tournesol74 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Hi everyone, I just have an experience with the Ken Smith customer service, I have one KS burner da5, and one pot in the electronic is broken. I ask for the customer service to pay for a new one, it seems to be 10$ but they ask me 100 $ for shipping ! I'm in France I'm not sure it's really fair, I bought a lot of time some musical stuff in USA and never pay 100$ for a pot. For strings I pay 5$, so I don't think a pot weight more. sorry for my english... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Bonjour I had a similar thing. Needed a small component for my burner and shipping charges were crazy. I ended up asking him to mail it to my wife's family who live in the states and they posted it on to me MUCH cheaper! It's a shame really. I needed a pot for my Sadowsky and Roger sent one completely free of charge. Outstanding! Shame K'S doesn't operate a similar policy. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 £60 to deliver a pot? I'd be surprised if that wasn't a mistake. Did you actually speak to someone or was this via email? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Is there anything special about this pot? If not then I suggest the OP just buys one locally and avoids the rip off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tournesol74 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) by email...I ask if he was kidding, and here the answer : "No, that is the cost WE have to pay UPS for shipping. The Pot is $10. if you walk in and buy it. I don't keep the other $100. UPS gets it." I can't find it in France Edited June 8, 2011 by tournesol74 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 $100 for shipping a small electronic component is remarkable when you consider that UPS only charged a guy $10 to ship me a stomp box from the States. If I recall correctly, CK has also been on the receiving end of Mr Smith's idea of customer service too. What is the pot rating/type? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tournesol74 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Ken is known for particularly bad customer service, as well as not really caring about the Burner basses. I think his justification was that they wern't his own instruments given their Japanese construction. I don't think he was ever particularly happy with the Burner basses or what became KSD basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I bet you'll find one of those [url="http://radiospares-fr.rs-online.com/web/"]here[/url]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 That is amazingly crap. I've had very helpful responses from a few American companies..including Alembic (often cited as the last bastion of true hippyness). I'd just ignore KS and get searching for an equivalent - there must be good techs in France who can repair your problem for a lot less money. A detailed pic and some notes of any markings on the pot would be a good start... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tournesol74 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) It's written on it : TB100K 7orT here is some good pictures : Edited June 8, 2011 by tournesol74 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) Get rid of all of the electrics and fit a John East preamp. You can get a really comprehensive set of tone controls from John for not much more than the cost of a single pot from Smith. [url="http://www.east-uk.com/"]http://www.east-uk.com/[/url] Edited June 8, 2011 by steve-soar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 [quote name='BassBod' post='1261786' date='Jun 8 2011, 08:34 PM']That is amazingly crap. I've had very helpful responses from a few American companies..including Alembic (often cited as the last bastion of true hippyness). I'd just ignore KS and get searching for an equivalent - there must be good techs in France who can repair your problem for a lot less money.[/quote] Indeed. I've had free parts and manuals from Phillip Kubicki, shipped to England! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I used to have a BSR6 and asked for some Smith strings and polishing fluid. He replied a few days later with "We don't ship small orders internationally". I sold the bass not long after. I imagine Smith can't be bothered with their non-US customers as they do enough business inside the states. Guess which brand I will not be buying in the future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Here you go... [url="http://radiospares-fr.rs-online.com/web/410457.html"]http://radiospares-fr.rs-online.com/web/410457.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ficelles Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 [quote name='tournesol74' post='1261805' date='Jun 8 2011, 08:44 PM']It's written on it : TB100K 7orT[/quote] Looks like a standard 100K PCB-mount mini pot, only question is linear or audio taper (I don't recognise the TB prefix... anyone?). Any steps or centre detente? Anyway probably a couple of Euros on eBay for an equivalent part. ficelles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tournesol74 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 there is a center detente Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 [quote name='ficelles' post='1261883' date='Jun 8 2011, 09:23 PM']Looks like a standard 100K PCB-mount mini pot, only question is linear or audio taper (I don't recognise the TB prefix... anyone?). Any steps or centre detente? Anyway probably a couple of Euros on eBay for an equivalent part.[/quote] The trick is to ignore all of the letter around the 100K part unless they are A or B. A= Log (or audio taper) B= Linear So this is a 100K Linear pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tournesol74 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 I need the circuit just under the pot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB3000S Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Perhaps a US based Basschatter would be willing to order it for you and send it on to you? UPS shipping costs shouldn't be silly within US. Bit of a workaround, but perhaps a workable solution if you can't find a replacement incl that little circuit board. Clearly a case of wonderfully bad customer service though. Used to have a wonderful Ken Smith BSR5EG, but the company's overall attitude left me with a feeling of bad karma for the poor bass so it had to move on eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tournesol74 Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 (edited) that would be really nice, I can pay with paypal, thanks per advance Edited June 9, 2011 by tournesol74 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbluestew Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Bojour mon ami , as a long time Smith lurker, and farily recent purchaser, I too have had a bad experience with Smith customer service. And don't think it's anything to do with the Burner series, it's pretty much across the board. I bought a beautiful used BSR5-GN ( the back of this bass is a work of art ) which came with the original hard case. Being a bit of a completeist I emailed Smith and asked if I could purchase the kit that comes with a new bass ( polish / allen keys / strap ) and he said he would sell me the strap ( $60 ) and polish ( $4) and throw in the allen keys free - HOWEVER there was a $300 ( yes THREE HUNDRED DOLLAR minimum order for overseas sales, and that doesn't include postage. I didn't bother. It is no surprise that a dwindling number of European dealers are willing to put up with this. US dealers seem to have him on a pedestal and he can do no wrong ( apart from Talkbass who I [i]THINK[/i] have banned him after a spat ). Again US owners are just SOOOO fawning it's almost sickening to read some of the message boards. Again I just don't bother now. Contrast and compare with the service from other top US luthiers ( perhaps Jimmy Copollo aside - I think he and Ken went to the same customer service school, although to be fair Jimmy is more just forgetful and disorganised than nasty as Ken can appear at times, and Jimmy has recently employed someone to deal with customers and let him build the basses ). It doesn't put Smith in a good light, and the basses are expensive, and popular with a lot of pro players in Europe. Surely this is a market he can't ignore or afford to disenfranchise. Like you I am very disapointed in Smith's attitude. If I didn't truly love this bass I would be moving it on as a token protest. Good luck with the part, Stewart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB3000S Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 [quote name='tournesol74' post='1262291' date='Jun 9 2011, 09:56 AM']that would be really nice, I can pay with paypal, thanks per advance[/quote] Perhaps you should start a new thread or change the title of this one to more clearly probe for possible help from a US based forumite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 As if! I hope you get it sorted. Appalling service for such expensive instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I also had a pal in the USA mail me a component. Do you have a trusted friend in the USA can do this you ? However i do think that maybe someone should alert the Ken smith company to this thread, as its nothing but bad publicity for them, hopefully they would change policy of one single price for non guitar items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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