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KSD v70j 5 string Mini Review

H

heath_the_great

Jan 27, 2002
5,201
15
40
Newcastle - Australia
www.myspace.com
#1
well ive had it for a few days now, its got a fair share of playing over these days :D so i decided to post my thoughts so far.......

how can you describe possibly the best jazz bass ever?..i mean, its most likely the best feeling 5 string jazz iver ever played (no i havent played a sadowsky and im not too bothered :smug: ), i love the satin finished neck, it feels like butter ( a big stick of buttah)...really comfortable, its got the normal curve until about 7th fret where the back of the neck starts the flatten out, really really comfortable....

the tone is unbeleiveably addictive, fingerstyle and slap (pure marcus miller) lovely ash body maple neck combination, really nice pure round pizzicato tone, no overbearing frequencies in active or passive mode, when in active the two band eq needs very little tweaking to get a brilliant tone, i just add a little bass to get a nice thumpy feeling sound, passive mode is just brilliant, great sounding as is both pickups centered...

did i mention its a very comfortable bass to play, i had a 4 hour jazz trio gig yesterday and i had no problems at the end of the night i had no problems what so ever, unlike using my bastard p-bass the week before, my wrist was a little sore halfway through the 2nd set....

i got some nice compliments from my band mates about the tone, i was using it through a peavey mark 3 and an ashton 15" cab, running through passive and pickups centered....

the only things im not happy with is that theres two frets that have sharp ends and the volume control doesnt fully cut the volume, besides that, its absolutely brilliant
 
#2
Thanks for the review. It was just enough for me to give in to the G.A.S. I've been having for one of these basses. I ordered one from BassNW.com and should have it by 4-22.

After I gig the bass a few times I will post a review of my own. I will comment on the usual tone/playability/finish/setup, ect.... Is there anything in particular you would like me to comment on?
 
#3
i agree about the quality and tone of these basses. I have a 4 string 70's version. I have also played the Metros and I simply cannot find $1000. more tone or quality in the metros. I think the KSD is the best jazz copy out there.
 
#4
DZ said:
i agree about the quality and tone of these basses. I have a 4 string 70's version. I have also played the Metros and I simply cannot find $1000. more tone or quality in the metros. I think the KSD is the best jazz copy out there.
Click to expand...

If the KDS's are about $1000. Why don't you add another $100 and get a Fender am dlx? Even Ken Smith would admit that its a much better bass. (I think)
 
#5
B String said:
If the KDS's are about $1000. Why don't you add another $100 and get a Fender am dlx? Even Ken Smith would admit that its a much better bass. (I think)
Click to expand...

They aren't quite $1000-a brand new five-string KSD is $800.
 
#6
Actually, a new Fender Deluxe Jazz 5 with an ash body and maple board will run you about $1250-1350, depending on where you buy it, so the KSD with the same features is in a pretty different price range-about a $500 difference.
 
#8
heath_the_great said:
well ive had it for a few days now, its got a fair share of playing over these days :D so i decided to post my thoughts so far.......

how can you describe possibly the best jazz bass ever?..i mean, its most likely the best feeling 5 string jazz iver ever played (no i havent played a sadowsky and im not too bothered :smug: ), i love the satin finished neck, it feels like butter ( a big stick of buttah)...really comfortable, its got the normal curve until about 7th fret where the back of the neck starts the flatten out, really really comfortable....

the tone is unbeleiveably addictive, fingerstyle and slap (pure marcus miller) lovely ash body maple neck combination, really nice pure round pizzicato tone, no overbearing frequencies in active or passive mode, when in active the two band eq needs very little tweaking to get a brilliant tone, i just add a little bass to get a nice thumpy feeling sound, passive mode is just brilliant, great sounding as is both pickups centered...

did i mention its a very comfortable bass to play, i had a 4 hour jazz trio gig yesterday and i had no problems at the end of the night i had no problems what so ever, unlike using my bastard p-bass the week before, my wrist was a little sore halfway through the 2nd set....

i got some nice compliments from my band mates about the tone, i was using it through a peavey mark 3 and an ashton 15" cab, running through passive and pickups centered....

the only things im not happy with is that theres two frets that have sharp ends and the volume control doesnt fully cut the volume, besides that, its absolutely brilliant
Click to expand...

It's cool that you really like it and all but I think you need to get out and play more basses. You seem to have a touch of the "every bass I own is awesome because I own it" syndrome going on... Let's see what you say in a about a year or so. OK? :cool:

BTW, I like KSD's despite their minor QC/cosmetic flaws. :smug:
 
#9
Big Joe said:
It's cool that you really like it and all but I think you need to get out and play more basses. You seem to have a touch of the "every bass I own is awesome because I own it" syndrome going on... Let's see what you say in a about a year or so. OK? :cool:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I get the same feeling. Particularly when reading the line "how can you describe possibly the best jazz bass ever?" Heath, after seeing about a thousand posts about how your Kubicki was the best bass ever (your words) and then seeing you sell it less than 15 months later sorta limits your credibility.
 
#10
Bryan R. Tyler said:
Actually, a new Fender Deluxe Jazz 5 with an ash body and maple board will run you about $1250-1350, depending on where you buy it, so the KSD with the same features is in a pretty different price range-about a $500 difference.
Click to expand...

The original post mentioned $1000. Also, I don't think he
specified a five string. A four string would be less than $1250.
The Fender is still a much better bass, even at another $300
or so. jmho
 
#11
B String said:
The original post mentioned $1000.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. Read it again. $1000 is only mentioned by Don Z. when saying that he couldn't find $1000 worth of extra quality in a Metro, as they cost about $1000 more.

B String said:
Also, I don't think he specified a five string.
Click to expand...

Yes, he does. It's in the very title of the thread.

B String said:
The Fender is still a much better bass, even at another $300
or so. jmho
Click to expand...

As I said, the Fender is about $500 more. I'd expect it to be better at that much more expense, although opinions on if it is or not are varied.
 
#12
It is not often that I respond to reviews about basses that I haven't personally owned or had some other long term experiences with, but I can't less this one go. The KSD 70's is an exellent value and may not have much competion in a five string, (Fender Dlx active 5 and Lakland JO's and DJ's come to mind) but they are no doubt more money. If you want to say the KSD is the best value in a Jazz five I think you could make the argument. Haveing said that, The Metro is over a 1000 more for many good reasons, some subjective (more massive tone, more versitility, better neck profile) but some not so subjective. I have played several KSD's, Almost all had workmanship issues, from sloppy frettwork, big gaps in the neck joints, sloppy control cavitys and pots that are prone to failure (I would say 2 out of the three on display in one store is a QC issue!). Now again for 800 they are great basses, And I don't want to take any thing away form your enjoyment. I have owned several basses that retail for as much as 4500$ and I can assure you the Metros are EXCELLENT VALUES too!!!! And no, I don't believe you have to spend 2-4 grand to get a good bass, as I have heard plenty of bass players sound good on lower priced instruments. I just played a used Squire 5 string that was selling for 249 that sounded excellent.
 
#13
OK. First... oops. Second.....oops, etc, etc. oops. But, I think
for $500 more, the am dlx V is still better. By a lot. Better
wood, better electronics, better build quality, better neck
shape. I believe the am dlx line is one of the better deals on
the retail bass market. Not that the KSD is a bad bass, I just
think the Fender is in a different class. BUT AGAIN, only my
humble opinion.
 
#14
Do KSD's sound great? Possibly.

Alot of the ones that I have played, and I've probably played about ten or so (owned one) were all pretty variable from one to the other. Some were fantastic. Others, not so much. QC is the name of the game here especially when you get into this price range for imports.

As passive basses go, the RBV, and the Reverend Brad Houser smoke this bass IMO for similar pricing (both are now discontinued so you have to go used). Add the Lakland Skyline JO to that list as well. If you want to go into actives, I'd go MTD Saratoga (or it's precursor, I forget the name) hands down. A Lakland Skyline 55-01 will give it a run for its money (I know it isn't a jazz), and the Skyline 55-02 (used) should also be considered... For that matter, you'd have just as much luck shifting through MIA Fender V's Deluxe or what have you and probably have just as much luck getting a winner as you would with a KSD and MIA Fenders are a lot easier to come by. This is all in my opinion, based upon my experience, of course.

To say it's a good value, I'd easily agree.

To say it's a great value would depend on whether or not you get one that went together well.

To say it's the best value is really pushing it. Especially if you buy without playing first.

And what I was implying in my first post is that whatever heath owns will be uber-fantastic even if it isn't. Then he goes around recommending to everyone that it is what they should get as well, regardless of what they are requesting info on/looking for... That's just the stage of newb he's at. :p
 
#15
Big Joe, My comments were directed at DZ, and some of the other comments in this thread implying that the KSD was the "best jazz copy on the market". I concour with your conclusions on quality control and your comments about the lakland's. I said you could make the argument that it was the best value in it's price range, I didn't say you would win that argument! The Skyines and the Metros, also the Marcus Miller and Geddy Lee, may be the best "values" because at there new prices they are very competitive with the used product in there price ranges.
 
#16
the kubicki was great dont get me wrong, even ask brian, but it just wasnt the tone i was looking for for where my musical direction is heading.....id still own another kubicki sure, but not for a while now...ive had some shocking basses before, Aslin Dane MM copy, Vantage 5 String, Ashton P Bass...but the best basses ive owned are the Kubicki, This Ksd and my Old ATK, which i regret selling....even if i owned a rickenbacker i still wouldnt like it

personally i dont like the Fender American Deluxe Jazz's, the smaller body just doesnt sit well with me, nor does the 3 band EQ, i prefer a 2 band eq anyway, plus it doesnt have a Passive bypass......nor does it look as good as the KSD,...a standard USA jazz costs $2,200aus over here, which is roughly $1800-$1900us..last time i saw the 70's style jazz bass re-issue it was $5000aus, id hate to see the price of Sadowsky's over here, considering an avalon di is $1100, so i think for the price, id prefer the ksd......plus the KSD looks better, and damn it feels solid, MIM fenders feel like an sx compared to this

ive gigged it twice already, last 2 sundays and this sunday coming up, all jazz trio, and ive had nothing but compliments on tone and looks

edit: another thing...you gotta realise that being in australia, our selection of instruments is really small compared to the choices you have in the states, like sadowsky, ken smith, fodera, traben, steinberger, warwicks, gretsch, guild, pedulla, zon, status, hofner, modulus, parkers, reverend....ive never seen any of them except for 1 warwick and 1 zon....there might be a few dealers of them over here....but still, we almost gotta pay twice as much for an instrument as for what you have to....i mean, $3600 for a stingray 4 string
 
#20
gazman_res said:
+1 big joe.

Heath, how come you always plug our aussie made basses, but you don't own one yet?
Click to expand...
A) ive only ever played two maton fretlesses, one was $3000 (to much for me), the other was a mates from work who isnt giving it up too easily :p
B) Maton arent releasing their new basses until the end of the year
C) same goes for Cole Clark
D) Havent got enough money for a Belman yet
E) im focusing on upgrading my amp at this stage

heres the maton i played
an '83 MGB4..only 63 were made of this model
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 

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