Trouble with MTD Kingston Setup

**iriegnome** · #1 01-19-2010, 03:03 PM

I bought this used MTD Kingston 4 string for my daughter. It is a nice bass, but the neck just keeps going out of wack.
I adjusted it 2 months ago and it was just perfect. Now the thing buzzez out on the first fret again!! What could be happening to it? She keeps the bass at school in the music room and she is the only one who uses it. I bought this last year and I have had to do a set up on this thing about every 2 months... It is getting a little crazy.
Any suggestions?

jnuts1 · #2 01-19-2010, 03:14 PM

the first thing you have to realize is that those MTD's want to be played perfectly, too perfectly even. if i am slightly off or anything i get buzz like crazy. my action is barely off the frets & i get no buzz unless i screw up. but i also have to adjust the truss rod every so often, not nearly as often as you are saying, but still every 6 months or so. especially if the weather has done a lot of fluctuation.

**251** · #3 01-19-2010, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriegnome

I bought this used MTD Kingston 4 string for my daughter. It is a nice bass, but the neck just keeps going out of wack.
I adjusted it 2 months ago and it was just perfect. Now the thing buzzez out on the first fret again!! What could be happening to it? She keeps the bass at school in the music room and she is the only one who uses it. I bought this last year and I have had to do a set up on this thing about every 2 months... It is getting a little crazy.
Any suggestions?

The Kingston is a very nice Bass. You can relax. What happened was Winter + I'll bet the school drops the room temperature low nights & weekends. It sounds like the bass dried out fast & you setup very low action. Was November a mild month for Wisconsin? October was in Massachusetts & I spent a rehearsal playing around fret buzz when things got cold & dry here in November & I had no tools to raise the action.

Was the bass on a bench when you did the set up? If the weight of the bass is supported by the head, it will affect the playing relief. When you play there is less relief than intended. I get the best results setting up the bass on the strap, hanging from my shoulder.

Don't be too concerned about the bass, yet. It could have spent the Summer in Louisiana. You already know, the 5th setup is easier & the 20th easier still. A little time will tell. 8-)

**iriegnome** · #4 01-19-2010, 06:19 PM

We have had a pretty mild winter so far. Also, I always set up basses on my flat bench with headstock support. I realize that since there is a zero fret, you really need to play on target with them and my daughter is just a beginner. I am not though. It keeps fretting out on the first and second frets. I think I am going to have to buy a hard case for it and put a humidifier in the case. That should help too.

MadMan118 · #5 01-20-2010, 07:17 PM

I think a bit of time in a stable tempature neviroment would do it some good.

lorenk · #6 01-20-2010, 07:29 PM

I had the same problem with my Kingston Artist when I first got it, it came with crazy low action and I tend to pluck and pick the strings rather aggressively. So, I worked on being more gentle and raised the action a tiny bit, and whala, no problem now.

ErnieD · #7 01-21-2010, 06:48 AM

A bit OT here but I have a bass coming to me from Wisconsin to SE TX. We've had our little cold spell last week, low 20's for a few days straight, even a good snow earlier.

I know, I know that aint nuthin to some of y'all. But we're pus*ys here in TX. We're in the 70's this week but I'm thinking this bass' neck is gonna bow up like a pretzel when it hits our humidity, coming from WI. Sorry, just an observation cause its been on my mind.

Oh, I have MTD Artist-5 & KZ-5, necks have been great. I guess they like the moistness here...my shorts don't.

Ooh, TMI?

202dy · #8 01-21-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriegnome

We have had a pretty mild winter so far. Also, I always set up basses on my flat bench with headstock support. I realize that since there is a zero fret, you really need to play on target with them and my daughter is just a beginner. I am not though. It keeps fretting out on the first and second frets. I think I am going to have to buy a hard case for it and put a humidifier in the case. That should help too.

Might be time to rethink this procedure, if you are making the adjustments with the instrument lying on it's back with the headstock supported.

Current thinking (last couple of decades or so) is that instruments should be set up in the playing position. Or at least all measurements should be taken in the playing position if the adjustments are made flat on the bench. This is the only way to establish a base line from which to make decisions and plan a strategy for the set up.

As far as the rest of it goes, some folks have advised that the weather or storage are the culprits. That is good advice. You may have to set this guitar up a few more times per year than you normally do for your other instruments if she continues to store it at school. It's a small price to pay to have a young player under your roof.

**iriegnome** · #9 01-21-2010, 11:57 AM

I don't buy into the storage/weather thing. Really, I have 17 basses that are mine. Just my daughters go wacky with the neck. I set all my basses up the same. There are no measurments or anything. A slight tweak here and there of the neck and the bridge, check the notesand off it goes. I never really set any of my basses up more than once or twice really. This one however has just got me confused.