So what do these things actually sound like? I know it is subjective, but what would you say? Modern sounding? Woody? P bass like? more MM like? How high quality wise would compare them to?
There have been tons of other threads about these mtd basses, but what the heck, i'll take this opportunity to talk about my new mtd heir! Just got it a few days ago (was gonna get a lakland skyline - but couldn't wait anymore after trying this out), and after much experimenting and recording some r&b parts i have to say, i love this bass. I was a little worried at first about hum from the single-coil neck pickup (only on the Heir model) but this bass records great! I can see why Michael Dimin strongly advocates recording with passive electronics... the bass tone just sat really comfortably and there was a lot of meaty signal to work with in the mix with no super hifi tone fighting with the other instruments. At the same time, this bass does have a pretty modern sound - aggressive mids and a bright MM bridge pickup. It's almost overly bright to my ears, but blending in the neck pickup gives smooth tones and tremendous versatility. Yes this bass sounds "woody" and "hi-fi" and i can also get a deep gospel/reggae type of tone by boosting the lows from my amp. Construction quality is excellent, the knobs feel sturdy, the fretwork is impeccable (smoother fret ends than my cirrus and fenders). Other impressions: My action is crazy-low without buzzing. The fretboard radius is very wide (very flat board). The neck is very wide with relatively wide string spacing. Has the hottest output of any passive bass that i've played recently. Criticism: Very slight and intermitten noise (crackling) when turning the tone knob. Barely noticeable, but still bugs me! Conclusion: I really love this bass, and I think my days of sitting at the GuitarCenter ing over Zon and Modulus basses are over. (You might laugh at that, but for my personal preferences and ears, i'm completely satisfied with what i can get between my mtd and cirrus). Then again, never say never
those heai basses are really really nice to see and everyone is talking about them and how they sound great, if they were nily availble here in italy...
Nice looking basses, Superphat! Actually, I am seriously considering buying an MTD Kingston 5 fretless. I want/need a fretless bass for some of the original songs that my band is doing, and for a couple of covers (like "Sister" by the Nixons). I have heard a LOT of good comments on these things and the price on them is so reasonable it is hard to pass up.
check out www.basscentral.com or www.bassnw.com. They have pretty good prices on them. Also, www.musiciansfriend.com has em too.
thanks... yeah, i checked out the fretless (briefly) and it was definitely crying out "take me home~" if i could commit to practicing on the fretless to get decent intonation , i would get one. haven't heard too many testimonies about the mtd fretless... anyone want to share?
I'd call it [the Kingston] a "classic" sound, like a P-bass but richer, due to the MM-style pickup. But I'm restringing mine at the end of the week with some Ken Smith strings; perhaps it might sound different.
my mtd heir came with mtd strings and were a bit darker sounding than they are now, but i restring my basses with DR sunbeams every 10-20 days and they sound really bright to me. it's a trip how everybody has different ears... i thought the kingstons were much less "classic" sounding than even J-basses, but a P-bass?? wow. Artisan, let us know how they sound with Ken Smith strings~
Will do. I suppose the Kingston has a seventies feel and sound to it, that's why I said "classic". The closest I compare it to is a P-bass, but I'm sure everybody has different ears.
Well, the Ken Smith "Custom Balanced" strings are on the MTD Kingston and they're too bright for my bass. Perhaps it's the combination of the strings plus the maple neck, but I'm going to do something else next time.
