MTD Kingston Heir 5-String Electric Bass User Reviews at zZounds

"IM HOOKED!!" submitted March 18, 2011

By a customer from gmail.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician, Recording Engineer

Music Style: Neo Soul, R&B, Gospel, Jazz, Rock, Country, Alternative, Hip-Hop, Funk

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Sound: Each bass is unique because of the wood grain but the acoustic sound on this is very warm and full of tone. I would describe it as a clear with rounded lows and cutting highs with out breaking your ears. The tones are just right for anyone looking to use this bass in a variety of settings and genres. With the right amp and head (GK or Ampeg to name a few)the combinations of tones is endless. I love the way it sounds. Feature: It has a pickup panner, volume knob,and low, mid and high eq knobs. Great tuning systems. No complaints. It comes with two allen wrenches. for the intonation and bridge. If work on your bass you might consider using stronger grade allen wrench but the ones it comes with should suffice. Ease of Use: You play it! Seriously, Its really comfortable. The assymmetrical neck is very comfortable and fast! and the body sits very with me. It's not heavy so your shoulders wont be hurting after long sessions and it just feels good. Quality: This is where i was a little dissappointed but not taken back. For starters, the knobs where all loose so i had to tighten them up no biggy. The frets are very sharp on the edges. and i found i was cutting my skin where i made contact. Not enough to cut deep are anything but enough to get annoying. So you will more than likely have to take it to a shop and have the fret ends smooth out or do it yourself. It sucks and I know I will be calling Mr. Tobais about it. But that can be a big thing for some and a small thing for others. But just realize that seems to be a problem. Other than those two things, The build and quality of the material, coat finish and workmanship is on par. It is a solid design. There were no flaws other than the one I mentioned that I saw. The strings it comes with are very bright and actually sound good. The fret board and neck is beautiful to me and the body is just spectacular. The electronics are very solid and strudy. You have one compartment dedicated for the electronics and another one dedicated for the battery which makes life a lot easier when trying to change the battery. Overall the Kingston Heir is built to last! Value: The price is decent. I believe it is worth the penny spent. The sound and Quality you get from this instrument is outstanding. This will be in my arsenal for a long time so this is money well spent with no regrets! Manufacturer Support: I dont know yet. I havent called. So Im not rating this one The Wow Factor: I Got It! This is bass is gorgeous! I love it! The body style just draws you in to embrace it. The cherry finish is just amazing. I have seen the tobacco finish and the cherry to me is much better. The body feels smooth and silky. and The neck is just spot on! This is just an exquisite bass! Overall: Overall, this bass is everything it says it is. Great and Affordable. This will be a working tool for probably the rest of my music career with some additions. The sound is versatile and style and beauty is timeless. Im hooked!

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"Solid lefty value...not perfect" submitted November 29, 2010

By a customer from yahoo.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

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Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Hobbyist

Music Style: Rock/Blues/Metal

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Sound: The sound covers a full range. On high treble settings it doesn't sound like a tin can an on high bass settings the bass has a wonderful warm sound. I can also get it to have a decent punch sound. Feature: The unit came with a really cheap amp cord. The allen wrenches were cheaply made too. The bass has good features. I love the sound of the low B. There's no mud at all. Ease of Use: I love how the stings are far apart from each other and the asymmetrical neck compensates for any reach issues you might encounter from having more space between the strings. Quality: I got the left-handed version. The edges of the frets have spurs and are not smooth. It doesn't affect the playing but does affect the quality of the feel of the instrument when you run your hands around it. The bass was extremely out of adjustment. The truss rod was cranked super tight and the strings were really loose. I thought I was going to strip the hex socket just to get the truss rod to where I could adjust it. I took the chance, knowing that I could return it, and loosened the truss rod using a higher quality allen wrench than the one that came with the unit. I then had to raise all of the strings a lot (most of the adjustment screws are now recessed into the parts of the bridge string guides). After adjusting intonations, it plays great now, but might even be better with a real professional setting up the bass. The flamed maple on the instrument was much heavier on the top than on the bottom half of the face of the bass. It still looks sharp, but it kind of reminded me of a fast food advertisement compared to the product you actually get. Value: The bass looks great, sounds great, and plays great. It's missing the attention to detail I would have expected in this price range. Being left-handed, I haven't played a lot of different instruments. Manufacturer Support: Didn't contact them. The Wow Factor: The bass looks great Overall: I plan for this to be my bass for at least 10 years. Its solid, feels great, sounds great, etc. If I get really serious, then I'll get a professional setup and find out about having the rough top and bottom edges of the frets filed smooth and possibly coated.

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"Amazing Instrument from Mr. Tobias!" submitted July 3, 2009

By a customer from hotmail.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician

Music Style: Metal, Hard Rock, Blues, Reggae, Funk

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Sound: This bass has an unbelievable amount of range when it comes to different tones. I can get that warm, beefy sound to a nice punchy pop that does wonders for solos. The slap sound is remarkable and would let any experienced player drool from its amazing response. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Feature: The Buzz Feiten tuning system comes in handy and gives you accurate tuning. Ease of Use: It's amazing what Michael Tobias did with the Kingston line of basses. You can pretty much get the tone you are looking for. (given the amp you're pushing it through, of course.) Quality: I personally love how the bass feels while playing. The neck has a 'wing-like' structure. I am assuming it's for ease of playing on the upper fretboard. It's supremely smooth and you can get away with low action if you don't have much of an attack when playing. Value: This bass is definitely worth the buy. A truly outstanding, great quality instrument for a reasonable price. Manufacturer Support: Haven't had the need to. The Wow Factor: I currently have the Sunburst finish; which is lovely in it's own right. But I think the natural finish on the KZ's are much more visually appealing. Nevertheless, it will make you look good... and, of course, make you sound great! Overall: Truly a marvelous instrument that has an unbelievably low price tag. Mr. Tobias' fine designs are much more superior than many pro basses out there that would normally require you to sell one of your kidneys to buy one. I highly recommend it from intermediate to pro players. Next time you're in your favorite music store, pick one up and give it a couple thumps.

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