Are VINTAGE basses worth the HYPE or is it BS?

The secret to great bass tone is old wood, right? As bass players, we’re almost always inclined to think that older instruments sound better than new ones. Surely the fact that they’re older, means they’re way better? In today’s lesson, we’re going to take a look at two Ken Smith BT6 bass guitars. Both appear almost identical at first glance, but one is from the late 90s and the other was built in 2021. But which is better? Let’s end this debate once and for all!

Us bass players get subjected to our fair share of hype, half-truths and downright misinformation when it comes to our beloved gear. Sometimes it comes from sales staff trying to convince us to part with our hard-earned cash, but more often than not it comes from other bassists, whether out there on the web or down the local band night, trying to convince you that their ‘70s Alembic is better than your new Jazz Bass.

So when Scott bought a 1999 Ken Smith BT6, and somebody on Facebook told me that very few were made that year, did I believe them? Absolutely! - because there’s something about old Ken Smith basses that give them superhero status and I wanted it to be true! Needless to say, I am also the proud owner of a Ken Smith BT6 just like Scott’s, although mine was produced by Brubaker Guitars in 2021.

So are older Ken Smith’s actually better than newer ones? Or are we just obsessed with that idea? The mere fact that older instruments appear to sound better could be because they always have. And as much as we might not want to admit it, the tone of any bass guitar has as much (maybe more) to do with the way you play it, as it does the year it was made. So if it sounds good today, it will probably sound good in the future if you take care of it.

If you’re pondering about making a purchase, it goes without saying that any Ken Smith can feel magical to play. John Patitucci played one for a reason: because they play like nothing else on earth. Sure 6-string basses tend to be heavy and you’ve got to like natural finishes to get on with most Ken Smith basses, but where else are you going to get that tone? Order two today, plus one to keep in a lead-lined vault.