Thunderbird Club

[BklynKen]

What color are the Ken Smith silks?

 

[kat888]

What color are the Ken Smith silks?

Burnt orange at the headstock end and blue at the bridge end.

 

[BklynKen]

FYI, Ken Smith strings are wound by GHS. Burners are boomers, slick rounds are brite flats, compressors are pressure wounds and rock masters are super steels.

I saw already that you're not sure about this. I seriously doubt this would be the case. It's like contract brewing for beer. I'm sure Ken Smith gives his/their own specs for their strings.

Burnt orange at the headstock end and blue at the bridge end.

Curious how they chose that, especially with different colors at each end.

 

[JIO]

Producer we worked with a couple records ago was recovering from a vasectomy at the time. He kept the card of the doctor that performed it, because the name was too good to be true- Richard Chopp.

Yes, his vasectomy was performed by Dr. Dick Chopp.

Well, technically it was a vasectomy, not a castration... (Dr Tessy Snip?)

 

[ubernator]

I'm surprised to learn that the fretwork was better on the '06 than it was on the '15. You'd think that advancements in technology would've helped refine the process.

I was happy enough with the workaround for the less than straight neck on the Goth. The reason I traded it for this TB IV was the neck size. There was no "workaround" for that issue

it isn't a question of improved technology, more like "they don't make em like they used to" prices are relatively the same as they were, but inflation etc... Gets worse. Korean factories generally had higher standards and probably pay their workers more than Chinese factory workers are paid. Epi keeps moving down the chain of factories for the lower line instruments, as most companies do. In order to stay competitive they have to lower costs. It isnt like $349 basses are getting plek'd at the factory. There are reasons people go after the older Korean ones.

Indonesia seems to be an anomaly, $1k+ lakland skylines are coming from there, and my 2013 classic pro, no complaints! But the older skylines were made in Korea, and surely there are people who covet the Korean ones over the Indonesian ones. Not that it is probably much of a difference at that price point. $349 was more money in 2006 than it was in 2015, so I am not surprised by better fit and finish on the 2006 MIK.

Perhaps the brain trust here can elaborate on differences between older Korean classic pros and current Indonesian ones?

About 15 miles away. I remember hearing Bethlehem on the winter school closing lists of my youth.



If I were to play out, that's what I'd look for in a gig bass. Good call!

many a snow day in my youth. Mom made it till 86 and moved us away, Dad stayed till 2014. I wouldn't say I was looking for a beater, it just happened to come up at the right price and trade. Meant to be, synchronicity.

I'm going to have to look that up when i get home, all i know is that it's made in Indonesia.

the first 2# are the year.

 

[JIO]

it isn't a question of improved technology, more like "they don't make em like they used to" prices are relatively the same as they were, but inflation etc... Gets worse. Korean factories generally had higher standards and probably pay their workers more than Chinese factory workers are paid. Epi keeps moving down the chain of factories for the lower line instruments, as most companies do. In order to stay competitive they have to lower costs. It isnt like $349 basses are getting plek'd at the factory. There are reasons people go after the older Korean ones.

Indonesia seems to be an anomaly, $1k+ lakland skylines are coming from there, and my 2013 classic pro, no complaints! But the older skylines were made in Korea, and surely there are people who covet the Korean ones over the Indonesian ones. Not that it is probably much of a difference at that price point. $349 was more money in 2006 than it was in 2015, so I am not surprised by better fit and finish on the 2006 MIK.

Perhaps the brain trust here can elaborate on differences between older Korean classic pros and current Indonesian ones?

If it's anything like bicycle manufactures, many high-end models by high profile brands are produced in Indonesia where the mother company (wherever they are from) have their bikes made in a state-of-the-art factory there and oversee/manage their brand integrity. A high-end Swiss company bike made in Indonesia can result in a quality (but by no means cheap) product. It's the way it all goes now. I like Korean products because they are at the level of what Japan products were over 30 years ago. I avoid MIC because of their sheer size have the capacity to make quality products (and do make them in certain consumer sectors) but mostly flood the market with cheap crap.

 

[JIO]

GHS is a good company - I've used their strings a lot over the years and have had very good/friendly communications with them. I'm on a D'Addario kick lately but I still like GHS and will use them again. I primarily use their Progressive flats and Progressive round-wounds.

 

[ubernator]

If it's anything like bicycle manufactures, many high-end models by high profile brands are produced in Indonesia where the mother company (wherever they are from) have their bikes made in a state-of-the-art factory there and oversee/manage their brand integrity. A high-end Swiss company bike made in Indonesia can result in a quality (but by no means cheap) product. It's the way it all goes now. I like Korean products because they are at the level of what Japan products were over 30 years ago. I avoid MIC because of their sheer size have the capacity to make quality products (and do make them in certain consumer sectors) but mostly flood the market with cheap crap.

I miss my older Korean made Samsung phones, even Samsung is using China now .

I'd still rock a Chinese epi bird, but not without testing the truss rod first and checking for high frets. The chinese bird actually had a more lively and punchy tone than the goth, and the grain on the body was beautiful. Peavey lust caused me to sell it, but the peavey seller was firm on a price that was too high, and it worked out for the best when the money went where it should have gone in the first place, a neck thru bird.

 

[theFixer]

I've never had Nickel plating fall off on a bass string and I had a set that were roughly 7 years old on a bass.
And haven't had a SS string that was smoother feeling than Nickel (not including flats, pressure wounds, etc.)
Doesn't mean they're all like that but that's just my experience.

Yeah... I should clarify that. What I meant to say was that those DR Hi-Beams feel smoother than other stainless steel round wounds. Not that they feel smoother than every other string made.

The nickel chipping is a result of problems in the plating process, so it usually happens in batches. By now, I'm sure guitar string production has changed quite a bit, but back when I worked at Markley, the winders had to watch for bad plating. If it came up in the spool, we had to strip it off the machine & exchange it for another. Of course you can see the imperfections in that particular brand of quality control, so of course, they went through an inspection process before going to be packaged, where they were again inspected by the packagers. It's worth noting, that these "inspectors" were human beings using nothing more than their own eyes & fingers to handle and inspect thousands and thousands of shiny little wires for 8 - 12 hours a day... and they were looking for a flaw that's incredibly difficult to see... and gettin' paid chicken feed to do it, while being under pressure to make quota (I'm sure you can see where I'm goin' with this). Does it surprise me that you have a bass with 7 year old strings with no visible chipping? Not at all. However it would surprise me if you had 5 or 10 basses with 7 year old strings that didn't exhibit symptoms somewhere in the ranks.

<edit>
@Dadagoboi & @GBassNorth {just taggin' you into this posting}

 

[theFixer]

Best argument I've heard for SS is people who are allergic to nickel. But now I'd really like to try the KS.

I've got what I feel is a pretty good argument for SS. I like 'em!

 

[ubernator]

Yeah... I should clarify that. What I meant to say was that those DR Hi-Beams feel smoother than other stainless steel round wounds. Not that they feel smoother than every other string made.

The nickel chipping is a result of problems in the plating process, so it usually happens in batches. By now, I'm sure guitar string production has changed quite a bit, but back when I worked at Markley, the winders had to watch for bad plating. If it came up in the spool, we had to strip it off the machine & exchange it for another. Of course you can see the imperfections in that particular brand of quality control, so of course, they went through an inspection process before going to be packaged, where they were again inspected by the packagers. It's worth noting, that these "inspectors" were human beings using nothing more than their own eyes & fingers to handle and inspect thousands and thousands of shiny little wires for 8 - 12 hours a day... and they were looking for a flaw that's incredibly difficult to see... and gettin' paid chicken feed to do it (I'm sure you can see where I'm goin' with this). Does it surprise me that you have a bass with 7 year old strings with no visible chipping? Not at all. However it would surprise me if you had 5 or 10 basses with 7 year old strings that didn't exhibit symptoms somewhere in the ranks.

Were you working at markley when they were making american flyers? I love those strings, and still use a few sets. They did get rust/chip spots in the nickel pretty bad, but after an ether bath they still sound pretty good. The gimmick was the core was stretched to pitch tension and then wound, if I remember correctly. I got them for nearly free when they were a GC promo and a friend was working there. I think I got a 6 pack and paid about $5 for it, and even less for 12 packs of electric and acoustic strings. Still have a few electric sets and several acoustics. Wish I had a stock of fresh bass strings, I like them.

 

[theFixer]

FYI, Ken Smith strings are wound by GHS. Burners are boomers, slick rounds are brite flats, compressors are pressure wounds and rock masters are super steels.

It's certainly no secret that there are a lot more brands, than there are manufacturers

 

[theFixer]

Were you working at markley when they were making american flyers? I love those strings, and still use a few sets. They did get rust/chip spots in the nickel pretty bad, but after an ether bath they still sound pretty good. The gimmick was the core was stretched to pitch tension and then wound, if I remember correctly. I got them for nearly free when they were a GC promo and a friend was working there. I think I got a 6 pack and paid about $5 for it, and even less for 12 packs of electric and acoustic strings. Still have a few electric sets and several acoustics. Wish I had a stock of fresh bass strings, I like them.

I was there early/mid '90s. I wound thousands of the American Flyer electrics. Those rust/chip spot you're talking about, were most likely areas where bad plating had chipped off. Once the nickel's gone, the steel's exposed, and vulnerable to the elements. If you played on 'em all the time, you'd probably never notice. Let it go for a little while without touching it, and that's when the ugly shows up.

 

[Count Bassie]

Houston... they have a problem.

 

[ubernator]

I was there early/mid '90s. I wound thousands of the American Flyer electrics. Those rust/chip spot you're talking about, were most likely areas where bad plating had chipped off. Once the nickel's gone, the steel's exposed, and vulnerable to the elements. If you played on 'em all the time, you'd probably never notice. Let it go for a little while without touching it, and that's when the ugly shows up.

Think they will ever bring that line back? Any truth to the rumor that the strings were wound at proper pitch tension?

 

[Larry V]

Proving you either right or wrong:

I admit it. I was wrong. :***:

 

[RedVee]

Ken Smith Bass Burners (nickel 45-65-85-105) - last foreverever. Those are on both Birds. Although I am going to try some of the RS66LDNs on the Vintage Pro when I have one (the A string is 85 instead of the 80 in the standard SS set).

@kat888 there is a post re Aussie availability of KS bass strings on OzBass at the moment. Not sure if you'd seen it or were interested.

Clearance offer:
Nickel: BB-M “Bass Burner “ Medium (2 sets left)
Gauge: 45-65-85-105, round wound.
the 4 string sets are now $39.50 delivered Australia wide

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Burnt orange-ish. Bright but also warm with a nice caramel base.

How would you describe their smell?

 

[hillerup]

You could always wrap gaffa tape around the neck until it felt chunky enough...

 

[hillerup]

n+1!
There's always room for another one, ask @hillerup

Wife says the correct number of Thunderbirds is N-1... With N = The current number of birds that I have...

She was NOT happy with my last purchase, so I won't buy more for quite a while...