The Ken Smith Club, Part 2

[Erik Turkman]

Take a look inside the control cavity, underneath the cover, and see what’s written there.

Here’s what I am seeing:
5 string
Neck through
BSR body style
Tiger maple
Morado fingerboard
Solid body wings

 

[GMSweet]

Long time lurker, new kid on the block. I just bought a Ken Smith Bass, can anyone decipher what this means - 5MS, BSR 5MS from 2001.

I got the year 2001, model BSR, 5 string.

Thanks!

View attachment 5352254 View attachment 5352255

Using the Internet Wayback machine from April 2001, Ken calls out:

"~New BSR Model~
Combining the best features from our Vintage BT and BMT, we have designed the Modern Streamlined BSR. The New BSR Body is pictured on the cover of the New "J" Brochure and the Multi-String Package. The BSR incorporates slimmer wings than the original BT and BMT, a deeper cutaway for upper Fret access and a longer Horn for optimum Strap balance."​

The only possible upgrade I see in the pictures would be the upgraded AAA Tiger Maple, but it might be stock Tiger Maple. It would take an email to Ken to find out. It's that last S in 5MS that makes me wonder about the wood upgrade, but Ken admits his naming conventions were consistent for the time, but sometimes reused later on so it's hard to know. Nice bass, time for a polishing and a new set of strings.

BSR5M Bass specifications ($2,900 list, $2,175 est. street in 2001)
NECK: 3 Piece Laminated Aged Hardrock Maple Bolt-on
FINGERBOARD: Morado/Pau Ferro(Ebony, add $100 List) with Mother of Pearl Side Dots
BODYWINGS(SOLID): Choices: Tiger Maple, Swamp Ash, Lacewood or Avodire' (Walnut or AA Quilted Maple optional, add $100 List)
FINISH: Classic Hand Rubbed Dutch Varnish over Stradivari Gold Oil
HARDWARE: Chrome (Gold or Black optional, add $100 List)
ELECTRONICS: Smith B.M.T. 3 Band Eq Circuit with Smith Custom Bass Humbucking Pickups

Options for the BSR5M
AAA Figured Maple or Walnut Top $300 (Solid)
5 Piece Body Wings w/Contrasting Laminates N/A
Top Dots(Pearl): $100
Fretless Ebony Fingerboard (Blank or Lined): $200
Left Handed Model: $200
Series Parallel Switches: $200

 

[KenSmithFan]

Using the Internet Wayback machine from April 2001, Ken calls out:

"~New BSR Model~
Combining the best features from our Vintage BT and BMT, we have designed the Modern Streamlined BSR. The New BSR Body is pictured on the cover of the New "J" Brochure and the Multi-String Package. The BSR incorporates slimmer wings than the original BT and BMT, a deeper cutaway for upper Fret access and a longer Horn for optimum Strap balance."​

The only possible upgrade I see in the pictures would be the upgraded AAA Tiger Maple, but it might be stock Tiger Maple. It would take an email to Ken to find out. It's that last S in 5MS that makes me wonder about the wood upgrade, but Ken admits his naming conventions were consistent for the time, but sometimes reused later on so it's hard to know. Nice bass, time for a polishing and a new set of strings.

BSR5M Bass specifications ($2,900 list, $2,175 est. street in 2001)
NECK: 3 Piece Laminated Aged Hardrock Maple Bolt-on
FINGERBOARD: Morado/Pau Ferro(Ebony, add $100 List) with Mother of Pearl Side Dots
BODYWINGS(SOLID): Choices: Tiger Maple, Swamp Ash, Lacewood or Avodire' (Walnut or AA Quilted Maple optional, add $100 List)
FINISH: Classic Hand Rubbed Dutch Varnish over Stradivari Gold Oil
HARDWARE: Chrome (Gold or Black optional, add $100 List)
ELECTRONICS: Smith B.M.T. 3 Band Eq Circuit with Smith Custom Bass Humbucking Pickups

Options for the BSR5M
AAA Figured Maple or Walnut Top $300 (Solid)
5 Piece Body Wings w/Contrasting Laminates N/A
Top Dots(Pearl): $100
Fretless Ebony Fingerboard (Blank or Lined): $200
Left Handed Model: $200
Series Parallel Switches: $200

Thanks. It's weird that this says bolt-on, but mine is neck through.

 

[Erik Turkman]

The BSR5MS is neck through. The BSR5M is bolt on.

 

[GMSweet]

The BSR5MS is neck through. The BSR5M is bolt on.

Ah ha! I poked around the archives and found the reference. It looks like the "New" MS model was added to the site in late 2021. I didn't look late enough into the year. Unfortunately, I can't correct my post above. Here's the corrected information:

The NEW BSR 'MS' Model

• NECK: 3 Piece Laminated Aged Hardrock Maple with Graphite Inlaid Bars
• FINGERBOARD: Quartersawn Morado/PauFerro with Mother Of Pearl Side Dots
• BODY WINGS(SOLID): Solid Figured Tiger Maple Body Wings (Quilted Maple or Walnut, add $200 List), (Premium Grade (4A) Tiger Maple, add $300 List), (Premium Grade (4A) Quilted Maple, add $500 List), (Exhibition Grade (5A) Tiger or Quilted Maple, call for Availability and $)
• FINISH: Classic Hand Rubbed Dutch Varnish over Stradivari Gold Oil
• HARDWARE: Chrome (Gold or Black, add $100) / with Smith QSR Bridge
• ELECTRONICS: Smith B.M.T. 3 Band Eq Circuit and Smith Custom Bass Humbucking Soapbar Pickups

$4,000 list, estimated street $3,000.

 

[KenSmithFan]

Thanks for all the help!

 

[GMSweet]

Though I don't have one, I have a fascination with Ken Smith basses. That sound!

 

[jebmd]

Anyone in south Florida on the gulf coast have a reliable luthier to work on your Smiths?

 

[Nenor]

Neck question. I see this FS thread of a Brubaker era 6 string with a one piece neck. It's been said that all production by Brubaker used necks/woods/parts coming from Ken's shop. However, AFAIK, there was never a one piece neck on a Smith bass before production shifted to Brubaker. Any idea if this came from Smith or was made by Brubaker?

 

[deepender]

Neck question. I see this FS thread of a Brubaker era 6 string with a one piece neck. It's been said that all production by Brubaker used necks/woods/parts coming from Ken's shop. However, AFAIK, there was never a one piece neck on a Smith bass before production shifted to Brubaker. Any idea if this came from Smith or was made by Brubaker?

Last I heard, the partnership with Brubaker is no more. I’m not sure of the bass in question. Hopefully, someone with much more knowledge will respond.

 

[bassmike2010]

Neck question. I see this FS thread of a Brubaker era 6 string with a one piece neck. It's been said that all production by Brubaker used necks/woods/parts coming from Ken's shop. However, AFAIK, there was never a one piece neck on a Smith bass before production shifted to Brubaker. Any idea if this came from Smith or was made by Brubaker?

Don't quote dates, as this is only from a couple of Google searches but if Brubaker production ran from February 2019 through March 2023 with "wood selection, assembly, inspection and setup" handled by Ken Smith, maybe the one- piece neck is a feature of the CR bases (?). Conjecture. I have a '95 CR5M with a one piece Maple.

 

[shwashwa]

interesting. i have a crm5 with a 3 piece. never seen a one piece. can you post pics of your one piece?

 

[bassmike2010]

interesting. i have a crm5 with a 3 piece. never seen a one piece. can you post pics of your one piece?

I'll have a look after work I could be wrong seems like it was one

Is three piece just blends well.

 

[Erik Turkman]

Neck question. I see this FS thread of a Brubaker era 6 string with a one piece neck. It's been said that all production by Brubaker used necks/woods/parts coming from Ken's shop. However, AFAIK, there was never a one piece neck on a Smith bass before production shifted to Brubaker. Any idea if this came from Smith or was made by Brubaker?

A Smith from 2021 was likely made in the Brubaker shop. One piece necks certainly existed before then. I have a 2016 BSR5M that has a one piece neck with graphite, so it wasn’t just CR models. The shop where I got mine had a handful of other BSR Smiths from the same period that also had one piece necks.

 

[deepender]

Today’s office pic.

 

[bassmike2010]

Today’s office pic.
View attachment 5396381

Wow- that's what I'd call an isolation drum booth. Silent stage but for the wedges? Interesting.

 

[deepender]

Wow- that's what I'd call an isolation drum booth. Silent stage but for the wedges? Interesting.

Surprisingly, no. Right next to me is a Fender Rumble, and there are wedges and Hotspots along the front of the stage. I’m thinking that the cage appeared due to one drummer who just had to beat the drums like a lazy mule. He broke one cymbal and several sticks. But the leadership just shrugs. When he is on, even in the cage, the volume from his drums is a bit more than I can handle.

 

[Walk The Dogs]

Last Saturday I played at the induction ceremony for Stephen Schwartz to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Schwartz is the composer/lyricist for a string of legendary Broadway musicals: Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, Wicked, Pocahontas, etc. There were cast members from his biggest shows performing key songs from their repertoires. I was called along with Paul Shaffer (SNL, Letterman, etc), Rick Shutter and Doug Quinn, both from Godspell. Paul and I did Godspell, The Magic Show and the Godspell movie among some other gigs.

I brought my Ken Smith Burner 4 because I wanted something that cut through the stage mix better than my Fenders and knew we'd probably be under stage volume constraints (we were). All in all, it was a successful night but I'm thankful I spent a couple of extracurricular hours learning songs and scribbling notes from YouTube videos of the shows I hadn't played before. We had just 90 minutes to rehearse with the casts and there were no charts, just a running order for what turned out to be a 75 minute presentation.

The high point for me were the powerhouse divas from Wicked and Pocahontas. Man, their voices in that relatively small theater could knock down walls!

 

[deepender]

Last Saturday I played at the induction ceremony for Stephen Schwartz to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Schwartz is the composer/lyricist for a string of legendary Broadway musicals: Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, Wicked, Pocahontas, etc. There were cast members from his biggest shows performing key songs from their repertoires. I was called along with Paul Shaffer (SNL, Letterman, etc), Rick Shutter and Doug Quinn, both from Godspell. Paul and I did Godspell, The Magic Show and the Godspell movie among some other gigs.

I brought my Ken Smith Burner 4 because I wanted something that cut through the stage mix better than my Fenders and knew we'd probably be under stage volume constraints (we were). All in all, it was a successful night but I'm thankful I spent a couple of extracurricular hours learning songs and scribbling notes from YouTube videos of the shows I hadn't played before. We had just 90 minutes to rehearse with the casts and there were no charts, just a running order for what turned out to be a 75 minute presentation.

The high point for me were the powerhouse divas from Wicked and Pocahontas. Man, their voices in that relatively small theater could knock down walls!

View attachment 5398751

Great gig!

 

[ModuMan]

Wow, no charts! That's impressive. Assuming Paul was the bandleader? Any adjustments you had to make or just play the songs? And what a treat to play with amazing vocalists, we should all be so lucky.