The Samick Club

[Olde Axeman]

Samick seems to go through periods where they want to sell guitars in the U.S. under their own name followed by periods where they don't. As of right now they no longer want to sell in the U.S. under the Samick label and have discontinued all of the Greg Bennett line of electric guitars and basses.

The Samick distribution warehouse is 20 miles from where I live. Both last year and again this year they have attempted to liquidate the stock from the warehouse.

This year's sale was this past weekend and I would speculate that they probably have very little inventory remaining. I bought a 5-string Corsair P-J bass from them. Got it OTD for $150. Quality is about on par with the Squier VM line.

They also had a unique 6-string electric guitar that I had never seen nor heard of. Apparently, a few years ago they created a new Electrin line, separate from the Greg Bennett axes. One of these was the RS10 "Rose" model, a modern Telecaster designed by J. T. Riboloff who was a former designer for Gibson. It's a double cutaway with a contoured body but still nails the Tele sound. Got it for $175 OTD.

I kinda hate to see them go. They were a decent alternative to Squier.

 

[secretsound5]

Wow, I came across this section by accident. If the samick club is still in existance, give me a number! I've had a Samick SAKB 6690 4 string for years and love it!
I had to rip out the electronics as it ate batteries like crazy but it is still a really nice sounding bass. Very articulate.

 

[jmhaslip]

I have 2 late 80's 5-string Samicks, one fretted and one fretless. Both have EMG PJ5 active pickups. Can I get a number, please?

 

[Ayce]

The black one is exactly the same as the one I had, purchased from my local Yamaha store in the early 90's. ('93, IIRC). Mine had a small nick on the tip of the headstock, and I had put a "Heartbeat" sticker on it. Sold it a few years ago. Sorry I did, now.

 

[Bagster]

Found this club trying to identify my bass. Anyone can help? Have it since about 20 years. It's a one-piece (not sure of the correct term)

 

[hifibass]

I think, but I could be wrong, it's an XBT-637/Prophet that was discontinued around 1994. Most Samick's of this era featured bolt-on necks and not "neck-through construction" like this bass has.

 

[Bagster]

Thank you very much hifibass!

 

[Razman]

Slow thread, eh? I've seen a few Samick basses in town and they looked good but unfortunately I wasn't impressed by their sound. A few years back a local shop had a green SAKB5 fretless (with the open headstock) but I'm not a fretless guy. So last Friday I rescued a fretted version from certain death and fixed it up.

It has all the qualities I like - arrow-straight neck, slightly thicker C shape, more than four strings, humbuckers and an open bridge - but the sound has this weird midrangy thing going on. I put some DR MM Fat Beams on it (I prefer Kalium's) but I need to run it through my band rig and compare it to my custom. That rig has been put up for a bit while the band is on hiatus but I think we'll be practicing again in a couple of weeks. Heck, it might just sound awesome, we'll see. Has good sustain though.

Okay, I'll return you to your regular TB programming now...

Raz

 

[BioWeapon]

Slow thread, eh? I've seen a few Samick basses in town and they looked good but unfortunately I wasn't impressed by their sound. A few years back a local shop had a green SAKB5 fretless (with the open headstock) but I'm not a fretless guy. So last Friday I rescued a fretted version from certain death and fixed it up.

It has all the qualities I like - arrow-straight neck, slightly thicker C shape, more than four strings, humbuckers and an open bridge - but the sound has this weird midrangy thing going on. I put some DR MM Fat Beams on it (I prefer Kalium's) but I need to run it through my band rig and compare it to my custom. That rig has been put up for a bit while the band is on hiatus but I think we'll be practicing again in a couple of weeks. Heck, it might just sound awesome, we'll see. Has good sustain though.

Okay, I'll return you to your regular TB programming now...

Raz

My Samick 5er has the same midrange thing going on. I'm not sure what it is, exactly - but you can hear there's something missing and the midrange comes through pretty prominently because of it. Mines good for punk-like tones at least.

 

[SamickPlayer]

Hi, while trying to identify my bass I found "The Samick Club". I have a 4-string that has to be the same series as your 5-string. Googling around I found this site: G
The model on my bass must be Samick GB 637 and yours should be GB5-627 or GB5-639.
This is a very nice bass, easy to play but hard to find, even the information was almost impossible to find. I will never let this bass go, it's definitely a keeper. These basses was produced only 1991-1992.

Hi from Sweden!

 

[FranckBassist]

Hello!
Two weeks ago, I bought me a Corsair CR-13 for €75,00 / $ 85,00. And I love it!
A really good solution for me to keep playing bass because I can't use my Fender MiM Jazz 5-string anymore suffering from carpale tunnel syndrome.
Happy with this short-scale and my Epiphone Beatle bass!

 

[Ayce]

I can relate. Many years ago when I was a tin banger, I had the same issue. I had the surgery done, and was out of action for 3 months. I had a Samick 5er at the time.

 

[Razman]

Hello!
Two weeks ago, I bought me a Corsair CR-13 for €75,00 / $ 85,00. And I love it!
A really good solution for me to keep playing bass because I can't use my Fender MiM Jazz 5-string anymore suffering from carpale tunnel syndrome.
Happy with this short-scale and my Epiphone Beatle bass!

I can relate. Many years ago when I was a tin banger, I had the same issue. I had the surgery done, and was out of action for 3 months. I had a Samick 5er at the time.

I just had my right wrist fixed - surgery on a Thursday, and I was able to play Sunday morning. With the bandage on too. I had my left wrist done about three and a half years ago and was able to play in a little over a week. I guess YMMV.

 

[Ayce]

Different times as well. This was back in the mid 90s and I wasn't a young buck then.
I recently had 7 stents put in my legs. I was out the same day. There was a time when that could have meant a few days in hospital, but now it's get 'em in and get 'em out, I guess.

 

[FranckBassist]

I just had my right wrist fixed - surgery on a Thursday, and I was able to play Sunday morning. With the bandage on too. I had my left wrist done about three and a half years ago and was able to play in a little over a week. I guess YMMV.

I had surgery on both hands for 2 years ago now and still having problems...
I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. Me and hospitals...not a good combination.

 

[H4nsi]

I've just resently started playing the bass.
And I've found my father's old Samick bass 4 string but i don't know much about it so I would like to ask you guys.
On the back it says "Model*Special-B/BK.
Do you guys know if it's a good bass or any thing?

 

[Ayce]

Well, it's something.

Some older Samicks work fine if taken care of, but they can become crap in a hurry.

 

[B-Mac]

[Edit]
Correction: I have a Samick HFB490
The above picture was one I was going to buy but I waited too long. Below is my 490

 

[Tibtsy]

Hello Guys,

Please help me to identify my Samick bass (wich I love).
The neck inlays are saturn so it relates to Samick Saturn series, but it has two pot and a switch and it hasn't active pickups.

Thank You

 

[Ayce]

I had the same model in the late 80s. It was the first brand new bass I ever bought. (Mine was blue/purple. It would change colour depending on the light.) I kept it until I bought my first 5 string fretless. (Also a Samick) I can't recall the model #, but at least it's a starting point, age wise.