Martin BC 16 e vs Fender Kingman V2

[Walk The Dogs]

My question concerns the Fender Kingman V2 and it’s comparison to the Martin. Has anyone had experience with both. I use acoustic basses for practice and gigs maybe a quarter of the time minimum. At $600 the Fender would save me a ton of money but quality and sound-wise would it be worth the exchange. Unfortunately no one has the Fenders around here to try out for comparison.

Late to the party here but I bought a Kingman five years ago to replace my problematic Boulder Creek ABG. The latter suffered from several chronic problems especially related to its preamp. The company was proactive during the first couple of rounds of issues but then stopped answering email, phones and voicemail. I thought they'd simply gone out of business but I see that their web site is still running and being updated. It's too bad because the BC is a great sounding ABG. But after only two years it's unplayable through an amp so caveat emptor.

I don't know why the Kingman is so dissed here. It's been great for me. I play my ABG a lot and have used it both live and in the studio. I'm playing it exclusively on an Americana music gig in Brooklyn tonight. I use it a lot when I don't feel like carting my double bass. Having essentially a Jazz Bass neck it's probably the easiest ABG to transition to from electric. Unlike the BC the Kingman's body contour also doesn't dig into my right forearm either. Sure, it's a C-type assembly line instrument and isn't up to the material or build levels of more expensive basses like the Martin BC-16E. But I've read a LOT of negative reviews about issues with the Martin's piezo and electronics which shouldn't be happening on an instrument costing almost 4x that of a Kingman. The only issue I've had with the Kingman is one of the buttons falling out of the preamp controls. But that's on Fishman.

I had serious doubts about the Kingman but it's surprised me. It records so well that when I brought it to a demo session intending to use my Sadowsky on one of the tracks, the producer loved the Kingman's sound so much on a country number that he asked me to use it on this song as well. (This was a tough one because it was end of the night and the drummer was a percussionist who hadn't touched a kit in over ten years so this was like Take 30. My fingertips were screaming from playing the bronze roundwounds for two hours at this tempo).

Dropbox - 07 I Just Wanna Drive.mp3 - Simplify your life

That said, I'm so happy with ABGs in general and getting so much work on it that I'm looking to upgrade to something like a Warwick Alien or Breedlove so I'll at least have a backup for when the Kingman does expire.

 

[Ostie]

I thought the Kingman was a short scale, but you say the neck is a Jazz neck? Do you mean similar to a Jazz neck. Or is it a short scale Jazz neck?

 

[Old gold]

30.3” scale.

 

[Walk The Dogs]

I thought the Kingman was a short scale, but you say the neck is a Jazz neck? Do you mean similar to a Jazz neck. Or is it a short scale Jazz neck?

It has a 30" (short scale) neck with a slim C-shaped profile like a J bass. Also fret markings and tuners like a J bass.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Try a Breedlove.

 

[B-Mac]

I have not played either of those basses, but the build quality of the Fender isn’t in the same league as the Martin. Fender is not known for their acoustic guitars or mandolins.

Has Fender headstock like Jazz and 1.5” nut like Jazz. V2 shown
NECK

• Neck Material
  Mahogany
• Neck Binding
  Aged White
• Neck Finish
  Satin Urethane
• Neck Shape
  Slim "C"
• Scale Length
  30.3" (770 mm)
• Fingerboard Material
  Walnut
• Fingerboard Radius
  12" (305 mm)
• Number of Frets
  20
• Fret Size
  2mm
• Nut Material
  Graph Tech® NuBone™
• Nut Width
  1.5" (38.1 mm)
• Position Inlays
  White Pearloid Block

Fender ABG Club

Maybe not ‘well’ known but we’re trying to make these 11 ‘more’ known.

…and @Bassman 60 there’s some peeps here that have the Kingman V2 as well as the V1, 30.3” and 34” scale, respectively.

 

[B-Mac]

I thought the Kingman was a short scale, but you say the neck is a Jazz neck? Do you mean similar to a Jazz neck. Or is it a short scale Jazz neck?

V1 34”
V2 30” per Sweetwater website
30.3” per Fender website

 

[B-Mac]

First time post.
So I recently purchased a Martin acoustic bass (16 BC e). While it feels and looks nice, is fairly loud for an acoustic, I have been to the luthier four times . Twice for replacing/repairing the piezo and fret work. Also on the E and A strings they get a little flat after the 10th fret( no resonance).
I have not been able to exchange for another as they are Backordered forever (would have been my first choice). Two repairs later the bass is working again (for now).
My question concerns the Fender Kingman V2 and it’s comparison to the Martin. Has anyone had experience with both. I use acoustic basses for practice and gigs maybe a quarter of the time minimum. At $600 the Fender would save me a ton of money but quality and sound-wise would it be worth the exchange. Unfortunately no one has the Fenders around here to try out for comparison.

Some Martin ABG players here:
Martin abgs?
But no BC 16 e

 

[Sean133]

I actually played both of these yesterday. The Martin is MILES ahead of the Kingman. Better tone, projection, volume...in every imaginable category it was the clear winner.