. Folks, it's called CHINA, KOREA and JAPAN.

When Americans want quality, and then refuse to pay higher prices for it so they buy foreign, that amounts to talking out of both sides of your mouth. Pay for the American-made quality, or take your chances with shipping delays and inferior product quality, etc.

Z

So basses made in Japan are inferior to American made basses? I have two words for you: Sadowsky Metro. I've owned several Sadowskys and several American made basses of different make. As an example a Sadowsky RV5 and a Fender American Jazz Deluxe 5 and IMO the Japanese made Sadowsky was superior in nearly every way that is not subjective, like tone. The neck pocket was tighter, frets were more level and better dresses/finished. The finish of the bass body was more even and had fewer flaws. And this comparison holds for many different American made basses that I have owned relative to the Metro.

IMO it is incorrect to label all foreign made basses as inferior relative to their American made counterparts. Poor quality instruments are not the sole domain of import basses.

And please, before anyone wants to chime in with the 'Sadowsky Metros cost $1000 more than Fenders so it should be better' argument, please read the quote from T.B Player. He does not qualify which foreign basses are inferior to American basses and that is the key point I wish to rebut. Moreover, the American made Sadowsky NYC is more expensive than the Metro line so his logic would still apply regarding taking chances with foreign made bass quality(Metro) relative to American(NYC).

Finally, I mean no offense to T.B Player and he is entitled to his opinion as am I. However, I felt a need to defend some foreign made basses against blanket statements I feel are inaccurate.

 

[palm grease]

He's offered to take care of pre-existing problems, and fix things moving forward, and he's taken the time to respond publicly and make these promises.

for the second time!!!! he said the same stuff in the last thread!

Assuming he makes good on these promises, that's a class thing to do.

againg... second time BG had promised this "fix".... lets wait another 6 months for a new KSD thread.... three times a charm???

it was stated in the prior thread that BG would send this tool.... afaik, no communication was made to the bass owner!!! sad... another try? call me a skeptic!!

 

[winston]

BMW didn't design the Bongo. Getting that right could help your argument. Your error does however show how common these mistakes can be

BMW DID design the Bongo. Getting that right could help your argument. Your error does however show how common these mistakes can be

Link Removed

 

[BurningSkies]

I just called Fender for the Precision Bass Wrench and they were very douchesque with me and told me to call the manufacturer, then asked me how many beers I had.

As the manufacturer or "Precision Bass Wrenches" v.4.5, I'd love to send you one of our high quality, USA designed wrenches, but we've had some supply chain slowdowns so it will be a 6 to 8 week wait.

As it is now after 1pm, I hope that you told the Fender Musical Instrument Company that you're about 4 beers into your work day.

Thank you,
-Renaldo McWilliams
CEO, MA, BA, JD, Precision Bass Wrench Corporation of America.

 

[john_g]

As the manufacturer or "Precision Bass Wrenches" v.4.5, I'd love to send you one of our high quality, USA designed wrenches, but we've had some supply chain slowdowns so it will be a 6 to 8 week wait.

As it is now after 1pm, I hope that you told the Fender Musical Instrument Company that you're about 4 beers into your work day.

Thank you,
-Renaldo McWilliams
CEO, MA, BA, JD, Precision Bass Wrench Corporation of America.

Thank you very much, does your wrenches come from Koreantown, Japantown, or Chinatown? Oh and...does whiskey count as beer?

 

[Vic]

it was stated in the prior thread that BG would send this tool.... afaik, no communication was made to the bass owner!!! sad... another try? call me a skeptic!!

The problem with your post is in bold. Hope this helps.