GEAR REVIEW
MTD KINGSTON SERIES SARATOGA FIVE-STRING BASS | Gary Lunn
KEY FEATURES
• Affordable 5 String Bass
• Optimal String Spacing
• Onboard Pre-amp
• Gig Bag Included
I was excited when I was asked to review the MTD five-string bass . Years ago , I owned a five-string Tobias for a short time and played it on several recordings . It was very even and full sounding . The only drawback with the instrument was that the five-string spacing was way too narrow for my fingers , and I did not want to get too used to it because it might affect my technique on other instruments .
Before I proceed , let me pause and say that I am used to playing hi-end basses ( vintage Fender , Tyler , MusicMan , Alien , Yamaha , etc .), but I can totally see the need for entry-level 5-string instruments in the marketplace . Churches welcoming new players into the fold while having a smaller budget need options within the low-budget arena . So , I am determined to give the MTD my best judgment ! With that said , speaking out of turn , I was not disappointed !
I had no idea what to expect when the bass arrived . As I unboxed it , I noticed that it was very well packed and ( expecting a hard-shell case ) it was in a nice , padded bag . As I opened the zipper , I immediately liked the maple neck . The orange-clear-colored matte finish on the ornately-grained body will definitely keep the light reflection down for the video production team ! Ha !
Without plugging it in , I played a few notes on the A and G strings . The bass seemed to be pretty lively , as the sound seemed to jump off the body . But when I played the B-string , it almost completely buzzed out on the frets . I pondered taking it to my friend Brian Barrett at his incredible bass store called “ The Low End ” in Nolensville , Tennessee , to have it set up , but I decided to do it myself . I raised the B and E strings to bring them closer to a “ playable ” condition . However , companies should always send their instruments out having been set up to “ pristine ” level playing condition ( in my humble opinion ) so I checked into it and MTD replied that every bass that comes in is completely inspected , adjusted , frets gone over and restrung . The changes could be due to weather change in ground shipping , but they cannot say for sure . They do not generally get any complaints on the set ups of the Kingston basses they ship . That was comforting to hear .
The string spacing was actually optimal . Not too narrow at all - very similar to my MusicMan StingRay 5 . Not too wide , either , for beginner five-string players to reach .
I plugged it into my home studio setup and immediately noticed that the B string was clear sounding but louder than all other strings . I had to adjust the pickups to remedy the problem by lowering the B side of both pickups . I was only able to get about 75 % closer to where it needed to be for my taste , but it sounded fine . Staggering pole-piece heights on the pickups to better match the curvature of the neck would be a nice feature to have , but for a “ budget ” instrument , you can ’ t beat the tone .
Next , I figured out the preamp / knob control on the instrument . The bass , middle , and treble controls were functional and effective . A single , on / off switch seemed to be an active / passive switch , turning the EQ on and off . A stacked knob for volume ( inside ) and passive tone control ( outside ) next to a notched balance control completed the preamp rundown . My go-to setting on a bass that I don ’ t know is always a flat tone setting , the volume all the way up , the master tone set to full , and