Over the years I've tried several King basses and American Standards. I found the King basses did not have the deep, resonating sound of the Am Std. Is that typical of a King? Does the size of the upper bout or the quality of wood have anything to do with? What are Kings known for?
The "box" of a King is not near as big as the Amr Standard,,therefor not as big sounding,The Kings are alike in the fact they are very responsive and even like the Standards,,they also record very well,Kent
Dimensional differneces King Moretone vs. American Standard
The King Moretone and American Standard models have the same string length and differ in top length by only 5/8". The tone difference comes from the width of all three bouts, upper bout 19" vs. 21", middle bout 14 1/4" vs. 15 5/8", and lower bout 25 1/8" vs. 25 5/8". A wider middle bout allows the entire top to move more as a single plate for the lowest fundamentals.
Many players in performing bands prefer the less boomy tone of the King Moretone on stage. I prefer the large open low end of the American Standard for its unamplified tone quality and presence. Both of these H. N. White bass models will usually eat a Kay bass from a similar time period for breakfast in terms of volume and a large fundamental tone on the lower strings.
