Ken Smith and the 6 String Basses

[1966powers]

Ken Smith was the first to develop a 6-string bass suitable for playing ... Before, Carl Thompson tried it with little success. Then the others came ... Here is the story ......

ARTICLE-SMITH-BASS-by-José-Luis-Porras.pdf

 

[therealting]

Great article, thanks for sharing!

[ped]

Excellent read! I wonder if that have those blue plaques up on these buildings in the USA ‘Ken Smith carved his first bass here’ 😂

its a shame they’re so rate in the UK. I still don’t think many people know what a Smith sounds like. I discovered them by hearing the sweetest bass sound I’d ever heard, didn’t think anything of it (pre internet, what could I do!?). I recognised the sound on other things and eventually saw the video for Chic Corea’s ‘Electric City’ and heard that sweet plink of the G string (0:30)

 

[White Cloud]

Brilliant post. 

[Guest]

I had a Smith BSR Elite G once; stunning instrument and the most even sounding and playable bass I’ve owned. It could do old schoole Fender tones, right up to modern and the preamp was great. Sadly they’re as rare as hen’s teeth in the UK. If I ever find a fiver in the Uk I’d snap it up. There’s a factory tour video on his site I believe; very interesting.

Edit: there is one in Bass Direct... but although lovely, not at £5,250! 😮

Edited January 19, 2019 by FDC484950

[Paulhauser]

Thank you, it was a very interesting read!

 

[visog]

Lot of other manufacturers in the 'six' story though... Fender, Carl Thompson and Fodera for example... Anthony Jackson and subsequently John Patitucci were the innovators... Arguably Jack Bruce on the Fender too.

[HumblePie]

13 hours ago, visog said:

Lot of other manufacturers in the 'six' story though... Fender, Carl Thompson and Fodera for example... Anthony Jackson and subsequently John Patitucci were the innovators... Arguably Jack Bruce on the Fender too.

All of this can be found in the article, though.

[ped]

13 hours ago, visog said:

Lot of other manufacturers in the 'six' story though... Fender, Carl Thompson and Fodera for example... Anthony Jackson and subsequently John Patitucci were the innovators... Arguably Jack Bruce on the Fender too.

Someone didn’t read the article!! 🤦🏻‍♂️

[HumblePie]

23 hours ago, ped said:

Excellent read! I wonder if that have those blue plaques up on these buildings in the USA ‘Ken Smith carved his first bass here’ 😂

its a shame they’re so rate in the UK. I still don’t think many people know what a Smith sounds like. I discovered them by hearing the sweetest bass sound I’d ever heard, didn’t think anything of it (pre internet, what could I do!?). I recognised the sound on other things and eventually saw the video for Chic Corea’s ‘Electric City’ and heard that sweet plink of the G string (0:30)

 

Btw I love this video clip- had the CD for years, but did not know about the video. Recorded at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, featuring some very skilled dancers 🙂

[lemmywinks]

23 hours ago, ped said:

 

 

That's the most 80s thing I've ever seen. They even got Screech from Saved by the Bell to play guitar.

Edited January 20, 2019 by lemmywinks

[ped]

I posted some other clips showing what are to my mind the best examples of the ‘smith sound’ here

 

[1966powers]

19 minutes ago, ped said:

I posted some other clips showing what are to my mind the best examples of the ‘smith sound’ here

 

Ped: there is a data in your posted, which is not exact.

Smith builds his basses in New York until 1985; The 1986 instruments are already manufactured in Pennsylvania. It is true that Smith continues to maintain the company in N.Y. But at the legal level, this is: for the commercialization of the instruments. In fact, he talks about trips from Pennsylvania to N.Y, in his car, loaded with the instruments to prepare them for sale.

[1966powers]

The bodies and the necks of the instruments of 1986, 1987 and 1988 were cut and pasted in New York. But the instrument was built in Pennsylvania.

[1966powers]

43 minutes ago, ped said:

I posted some other clips showing what are to my mind the best examples of the ‘smith sound’ here

 

In 1991, Smith moved the entire company to Pennsylvania ... he no longer had to travel loaded with instruments to N.Y.

[ped]

Good to know - thanks. Edited for accuracy!

[Hellzero]

Thanks for sharing this interesting article. Being a 6 strings bass player and at some time a bass "historian", I knew most of it, but not all of it, which is very important. In fact, I knew the story through Anthony Jackson's interviews, but the funny thing is to see the part these guys played in the 6 strings bass history : Carl Thompson, Ken Smith, Vinnie Fodera and even Stuart Spector, all four in New York at the same time catching and understanding the vibe in the air.

What is the most edifying is that the name Contra Bass is from Ken Smith himself and that the best concept of the instrument (here the 6 strings bass) is by the same guy... 👍

Being a huge fan of Anthony Jackson, I now have other parts of the sound puzzle, thanks to you !

[1966powers]

Thanks Hellzero!!

[1966powers]

2 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Thanks for sharing this interesting article. Being a 6 strings bass player and at some time a bass "historian", I knew most of it, but not all of it, which is very important. In fact, I knew the story through Anthony Jackson's interviews, but the funny thing is to see the part these guys played in the 6 strings bass history : Carl Thompson, Ken Smith, Vinnie Fodera and even Stuart Spector, all four in New York at the same time catching and understanding the vibe in the air.

What is the most edifying is that the name Contra Bass is from Ken Smith himself and that the best concept of the instrument (here the 6 strings bass) is by the same guy... 👍

Being a huge fan of Anthony Jackson, I now have other parts of the sound puzzle, thanks to you !

Thanks Hellzero!

[Paulhauser]

Thanks to @1966powers now I have a strong GAS to get a Smith.

Been there before and was able to fight the urge but who knows what will happen this time 

[Delberthot]

5 hours ago, lemmywinks said:

That's the most 80s thing I've ever seen. They even got Screech from Saved by the Bell to play guitar.

And Tony Hadley on bass

[Chris2112]

8 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Thanks for sharing this interesting article. Being a 6 strings bass player and at some time a bass "historian", I knew most of it, but not all of it, which is very important. In fact, I knew the story through Anthony Jackson's interviews, but the funny thing is to see the part these guys played in the 6 strings bass history : Carl Thompson, Ken Smith, Vinnie Fodera and even Stuart Spector, all four in New York at the same time catching and understanding the vibe in the air.

What is the most edifying is that the name Contra Bass is from Ken Smith himself and that the best concept of the instrument (here the 6 strings bass) is by the same guy... 👍

Being a huge fan of Anthony Jackson, I now have other parts of the sound puzzle, thanks to you !

The thing that always sticks out and amuses is that Carl Thompson's builds are always referred to as being absolute dogshite. I have read Ken Smith's comments on then before in less flattering terms than are used here. He was out of his depth against Fodera and Smith.