Should be getting a new backup bass, not a MM, but close?

[Figjam]

Well as you know my main bass is a musicman sterling. I havent needed to even use a backup since i got it, but my band is gigging more often now and i figure i should invest in a new backup bass. I recently got gas for a fretless, partly inspired by Juan Alderete, if you know him.

Looks like ill be aquiring an mtd kingston 4 fretless. I say its similiar to a musicman because of the pickup style and such, heh. I think itll serve me well, since im used to the style of playing a bass with such a pickup.

My question, since it is a passive pickup, if i wish to upgrade the pickup in the future, what do you recommend? A passive bartolini ? Who makes a passive one that would be an easy replacement.? Any other advice in general?

This is the second fretless ill be owning, the last was a SX p bass just to get my fretless feet wet.

 

[bovinehost]

if i wish to upgrade the pickup in the future, what do you recommend?

I recommend that you sell it and get another EBMM bass.

Well? What did you expect me to say?

 

[Figjam]

hehe no worries, im a loyal mm fan.

 

[maddog]

Hey Jack,

Are Sterling's available in fretless?

 

[remo]

why not get something totally different? like a s/h Fender Precision? then you will have more tones to choose from... MM nu-school and old school Fender P thump..

 

[Figjam]

My current back up bass gets the old school P thump thing done and its not my cup of tea anymore, as well as my old fretless got the thump too.


Im gonna be trading my current backup, which was my main bass for a year and i adored it but have moved on to a different tone realm, for the kingston.

 

[Father Gino]

The answer youre going to get here is to buy a new double bubble Sterling and make your present one the backup. This is a fairly intriguing plan to be sure.

Who's to say whether a Bart or Duncan MM pickup is an upgrade or a downgrade? Depends on what you want and what it sounds like to you. For what it's worth, I've heard told that the Duncan is similar to the older Stingray pickups. I have heard a Bart MM on a fretless and liked it a lot. One day I may put one in my Sterling and see what that sounds like. But don't tell BP I said that

 

[Aussie Mark]

If your main gigging bass is fretted, there's not a lot of point in buying a fretless as a gig backup. The purpose of a backup is for you to be able to continue the gig if, say, a string breaks, the preamp dies, a pickup wire comes loose, the nut cracks, an intonation screw falls out, some drunk knocks you over and the headstock snaps etc. So, it makes sense to have a bass that is similar to your main gig bass. That doesn't mean you have to buy another Sterling, or even another active bass, but I'd stick to the same scale length, neck width, string spacing and string type, so your transition to the backup mid-gig (or mid-song) can be relatively seamless.

Why not a S.U.B.?

 

[phatduckk]

If your main gigging bass is fretted, there's not a lot of point in buying a fretless as a gig backup.

+1

 

[todd4ta]

Why not a S.U.B.?

If you haven't tried a S.U.B. yet, it's worth your effort to find one. There is a 'SUB Stingray' if you want something a little different, or a 'SUB Sterling' if you want it more similar to your current Sterling. These basses are incredible playing, and a great value. For those of us that went on the factory tour, we saw the S.U.B.'s being made side-by-side will all of the other Ernie Ball instruments.

That being said, I had a Kingston fretless several years ago when they first came out and I think you should give the stock pickup a fair trial before deciding to change it. If you don't like the bass, I don't think changing the pickup (or adding a preamp) will make a difference.

 

[smallequestrian]

Um...Fretless S.U.B. Sterling anybody?

 

[MingusBASS]

Those S.U.B. fretless basses are a heck of a deal. I'm not a big fan of the textured finish but the White ones are pretty sexy. I'd also get the black pickguard as the metal plated look isn't my bag either.

Andrew

 

[Figjam]

Eh, its not a matter of picking any bass i want, i have a trade for the mtd for my current backup bass.


And yes even though its fretless, it will actually be easier to play my set with it than my current backup bass, which plays and sounds nothing like my sterling at all.

Guess the EBMM forum wasnt the best place for this inquiry.

 

[smallequestrian]

I would ask the pickup forum on Talkbass. From what I can tell though, those Kingstons should sound fine the way they are.

 

[Aussie Mark]

my current backup bass, which plays and sounds nothing like my sterling at all.

Guess the EBMM forum wasnt the best place for this inquiry.

It's got nothing to do with people being EBMM fanatics. If you read my reply again, I didn't suggest at all that your backup needs to be the same make and model as your main bass. I threw the SUB comment in because this is an EBMM board.

Besides, your first post said nothing about the Kingston (sorry, but I don't know what that is) being acquired in a trade. And, you mentioned "i figure i should invest in a new backup bass", which implied that you hadn't bought the backup yet but were leaning toward the Kingston.

If your question was "I've got a Kingston and want to change the pickup" you would have got different responses.

 

[MingusBASS]

Guess the EBMM forum wasnt the best place for this inquiry.

I think most of us were joking although we wern't informed that you had to trade to get the MTD. That being said, I play non-ebmm basses at times and if you want Juan Alderete's sound a fretless P would get you closest-I'm sure you know this as you seem to be a Mars Volta fanatic. Since you've thrown that posibility out, if the kingston gets the sound you want, more power to ya. I'm not sure what answer you were expecting as this is the EBMM board and we are a bit biased at times, although usually in a joking manner. What is your current back up anyways?

Andrew

 

[Figjam]

Current backup : godin sd with barts

Ive had a fretless P, want a little mroe muah, juan uses a fretless P/J.


Sorry bout not mentioning the trade, no hostiility i was tired when i made the original post.


So the main question at hand deals with the passive pickup replacement opportunties and wat kinda tone they have.

 

[MingusBASS]

I doubt many if any of us have even played a Kingston bass let alone a fretless but I'm sure there's a few on TB. I think you're right, this isn't the best place to ask this question.

Andrew

 

[Figjam]

Back to my homeland!

 

[Golem]

Have you ever checked out the Ibanez ATK? It's a true StingRay inspired ax, not a copy. It has a couple of visual hints to state that the StingRay is the target, but it is not a visual rip off like an OLP or J Turser. Because it has to actually deliver sonically instead of visually, it has a killer voice. It does NOT copy the MM headstock, pickguard or body shape. It does have a killer humbucker in the MM spot, a huge bridge, and a vicious bite. With TI flats it's woody sounding. With GHS brite flats it's snarly.

You can't get a new one in the US AFAIK, but used ones are $300 to $400 for really nice condition. It wouldn't suffer the tag of "back-up" but more like "alternate". Main drawback is weight, usually about 11 lb. A few of them were US built [the ones with the Bunker/PBC necks] but most are Korean. I've had one of each, and kept the Korean. ATKs are still made, but not offered in the US.

Of my excessive hoard of basses, our fiddle & guitar guy who is very much NOT a gearhead, has remarked on only two:

StingRay FL: "If I had that bass, I'd give up fiddle, guitar and mandolin to just play bass -- great piece of ash."

ATK 300 FL: "I like that bass of yours, you know, the dark brown one that sounds so great and seems to just play itself....." [he had played that one himself].

So, he doesn't realize it, but if he were a basser, he'd be a StingRay player and seems to like the ATK equally well. Playing both, I have to agree with his choices.