Olinto P bass vs Ken Smith

[otto B]

I am looking to buy another bass, and it has come to either a Olinto P bass or Ken Smith. Yes they are different in sound however I am looking for a bass that cuts through the mix and this two basses has come to my attention. I had onwed some KS basses in the pass and they are great, but I have not yet played a P bass. I would like to hear opinions on both. I play contemporary music at my Church.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Get the Smith . You can get a good PBass for cheap. You already know the Smith will cut and sit in the mix . That’s what you are after. A PBass will just sit in the mix.

 

[ModuMan]

Get the Smith . You can get a good PBass for cheap. You already know the Smith will cut and sit in the mix . That’s what you are after. A PBass will just sit in the mix.

QFT

They have different functions regarding where to sit in the mix but each does its job perfectly.

 

[tb-player]

Is weight an issue? The Smith will be about 3lb heavier.

I've owned an Olinto. It's the best p-bass I've ever played... ever. I was a dumbass for selling mine. Classic p-bass tone. The Smith, on the other hand, will have a burpy, active tone. Couldn't be more opposite from the Olinto. Personally, I hate, hate, hate the Smith tone. I'd get the Olinto all day.

 

[maturanesa]

Is the Smith a 4 string? In that case, the Olinto always. Smiths are more for 5 or 6 strings, neck through, sustain, chords, active. They are much heavier. I would not get involved in all of that if we are talking about a 4 string. A classic bass works better, a P or a J.

 

[nonohmic]

Hell yeah $6k P bass all day. They’re so hot right now

 

[nonohmic]

Also check out De Gier. His radius necks/boards sound awesome

 

[bass.slinger]

Personally, I hate, hate, hate the Smith tone. I'd get the Olinto all day.

This - not a fan of the Smith tone. Although, I would also consider a used Fender AVRI 62 or 63 Precision…

 

[SJan3]

I am looking to buy another bass, and it has come to either a Olinto P bass or Ken Smith. Yes they are different in sound however I am looking for a bass that cuts through the mix and this two basses has come to my attention. I had onwed some KS basses in the pass and they are great, but I have not yet played a P bass. I would like to hear opinions on both. I play contemporary music at my Church.

Contemporary music? Ken Smith
IMHO, a P bass doesn't do contemporary gospel as well.
But I do have a sweet spot for the Olinto.

 

[sdjfoh]

Pretty sure Jesus played P basses and the Holy Ghost strung them with flats. Gabriel plays a Gibson and Satan plays a ken smith. Michael plays an MIJ Geddy Lee. Happy hollandaise.

 

[rolfplamperton]

I would prefer the Olinto, but then again I wouldn’t spend the money on one again. You could get a Nash or Bluesman Vintage, or even a used Moollon and save the cash.

 

[InnerCityBass]

Pretty sure Jesus played P basses and the Holy Ghost strung them with flats. Gabriel plays a Gibson and Satan plays a ken smith. Michael plays an MIJ Geddy Lee. Happy hollandaise.

Thy are not mistaken. As true as James Brown was preaching in the Blues Brothers movie, this is spot on according to James 3:4-8 it says exactly that, and these days are not the time to turn blasphemic. In other words, just get the P bass, put on your favorite flats and live happily ever after.

Merry Christmas

 

[Gervais Cote]

Lots of notes, fast playing, jazz fusion and long solos : Ken Smith

Everything else : Onlito p bass

The Onlito is a real gem in every way IMO.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Lots of notes, fast playing, jazz fusion and long solos : Ken Smith

Everything else : Onlito p bass

The Onlito is a real gem in every way IMO.

Exactly !!

 

[FullumMusic]

There's no such thing as a bass that cuts through the mix. Every mix is different. Every bass is different. Every mix has different frequency spectrum needs from each instrument. The arrangement and instrumentation and frequency curves of all the instruments are what makes any instrument cut through or get lost in a mix. The mix engineer is what makes any particular instrument cut or get lost in a mix.

And with the obligatory "for every musical rule-of-thumb, there are an infinite amounts of exceptions to those rules," I'm gonna second what @Gervais Cote said, if you play...
- Jazz, Fusion, Gospel, Pop, the sounds of late 80s and 90s studio musicians: Ken Smith.
- Hip Hop, Rock, R&B, Country, Motown: Olinto P.

I've had very limited experience playing other people's Ken Smith Basses.

I own an Olinto P (with a set of La Bella Jamerson flats on it.) I have 5 string Olinto P currently being made for me. I use my 4 string P for my electronic House Music project. I need the 5 for when i sub gigs. They're mostly Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae sub gigs. Think Pino playing Hip Hop & R&B tone-wise. (Also, Pino just had an Olinto P made for himself.)

I LOVE the neck on my 4 string Olinto P. And i really like how they lay out their 5 string P. The nut is the same width as the 4 string P and the string spacing at the bridge is still 19mm (unless you request otherwise.) Due to a surgery, I stopped playing for about a month & a half right when the weather started changing. When i picked it up again it was barely out of tune from the humidity change, but it was still in tune with itself. I only ever need micro-adjustments when i tune up.

This interview with Freddie Washington is pretty great because he jumps back and forth between playing a P Bass (with roundwounds) and a KS.

 

[otto B]

Thanks for all the really good comments, I would really put some thought on it before I decide. What ever bass I decide it would be a 5 string bass.

 

[NickyBass]

What are some of the set lists like? I play modern worship music--Bethel, Elevation, Phil Wickham-- and love my Lull P5.

 

[dfp]

most “contemporary” music I hear for the last 25 years has a decidedly old school aesthetic in the bass department. Imho the Ken Smith era officially ended January 25, 2000, the day Voodoo came out….

 

[Rumblefisher]

Also check out De Gier. His radius necks/boards sound awesome

In love with mine.

 

[otto B]

What are some of the set lists like? I play modern worship music--Bethel, Elevation, Phil Wickham-- and love my Lull P5.

We play the same music as you guys. I did try mike lull at one point. It was a great bass but it didn’t came through as I wanted. Like some one mentioned before it also depends on the sound engineer.