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- Feb 3, 2005
- 7,331
- 10,199
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Bergantino Audio Systems and GHS Strings
My Kiloton Tribute is great. I did have it Plek'd, so I have zero doubt it plays as good if not better than a USA. That being said, the USA stuff (I know from my CLFR L-2000 and Matadors) have incredible finishes, wood options, etc. So you won't give up playability in tone, so much as high end finishes, wood choices, etc.
I'm still thinking.
I've talked myself in and out of another bass a thousand times.
I'm sure we can all relate.
My Kiloton is currently out for new strings and a full setup. Action was too high for my liking, but loved the tone. Still learning how to tame it. Looking forward to getting it back.
Do you all like any other pickups in your lb-100 besides the stock pickup? I find the stock pickup can be a little to "clicky" on the high end sometimes.
ive been looking at the Dimarzio model P and also the Lollar precision 90. @Ricky Rioli dont you have a model P?
ive been looking at the Dimarzio model P and also the Lollar precision 90. @Ricky Rioli dont you have a model P?
I'll chime in.
Taming the MFD on my Kiloton(s) really just means backing off the volume (quite a bit) and tone (a little).
Seriously that's all.
I loved the sound of the original pickup but for some reason it gave up the ghost. I am still on the fence on whether to restore it or get an MFD.
Consider that in band setting it will sit beautifully in the mix; in the bedroom, all by its lonesome, who cares.
Consider that in band setting it will sit beautifully in the mix; in the bedroom, all by its lonesome, who cares.
My LB-100 is a Tribute, don't know if it has the same pickup as a USA model (wouldn't expect it to have). It's a little clackity sounding to my ears...."smooth" it is not. Otherwise I like the bass overall...good bones, not heavy, sets up well, cool finish.
I'm probably going to sub the pickup with something more upscale from my parts drawer. An old Bartolini is where I think I'll start. Already gutted the pots, jack, and straightened out the goofed up wiring job that apparently was done at the factory, which got rid of a mysterious nasty hum....dead quiet now. I think I can convert a good sounding P bass into a great sounding one.
Model P at the moment. It went very well with Pro Steels. But then I decided this bass wants flats, and so I've a Lindy Fralin about to be fitted (I think with me it's either ceramic+rounds or flats+alnico)
* I have a '93 LB-100, so the stock pickup is a Gotoh pickup, not a G&L-made one. Both the Gotoh and the G&L are wound to 10,500 turns, vs. the traditional 10,000 winds for a P pickup. So basically a 5% overwind.
For a while, I put a Fralin standard wind pickup in. It was a little flatter/wider response than the stock pickup. Lows were cleaner, highs were clearer. The stock pickup is more pronounced in the mids and a little grittier.
The differences were less noticeable with flats and even less noticeable in a mix.
I eventually put the stock pickup back in for no real reason other than I was assembling another P and felt like putting the G&L back to stock instead of putting the G&L pickup in an unrelated bass.
If I was recording, I'd have kept the Fralin in the LB-100. But I don't record. I gig at churches mainly, so I was pretty indifferent about it.
I dig the 2-tone strap that picks up the paint and the fretboard so nicely!
I 'tamed' my kiloton by putting a set of tapewound strings on it.
Although I'm not sure tamed is the word I would want. It's still wild, it's just friendly (like a pet grizzly, you know it might eat you but it's just so warm and cuddly you ignore that risk)
Not sure I'll back off the volume quite a bit, but will back it off some and back off the tone a bit. And then play with the various pickup settings to see what works for each song. Some of our songs need a somewhat aggressive bass sound (late '70s/early '80s punk/pop-punk type stuff). Others require a cleaner/smoother P-bass type sound. And others need more of a modern bass type sound. I need flexibility.
I actually bought my K'ton without ever having played or even heard one. It just fascinated me. It claimed to have all these different voices and tones in it with just a single pickup and a passive tone control. When it arrived--a few years ago now--it amazed me, and it still does. I'm confident you'll be amazed what you can get out of it as well with just a little work.
