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Kona Exotic 5 string review and pics.
- Thread starter lostrings
- Start date
IMO the new headstock doesn't match the body design - it looks like something modified in a hurry to avoid a lawsuit...don't like it a bit. Too bad..I guess I'm taking the Kona off my Wishlist.
I own 12 higher end bass guitars and I recently aquired a kona bass, the bass is built well and sounds really good I think the pickups are too hot but with a little tweeking it competes with $1500.00 basseswith out a doubt,I would suggest replacing the pre amp factor this in before you buy it.
I've got the same bass and it has almost no treble boost.
Checked the treble pot and it looks ok. I think my preamp is no good also.
I found the stock preamp on ebay here:
eBay - 3 Band EQ Preamp Circuit for Active Bass Pickup
Really would be nice to find a better plug in replacement for
the stock preamp. I want to avoid rewiring the whole thing.
Also - I *think* these are the stock pickups.
Wilkinson Lic Bass Pickup for 5 String MWM5C Musicman | eBay
Anyone thinks a standard Music Man PUP will fit?
Checked the treble pot and it looks ok. I think my preamp is no good also.
I found the stock preamp on ebay here:
eBay - 3 Band EQ Preamp Circuit for Active Bass Pickup
Really would be nice to find a better plug in replacement for
the stock preamp. I want to avoid rewiring the whole thing.
Also - I *think* these are the stock pickups.
Wilkinson Lic Bass Pickup for 5 String MWM5C Musicman | eBay
Anyone thinks a standard Music Man PUP will fit?
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
I'm pretty sure Warwick filed a lawsuit against Kona for the design. My friend got one and the body was changed a little and the head stock was totally different
For everyone's general edification I feel I must pass on that, if you ask nicely, they'll sell you the body & neck without hardware or pickups for $250, which I think is an amazing deal. If they had gotten back to me before I ended up buying a different bass instead I would've been all over that. I might still actually.
I have seen these basses on Ebay and they really peaked my curiosity. For $300.00 dollars I took the plunge and hoped for the best. When it arrived I was very pleasently surprised...This bass is just beautiful. The woods look incredible, as doe's the whole bass (the pictures don't do it justice). It has wide string spacing...something I have to have in a 5 string. It weights 9lbs on the bathroom scale. I researched everywhere trying to find information on this bass with no luck. Here on talkbass I searched and found other members trying to find information also. Well I have the bass in hand and I will give a short review to hopefully answer any question there might be.
THE BODY: The woods look fantastic...The top is called Sapele. It is in the Mahogany family. It is very figured and has a reddish brown color. The body wings are Walnut and it has a 5 pc neck thru of Walnut and Maple. It has a oil finish (very nice). It is the first bass I have ever owned with a Walnut neck. It is very comfortable with a shallow C feel, but it is wide (because of the string spacing). The fingerboard is Rosewood and it has 24 frets (nice fretwork) with no fret buzz with low action.
The Hardware: The bridge and tuners are very good. I was especially surprised at how nice the bridge is. It has 19mm string spacing and you can lock down the saddles to the bridge base for a more solid contact.
The electronics: Here is where the bass falls alittle short. The bass has two MM humbuckers with a 3 band preamp. First off the electronics are dead quiet. The pickups sound very good but, the problem lies with the preamp. It seems to choke the tone of the pickups. It offers a huge amount of bass and mid, but not much of a top end. I really like a HI-FI sound, so a new preamp will definitely be added. I am not sure what preamp to get, but I'll do my research and figure it out.
Overall the bass is a fantastic deal at that price point. If someone is looking for a nice 5 string at a great price this is one to definately look at. Here are some pictures...
Ah, a warwick copy(ish)...
Not pretty I think(too warwick-I don't like warwicks), but if it sounds good some may just like it.
Each to their own.
This is not an instrument I personally would ever buy though.
This thread convinced me to take the ebay Kona plunge too! My 5 string, zebra wood, 'Warwick Double-Buck' look alike arrives tomorrow! I'll let you know how it turns out!
I love the sound of this bass really fat and crisp and good for slapping. when i saw this in one of the music store in thailand, it catch my attention and when i tested it in both 500watts and 30watss amps, it amazed me on the sound. thats why i bought this bass imediately, i have a cort artisan 4string and damn i tell u the sound is really amazing compared to my cort with bartolini pickup.
Sorry guys this bass is NOT a beginner bass. You got a fantastic bargain on this one. Just because it does not have a name tag like Fender,Gibson, Carvin, ESP, or Schecter name tag does not make it a beginner bass. Just look at the features. A neck thru bass, the awesome bridge, electronics and the nice wood body. This is a fantastic bargain. I have inspected a lot of bass guitars and this one would cost a fortune if you looked for how it is made and comparison hardware alone with a big name manufacturer you would have paid twice that price or more. Congratulations on an awesome purchase. Enjoy.
