Matt Pulcinella Guitars Owner's Club

I've got a Level 6, which I find the most comfortable and well-balanced bass I've played. BUT I was getting bored with the , to me, dull and wooly tone of the P4 Barts I've got, even to the point of investigating new p/ups, etc. I finally saw a diagram in the Best BassGear site which is for four conductor Delano p/ups, which gives you font single coil/parallel/rear single coil switching on each p/up (two switches obviously). I did this mod, and it has totally transformed the sound of the bass - it has bags more treble (always lacking before) and gives a huge variation in the sounds possible with the bass.
In short, if you're bored with the sound of the P4's, try this mod - you'll be amazed.
It's in the "pickups, delano, wiring diagrams" section - the Bart site doesn't have an option for the parallel/both single coils setup, and I found it was the standard series setup that was wooly, so wasn't sorry to lose it.

 

In 1999, I custom ordered this Bass, with a fretted Maple Neck.



Then I got an Alembic and decided this MPG would make a lovely fretless as hte mids were quite robust. So I sent it back to Matt who made a new neck for it. A soild piece of Ebony on a Maple neck. Just what I wanted.

I recently started using La Bella Deep Talking Bass nylon tape strings and have come to like them. I actually want fundamentals and the harmonics of these strings sound way more "acoustic" than the roundwounds I had on before.

This Bass came with Seymore Duncan Basslines and preamp. They seem OK but I have been wondering what a set of Bartolinis or Nordstrands would do for me.

 

I just recently bought an MPG Level 5 from TB'er "Trod". I'll take/post a pic later today, but it looks very much like the maple-neck one posted just above. The board is a dramatic-looking birdseye with a very slightly greenish (?) tint; it was defretted and coated, and is one of the nicest-feeling fretless boards I've played. The neck is chunkier in thickness than I normally like, but the overall radius and feel is so smooth and natural that I think I'll grow accustomed to the thickness.

Aside from the fingerboard, my favorite qualities are the light weight, excellent balance, and it has zero dead spots! This is the first bass I've owned which had not even a hint of a dead spot on the neck.

I don't like the headstock shape at all, but I can either "get over it" or have another luthier reshape it maybe. Also the Bartolinis are a bit boring sounding, so either I'll do the mod suggested above, or install a preamp (it's passive now) or possibly consider new pups. I have really liked Bart soapbars in other basses, so I'll try the other options before changing pups.

Again, pics coming later.

 

Pickup ideas:

Bartolini P4: warm, muted highs, low mid hump....great fretless pickup

Bartolini CB dual coil: Bart vibe with a more open top end...more even all around

Delano dual coils: These are somewhere between a Bartolini and what you have in the bass now. They're warm but very balanced. I've used these with great success in a fretted bass, and I'm sure they'd be great in a fretless.

Nordstrand dual coils: These are darker sounding pickups to me but still pretty open sounding. They're like a Bartolini CB dual mixed with a dark and wide J pickup. The magnet pull on these is quite strong so be sure to lower them more then you'd normally do.

Nordstrand Big Singles: I've not heard these myself but have heard good things about them. I'd venture to guess if you want a wider, more modern take on a J then this is a good place to look. I'd think it to be more aggressive sounding than the other pickups I've mentioned.

Kent Armstrong: I love Kent's pickups. I just got a custom set from him for my next six string. Not only are they the most well made pickups I've ever seen but they were also very affordable and took just over 2 weeks to get. I heard some more standard duals in a Maghini bass recently and I swore they'd be the perfect fretless pickup. Well worth taking a chance on these. If you need Kent's info then just PM me.

 

Cool! Thanks so much to emjazz for the detailed informational mini reviews. I think I will venture down that road as I really like the Level 5 itself, but think there is a better electronics set I can put in it.
- Big Al

 

Here are the pics of my Level 5:



...and with my Valenti:

 

Here's my Level 6...love the bass, but market conditions are dictating I sell. Hopefully things will take a turn for the better before it goes anywhere.

 

Not sure if anyone is still subscribed to this thread but I thought I would chime in.

I used to own a Level 5 (about 4 or 5 years ago?) - great bass! The only reason I sold it was because I got tired of the Bartolini tone on it and I GAS'd for another bass. Well, as things turn out, I'm now GASsing for a Level 5 again!

A couple days ago, I went to Matt's site on a whim. Well, that was all it took. I am really wondering if I should sell a bass to purchase a Level 5. The bass I'm considering is a NICE NICE bass, with superior electronics, but the neck is flat and fatigues my hand.

Thinking........

 

Are you considering the orange one? Man, if it were any color other than orange (or yellow) I'd be all over it. I don't know if the bass you are referring to has a neck similar to the Level 5 I have, but the one I have has is not flat at all, neither in the neck profile nor the fretboard radius.

 

No, I really prefer 35" scale. The color is kind of cool, but not really for me.
I was actually thinking about the ash/maple model on the for-sale page (but that one is sold). Since Matt is doing a limited number of custom orders, he said I could do whatever....which really increases the GAS!

It's been a while since I played the Level 5, but i remember it was a somewhat chunky C profile. As long as it feels "rounded" toward the nut - that's really where it matters.

 

Matt's basses are top notch...that orange bass is very cool.

 

Holy cow, really? Not like I have any money for such things right now, but if I did then Matt would be getting a bunch of emails from me.

 

Yeah, I'm guessing the economy is causing him to relax his schedule standards a bit.

 

I'm jonesing for a Level 4. I have a Level 4 P/MM and it is great. Love the feel, balance, etc. The only thing that remotely bothers me is that the tradeoff for the compact headstock that cuts weight, improves balance, is that there isn't enough room for a Hipshot.

But after I saw that there are T-bird pickups available from Mike Lull that gives me an idea for a very fun Level 4....

...and I didn't have to pay taxes...

....tempting.....

 

I think Matt's basses are about the best out there for any price. I have two level 5's. I am looking for a level 4 and I am willing to trade one of my 5's or sell it.

 

I have a Sadowsky MV5 I'm looking to sell or trade for a comparable 6 string and someone offered me a Matt Pulcinella 6 with twin J pick ups. Tell me more. Any more sound samples? Playing experience?

 

Here's my Level 5

 

I just received my new Matt Pulcinella Level 5JJ yesterday and all I can say is WOW!

I own a Level 5 Lined Fretless that I picked up from Bongomania. I added a Barolini 2-Band EQ changed the strings to Rotosound RS88 Black Nylon Tapewound strings and had the bass professionally setup...just the sound I was looking for. The bass was originally fretted and was defretted, exceptional work. Over the past few months, my inventory of basses had grown to four basses and my new wife was starting to look at me funny, as if to say, excuse me, you can only play one at a time. So I decided two basses max to keep the peace.

I was going to sell the Fretless until I picked it up to play again before she sold. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, this is by far the most comfortable, best playing, best sounding bass I own, why am I selling? Well, because you have to have a good fretted bass. Yes, but sell the other three and get a fretted MPG.

To make a long story short, I sold the other three basses and sent in the deposit for the Level 5JJ that Matt was working on. Now I have two basses that are the most comfortable, best playing and best sounding, one fretted and the other fretless. All I can say is that I am a most content and happy camper.

Here are the specs for the MPG Level 5JJ:

• Spalted Maple Top
• Alder Body
• Amber Finish
• Flamed Maple Neck
• Birdseye Maple Fretboard
• Bartolini Soapbar XXM45M
• Bartolini 3-Band EQ 4.6 AP
• Black Hipshot Hardware
• Black Dunlop Straplocks









Here a pic of the MPG Level 5 and the MPG Level 5JJ together:

 

So YOU'RE the one who got that!! Very nice collection!

I hope Matt is nice to you on the phone!

 

Matt is a man of few words and is very to the point...knowing that I had absolutely no problems...he gave his opinion and more importantly delivered. We corresponded mostly by email and for every four lines of text in my email I usually got a one liner back...once again not a problem for me.

I was pleased with the process and very pleased with the finished product...I don't want to put the bass down. Matt is a talented luthier and for the price/quality you can't beat it for a completely handbuilt instrument that rivals the best of basses that I have owned.