Luthier Ken Smith's original career was as a professional studio musician. Inspired by his need for a better quality bass guitar, he built one! His efforts introduced the concept of a high quality custom bass designed to meet the needs of a professional player. Smith spent a number of years in the early 1970s researching luthier information and building designs. By 1978, he opened his business, and in 1980, the first Smith basses were introduced. In the 1990s, Smith also imported a number of basses from Japan. Currently all BSR, BT, and CR models are built in America, however Smith did design the KSD (Ken Smith Design) line of bass guitars that is produced overseas (see KSD). For more information, visit Ken Smith's website, or contact him directly.
Instruments currently built in Perkasie, PA. Instruments previously produced in Japan. Distributed by Ken Smith Basses, Ltd. of Perkasie, PA. Ken Smith has been building guitars since 1978.

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. Electric Guitars Models

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. 20TH ANNIVERSARY Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. 20TH ANNIVERSARY

- offset double cutaway tiger maple body core/black walnut or mahogany laminate, figured (flamed, bird's-eye, and charcoal flamed) California redwood top and back, hard rock maple/bubinga laminate neck, 24-fret makassar ebony fingerboard wi...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. C.R. CUSTOM IV BOLT-ON Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. C.R. CUSTOM IV BOLT-ON

- double cutaway maple body, figured maple wings, bolt-on three-piece maple neck, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard, fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, two-per-side tuners, chrome hardware, two humbucker pickups, volum...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. ARTIST Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. ARTIST

- double cutaway mahogany body with exotic wood top/back, bolt-on maple/walnut five-piece neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, two-per-side tuners, black hardware, two humbucker pickups, volume/treble/bass...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR MS/BT MSV Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR MS/BT MSV

- offset double cutaway body with pointed bottom, tiger maple, black walnut, or quilted maple body wings, neck-thru-body three-piece maple neck with graphite inlaide bars, 24-fret morado/pau ferro fingerboard with offset dot inlays, ma...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. FUSION FMS Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. FUSION FMS

- offset double cutaway body, exotic top over tiger maple or tiger maple over black walnut body wings, three-piece neck-thru body maple neck with graphite inlaid bars, two per-side tuners, standard bridge, two humbucker soapbar pickups, fiv...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. B.M.T. ELITE IV Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. B.M.T. ELITE IV

- offset double cutaway mahogany body with walnut/maple veneer, figured maple top/back, through-body seven-piece bubinga/maple/ovangkol neck, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pea...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR J Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR J

- offset double cutaway body with pointed bottom, solid figured maple or walnut body wings, bolt-on three-piece maple neck, 24-fret bubinga fingerboard with offset dot inlays, matching headstock with two-per-side tuners, standard bridge, tw...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. 25TH ANNIVERSARY Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. 25TH ANNIVERSARY

- Fusion body style, five- or seven-piece laminated wings of tiger maple, quilted maple, or figured walnut, core of western quilted maple, tiger maple, mahogany, or walnut, five or seven piece laminated maple and morado neck-thru body with...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR GN/BT G Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR GN/BT G

- offset double cutaway body with pointed bottom, tiger maple, walnut, quilted maple, bubinga, shedua, avodire, imbuia, lacewood, or koa three-piece laminated body wings, neck-thru-body five-piece maple and bubinga neck with graph...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. FUSION ELITE Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. FUSION ELITE

- Fusion body style, five or seven-piece laminated wings of tiger maple, quilted maple, or figured walnut, core of western quilted maple, tiger maple, mahogany, or walnut, seven-piece laminated maple and Shedua neck-thru body with graphite...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. B.T. CUSTOM IV Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. B.T. CUSTOM IV

- double cutaway mahogany body, figured maple top/back, through-body five-piece maple/mahogany neck, 24-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed brass bridge, blackface peghead with pearl logo inlay, two-per-side tuners, black har...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. CUSTOM Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. CUSTOM

- double cutaway figured maple body, bolt-on maple/walnut five-piece neck, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed bridge, two-per-side tuners, black hardware, two J-style pickups, volume/treble/bass and mix controls, activ...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR M/CR M Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR M/CR M

- offset double cutaway body with pointed bottom, tiger maple, walnut, avodire', quilted maple, lacewood, or swamp ash body wings, bolt-on three-piece maple neck, 24-fret morado/pau ferro fingerboard with offset dot inlays, matching hea...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. DELUXE Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. DELUXE

- double cutaway swamp ash body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed brass bridge, two-per-side tuners, black hardware, two J-style pickups, four knobs (two v, t, b), active electronics, available i...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR EG/BT EG Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR EG/BT EG

- offset double cutaway body with pointed bottom, five-piece laminated tiger maple, figured walnut, quilted maple, morado, zebrawood, cocobolo, or ebony with a walnut back body wings, western quilted maple, tiger maple, mahogany, or walnut...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR MW/CR MW Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR MW/CR MW

- similar to the MSR4M/CR4M, except has three-piece laminated wings with either bookmatched tiger maple top/back with a walnut core or a bookmatched walnut top/back with a tiger maple core, mfg. 1997-present.

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. STANDARD Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. STANDARD

- double cutaway alder body, bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret pau ferro fingerboard with pearl dot inlay, fixed brass bridge, two-per-side tuners, black hardware, two J-style pickups, four knobs (two v, t, b), active electronics, available in El...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BLACK TIGER BSR TN/BT TNV Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BLACK TIGER BSR TN/BT TNV

- offset double cutaway BSR style body, three-piece laminated rare figured black walnut body wings, walnut back, five-piece laminated maple and bubinga neck-thru-body with graphite inlaid bars, two-per-side tuners, standard bridge, two humb...

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR P/CR V Image

KEN SMITH BASSES, LTD. BSR P/CR V

- similar to the MSR M/CR M, except has three-piece laminated wings with a bookmatched top/back of tiger maple, quilted maple, walnut, bubinga, shedua, avodire, imbuia, lacewood, or koa, a core of western quilted maple, tigermaple, mahogany...