• 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.

Need a 5 string jazz, mtd kingston saratoga worth the hype?

danharris

danharris

Aug 28, 2012
221
240
British Columbia, Canada
#1
clickbait title...maybe,

need a new jazz 5..no pickguard. kingston saratoga makes one in blue , shapes a little pointy for a jazz but looks sooo good on the other hand ibanez is making "mode" jazz basses, look great for 2k canadian. i can play an ibanez here in canada, not like it and return it. a kingston to my door is going to be the same price. now i emailed the kingston shop and they texted me back in 10 minutes. thats crazy service. ya shipping is expensive but they will put hipshot hardware on it and set it up, mail it out. Being in a small town i have bought mail order basses before and been quite happy. I know the mtd is worth the hype. i gotta try one of those necks. do i pull the trigger and drop 2k in the mail on a chinese production bass...lol or go play the ibanez mode, know its gonna be great and own another ibanez i have like 7 already, 1 fender
 
  • Like
Reactions: GTHintz and DJ Bebop
#2
The MTD body shape is one of my absolute favorites. Super comfortable. Have not played the Saratoga so I cannot say how you will like the rest of it. On the plus side you really just need to find a comfortable/well made bass. Jazz bass setups are easy to mod if the pickup/electronic setup is not giving you what you want (large number of replacement pickup and electronic options).
 
  • Like
Reactions: MaxSpinrun
#3
I bought an MTD Kingston for my son and it's fantastic. Lightweight, well-balanced, well-made. We upgraded the bridge to a Hipshot B and I'm going to do a preamp/pickup swap at some point. I'd have no hesitation playing one myself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MaxSpinrun
#5
murphy said:
Now I believe the MTD is 35inch scale. Are you ok with that?
I switched back to 34inch scale, preferring the feel
Click to expand...
I was like that for a while, but it turns out the couple 35 scales I owned were simply not comfortable, I bought a Sire that I didn't know it was 35 scale until after I got home and researched what body wood it uses.

35 scale no doubt has a better B string.
 
#6
danharris said:
clickbait title...maybe,

need a new jazz 5..no pickguard. kingston saratoga makes one in blue , shapes a little pointy for a jazz but looks sooo good on the other hand ibanez is making "mode" jazz basses, look great for 2k canadian. i can play an ibanez here in canada, not like it and return it. a kingston to my door is going to be the same price. now i emailed the kingston shop and they texted me back in 10 minutes. thats crazy service. ya shipping is expensive but they will put hipshot hardware on it and set it up, mail it out. Being in a small town i have bought mail order basses before and been quite happy. I know the mtd is worth the hype. i gotta try one of those necks. do i pull the trigger and drop 2k in the mail on a chinese production bass...lol or go play the ibanez mode, know its gonna be great and own another ibanez i have like 7 already, 1 fender
Click to expand...
the 5 string saratoga is 34' inch scale length if tis the 24 fret version, i recommend putting a bit more for the deluxe one with the preamp its even better, it does have a passive/active switch and passive tone control if i remember, just saying but atleast on the one i tried in the store jazz pickups sometimes sounded like humbuckers/mms, but neck wise and weight wise, its probally the most comftorable jazz bass i ever player, again i only have expirience with the 24 fret version, they could have changed stuff on the 21 fret version
 
  • Like
Reactions: PrestoZoom
#12
shalev98732 said:
how do they compare to the v1? since i know you did a review on the v1
Click to expand...

V1 and V2 refers to the PREVIOUS generation of Kingstons. In 2024 we changed the tuners to Licensed Hipshot Ultralites and added carbon fiber reinforcement to the necks. These are the only differences between V1 and V2 - literally everything else is the same.

Kingston Saratoga 5s are 34" scale. The Kingston Norm Stockton is 35" scale.

For this year, we gave the entire lineup a facelift - new colors, new boards, new body woods, new hardware colors:

Kingston Series — Michael Tobias Design

www.mtdbass.com www.mtdbass.com

They will begin shipping Aug/Sept. Some dealers have presales up now.

I took a Saratoga 5 home to put it through the ringer (I got the Blue Steel one!) and I think it's a pretty big improvement from the last generation. The biggest thing is the roasted neck - it's simply more stable and it feels much more resonant than the regular maple necks they used to come with. Lobster is getting her claws on the Natural Ash one from NAMM. Join us in the MTD Import thread for more info!
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: murphy, LowEndLobster, Blues Daddy and 2 others
#13
DJmtd said:
V1 and V2 refers to the PREVIOUS generation of Kingstons. In 2024 we changed the tuners to Licensed Hipshot Ultralites and added carbon fiber reinforcement to the necks. These are the only differences between V1 and V2 - literally everything else is the same.

Kingston Saratoga 5s are 34" scale. The Kingston Norm Stockton is 35" scale.

For this year, we gave the entire lineup a facelift - new colors, new boards, new body woods, new hardware colors:

Kingston Series — Michael Tobias Design

www.mtdbass.com www.mtdbass.com

They will begin shipping Aug/Sept. Some dealers have presales up now.

I took a Saratoga 5 home to put it through the ringer (I got the Blue Steel one!) and I think it's a pretty big improvement from the last generation. The biggest thing is the roasted neck - it's simply more stable and it feels much more resonant than the regular maple necks they used to come with. Lobster is getting her claws on the Natural Ash one from NAMM. Join us in the MTD Import thread for more info!
Click to expand...
I just wish yall kept the saratoga deluxes with 24 frets, luckily my local store still has them ill probally grab one to have a backup bass
 
#15
shalev98732 said:
I just wish yall kept the saratoga deluxes with 24 frets, luckily my local store still has them ill probally grab one to have a backup bass
Click to expand...
I'm not sure we ever did a 24 fret Saratoga. The Deluxe just added a flamed maple tops and active electronics to the old Saratoga (non-Deluxe) from way back in the day.

The Grendel and Beast were JJ style basses with 24 frets, though.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back