Ken Smith PAS-II Dove Tail #85252 1985 with Hardcase

This is one of the first pieces of Ken Smith, a well-known high-end bass brand.
From the signature on the control panel, we can determine that it was made on October 21, 1985.

The year 1985 was when the company moved to Pennsylvania and Vinny Fodera of Fodera Guitars left the studio.
The neck joint design is very similar to that of Fodera's, but apparently he was still working as a subcontractor for Ken Smith in the 1980s after he left the studio. (I'm not sure about this because the information is from an overseas bass forum.)

The body shape is similar to the current BT type.
The combination of walnut for the body back and top, and maple for the body core is the same as that of the Black Tiger, which is currently the most popular model, and is probably based on the specs of this model.

The neck is a 5-piece laminated design of maple and possibly Morado.
Morado, also known as Parfellow, is a hard wood.

It has a beautiful volute where the head is angled.
The current Ken Smith has a more square volute design, so this rounder design looks unique.

The head shape is larger than the current one, just like a crown. This is one of the main features of the early Ken Smiths.
The logo is also different from the current one.

The nut is made of brass, with a design that digs into the space between the strings.
This is the same as today.

The pickups are G&L, and the preamp is a Bartolini NTCT.
They were probably replaced later.

All of these parts should have a strong taste, but the sound is still Ken Smith's, with massive low end and mellow mid to high end.

Rather than the typical 2-ham sound, where the midrange is lifted and the beauty of the middle and high positions shines through, I feel that the sound is persistent and speedy in the low position, but with great volume.

Of course, the attack sound of the rear PU is wonderful, but the earthy sound of the front PU is even more attractive.
The front PU's earthy sound is even more appealing, and I think the fact that it doesn't sound saturated is the appeal of this model.

There are some repair marks on the body side (near the neck joint).
The neck has some distortion (twisting, high rise), so it needs some work to set the string height low like a modern high-end bass.
Currently, the string height is set at 2~3mm above the 12th fret, and depending on how you play it (e.g. playing hard), there may be a slight buzz in some parts.

There are about 70~80% of the frets, so if you want to fix it, there is room to do so.
Also, the truss rod action is very smooth, and I had no problems with it.

The pegs are GOTOH pegs.
I'm not sure if they were replaced or not.

The controls are volume, balancer, bass, treble, and active/passive switch.

In recent years, Ken Smith has been working mainly with another workshop (Brubaker), and Ken himself is not involved in the production except for the final inspection and other important points.

This is an excellent product that allows you to feel the history of a bass brand that represents the modern era.

The shipping fee is a flat rate of 3000 yen (except for remote islands).

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