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NBD! Ken Smith Black Tiger Six


CamdenRob
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So after nearly a year long wait my new build Smith has arrived!

Very pleased with it :) The sound is very tight and focused and the EQ is very subtle. Reminds me of a Glockenklang amp I had in the days before the size and weight of my amplification became the primary driver behind what I use...  Not 100% on the strings I'll swap those out for Newtone Diamonds this weekend, but all in all very glad I've added it to the arsenal :) 

It's my understanding that Kevin Brubaker and his team do the woodwork on Smith Basses these days and this example is credit to the work he's doing over there in Baltimore.  Kevin has a very fine range of his own basses which are no doubt also built to this level of quality.

I no longer seem to be able to link to stuff from imgur for some reason (it's been a while since I posted anything) so have had to attach these. I need to do some better ones in natural light to fully show off the figuring, but I snapped these shortly after it arrived :) 

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 A different tonal option to add to the stable :) 

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A big thumbs up for Mark at Bass Direct as well for organizing the build. I did try to order one directly from Ken but I couldn't seem to get him to agree to build it for me 😂

*update

Better pics in natural light...

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Edited by CamdenRob
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Amazing bass - what a collection!! All with too many strings! 😂

If it's any help I always found Elixir strings sounded amazing on a Smith; the nickel warmth and everlasting brightness really suited the character of the bass.

Looks like a satin finish, that's new isn't it?

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Congrats on the new bass! 

7 minutes ago, ped said:

Amazing bass - what a collection!! All with too many strings! 😂

If it's any help I always found Elixir strings sounded amazing on a Smith; the nickel warmth and everlasting brightness really suited the character of the bass.

Looks like a satin finish, that's new isn't it?

Is it the ELIXIR Nanoweb Nickels you're recommending in particular?

Edited by Al Krow
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1 minute ago, Al Krow said:

Is it the ELIXIR Nanoweb Nickels you're recommending in particular?

 

Yep, lovely things! I have't tried the steels in years though as they don't come in my size. The nickel ones just sound perfect on hi-fi basses IMO.

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1 minute ago, ped said:

Yep, lovely things! I have't tried the steels in years though as they don't come in my size. The nickel ones just sound perfect on hi-fi basses IMO.

Ok will make a mental note of these for my KS. The rest of my herd can make do and mend with D'Addario EXL170s nickels which are 60% cheaper! :) 

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Just now, Al Krow said:

Ok will make a mental note of these for my KS. The rest of my herd can make do and mend with D'Addario EXL170s nickels which are 60% cheaper! :) 

Ah but you barely have to replace Elixirs, so they work out cheaper!

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1 minute ago, CamdenRob said:

Thanks chaps :) 

Regarding the finish I have been given a bottle of Ken’s polish which I have yet to research the best way to apply... the finish looks very similar to my Wals.

The polish is great too! Yeah I think the satin finish is a new option, although I believe it was offered a while back the more recent Smiths are high gloss. Looks great.

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29 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

Very handsome woodwork. Will it be an improvement on Fodera or Wal, or is it just the need for an extra string?

I wouldn’t say an improvement, just another option really. Adding something different to what I already have. I usually use a six (the Wals are sixers as well) as I do a lot of chordal stuff when messing around with solo stuff and recording bits and bobs with others. Im so used to it, after so many years, thinner necks feel strange now.

The band I’m currently playing with is very simple rocky stuff so I’d get away with a 4 BEAD and I’d probably only use 3 of those... in fact if I’m honest I could probably do a passable rendition of the set with just a B 😕

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51 minutes ago, ped said:

Ah but you barely have to replace Elixirs, so they work out cheaper!

Very true. I punish strings and use Elixirs. They last ages even with the way I play. 

Eventually,  they start to mechanically die; the cores lose their resilience and the coating will also start to fray off above the frets and where your right hand plucks/strums/slaps.

Don't let that piece above put you off. It takes about 18 months to 2 years for that to happen!

(Not that mine are on anything as exotic as Wals or Smiths. Vigier, Warwicks and Ibanez still sound great with them on)

 

Edited by Lfalex v1.1
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What a lovely looking bass! It's kind of understated in terms of saying 'I'm so good, I don't need to look fancy'. The build quality looks superb.

I must also comment on the finish of the Wal-6, fretted; I thought mine was special in figured black walnut, but that finish is sublime.Great collection!

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4 hours ago, Jason Karloff said:

A truly amazing collection. Although I have to say my first thought was for your back 😋

Yes that’s the reason Ive been considering  a chambered US Sadowsky to use in the band... My back isn’t great after years of desk jobs 😕

I actually don’t struggle with weight of basses too much if they are balanced... Neck heavy is more of an issue... I had a Thumb NT 6 for a while which sounded absolutely awesome but was unplayably unbalanced... gave me back ache standing with it after about ten minutes 😕

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