• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Matt Pulcinella Basses

#21
I tried a MPGL5 once (dual soaps), but couldn't really get along with it. Quick disclaimer, it was one of his standard wood models... just a straight up alder (?) body and maple/rosewood necks. I basically traded for it.

Anyway, when I first got it, I thought it was pretty awesome. Seymour Duncan pickups and pre as I recall, push pull volume knob for "slap contour" or something like that. Light, and balanced well on the strap just like others here have said.

However, when I played it in the band mix, it just didn't have the presence I was looking for. Seemed to lose all it's stuff and get buried real easy. Refusing to believe my ears, I hooked up a few of my other basses, same amp settings, basically flat EQ on all basses (the only way to really judge your "basline tone" IMHO). Yep, just didn't "have it" for me.

I sold it to someone else, hoping they'd have a much better time with it, but sadly, after about a month, they ended up moving it along having felt the same about it.

All that said, I realize there are TONS of models out there, and I THINK this one may have been a custom order elex package for some guy, so this is probably the sad exception to the rule, but I prolly won't get another one. I do think they're very nice looking , I think the craftsmanship is fine, and Matt's customer service is excellent. This one had a finish problem on the headstock (cracking badly and coming off) and he offered to take care of it very cheaply even tho I was like the 3rd or 4th owner, and nobody knew how it'd been treated all its life.
 
#22
I agree with Vics in his testing. Trust your ears!

I can say that I've had a different experience...but that's in part to the fact that I have barts in both of mine p/u & pres... I love mine, but that doesn't matter. Every bass is different, even off the same line.

...let your ears be your guide...
 
#23
Chaputa said:
I agree with Vics in his testing. Trust your ears! ...let your ears be your guide...
Click to expand...
Oh, SURE... if you wanna' be all eloquent and succinct and everything... ;)

BS set aside, yeah, this is the short version of what I was saying. As pretty much everyone here will tell you, give eval basses a good testing and trust the ears. I would reiterate, however, one thing... make SURE you test yer basses in the bedroom/studio environment and ALSO in the live mix situation before deciding if at all possible. It makes a bigger diff than you might think.
 
#24
Mine is a simple 2-piece ash body with an all maple neck and board. Dual Bart soapbars with a 3-band EQ. Sounds great.

My only wish is that it had more top end, like around 8K - 10K. I was thinking about dropping in a Duncan package, but Vic you've got me thinking otherwise. Should I NOT do that?
 
#25
Basso Gruvitas said:
My only wish is that it had more top end, like around 8K - 10K. I was thinking about dropping in a Duncan package, but Vic you've got me thinking otherwise. Should I NOT do that?
Click to expand...
Depends. I'd talk to Matt and get his opinions on what that might sound like. Tell him you spoke to one of the owners of the basses he made two of the same for the hawaiian guy (IIRC). Also, the pickups in mine were Basslines soaps, so there's another big variable. All my fave basses are Bart pre's except my Cirrus, so I'm not much good to judge SD pre's in general.

If it helps, here's my mpgl5 (click the pic for bigger):

 
#26
Touche' Vic... Agree again on the point!

Well...from what I remember, Matt prefers the barts over all the other configs. Aram can say the same that he wasn't thrilled with his setup either. If I remember correctly, he went the Duncan route as well.

I dunno what to say on options though as far as electronics. If I recall, don't they make different voicings with the Barts(i.e. can get brighter p/u's)?
 
#27
Chaputa said:
Well...from what I remember, Matt prefers the barts over all the other configs. Aram can say the same that he wasn't thrilled with his setup either. If I remember correctly, he went the Duncan route as well.
Click to expand...
Good point, now that you mention it, when I spoke to Matt he did say his standard was the Barts, which is what he recommends, but the guy who ordered mine insisted on SD.

I dunno what to say on options though as far as electronics. If I recall, don't they make different voicings with the Barts(i.e. can get brighter p/u's)?
Click to expand...
On the pickups, yes, I think so. However, on the preamps, only on customs for particular vendors (AFAIK), but there's no reason why Matt's couldn't be custom for him, which would also be a great reason to stick with his "standard" (based on the notion it was designed to maximize his basses' design's tone).

Bart does tons of customs for builders, especially on pickups. However, some builders also have custom pre's. For example, the MTD's have both custom pickups AND a custom Bart pre, where the Roscoe's have custom pickups, but a standard Bart pre (last I checked).

Someone would have to ask Matt if his Bart pre's are custom for him, and if they are, I'd strongly recommend not changing it.
 
#28
The custom Level 5 Matt made for me has a bart preamp,but I don't think they are special made for him.I think part of his idea is to use components that are "off the shelf" so nothing has to be special ordered. Matt made me the Level 5 on the second page of the "sold basses" page with the single MM pickup.He had to order the preamp, but it is a standard Bart single pickup preamp.
 
#29
Chaputa said:
Touche' Vic... Agree again on the point!

Well...from what I remember, Matt prefers the barts over all the other configs. Aram can say the same that he wasn't thrilled with his setup either. If I remember correctly, he went the Duncan route as well.

I dunno what to say on options though as far as electronics. If I recall, don't they make different voicings with the Barts(i.e. can get brighter p/u's)?
Click to expand...

My MPG had a particularly poisonous combination of SD Basslines soapbars with an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp. I went with basslines, because I tried an SD/Demeter-equipped bass of Matt's that KILLED (it was swamp ash/maple). I was hoping to get a similar sound, but a bit warmer, and Matt suggested the Aggie, but it ended up not sounding too good (too trebly and thin with no real mids), unless you really played with the EQ. For the record, Matt recommended Barts from the beginning.
 
#30
What if I kept the Bart soapbars and added an Aggie 3-band? What do you guys think?

Or should I try a Demeter pre?

I'm pretty open to trying stuff but don't want it to sound like "Martian Bass!" I have an ash body/maple neck so the SD/Demeter combo might be very cool. That's the same electronics as the Bass Player Mag bass.
 
#34
Brad Johnson said:
I have a Bart soaps/Aggie OBP-3 setup in an Ash w/Maple neck bass and it sounds great.

OTOH you never really know how a combo will sound until you put it in a particular bass.
Click to expand...

That's true, I can only comment on the Aggie 3-band with the Basslines which were in my bass, and what I've read. I'm sure there are people that swear by the Aguilar though.

On a somewhat related note, I saw Anthony Jackson last night with his preamp-less Fodera Presentation, and Meyer/Millennia setup and the tone was AWESOME. That, plus my newest bass which has an all passive Quarter Pounder P/J setup is making me think I might be happier without onboard preamps altogether. Oh, and I'm really GASing for a Fodera now. Freakin AJ.
 
#35
Aram said:
That's true, I can only comment on the Aggie 3-band with the Basslines which were in my bass, and what I've read. I'm sure there are people that swear by the Aguilar though.

On a somewhat related note, I saw Anthony Jackson last night with his preamp-less Fodera Presentation, and Meyer/Millennia setup and the tone was AWESOME. That, plus my newest bass which has an all passive Quarter Pounder P/J setup is making me think I might be happier without onboard preamps altogether. Oh, and I'm really GASing for a Fodera now. Freakin AJ.
Click to expand...

AJ+Meyer Sound+Millenia+Fodera=no pre for you?

Okay;)

Just kidding. A friend of mine called and excitedly told me his latest discovery. He had been to another friend's gig (Tony Hinton) and was amazed at his tone. Tony plays a custom Crescent Moon 6. I don't recall what his rig was. Tony's a very good player in the Victor Wooten vein. My friend decided that the Ebony board on Tony's bass was the key to his tone.

Maybe it is.


Freakin AJ is right:D
 
#36
Well, you probably remember a few of my threads where I was trying to get to the bottom of why my tone was so bright all the time -- I think it ended up just being a combination of things that didn't work well together. But now my favorite-sounding bass is the one with the passive QPs in it. I think my tastes have changed a lot since I started playing, because now I'm constantly rolling off the treble on everything (even my home stereo).

To be honest, even AJ's sound was a little bright for me when the other guys (Wayne Krantz and Cliff Almond) weren't playing -- I could hear too much string and fret noise. I think that setup with an onboard passive tone knob would suit me well. Course I'm a few $$ short of being able to afford it... ;)
 
#37
matts a nice guy - i met him 2 or 3 years ago in the pa guitar show. most of his axes are killer too, i liked his j copies.

never tried a wenge/korina MP but that's one of my favorite wood combinations i've tried in other basses.
 
#39
Aram said:
Well, you probably remember a few of my threads where I was trying to get to the bottom of why my tone was so bright all the time -- I think it ended up just being a combination of things that didn't work well together. But now my favorite-sounding bass is the one with the passive QPs in it. I think my tastes have changed a lot since I started playing, because now I'm constantly rolling off the treble on everything (even my home stereo).

To be honest, even AJ's sound was a little bright for me when the other guys (Wayne Krantz and Cliff Almond) weren't playing -- I could hear too much string and fret noise. I think that setup with an onboard passive tone knob would suit me well. Course I'm a few $$ short of being able to afford it... ;)
Click to expand...

You can actually get a lot less brightness with some active systems. People tend to forget that.

After training(;)) on my MTD 635, I actually have a hard time causing extraneous string noise. It's also kind of cool when I hand my Ambush 5 (w/composite neck) to other bassists and they clank away and then I play it and it sounds thick.

Gotta love that shed time;)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back