Need Help Getting an MTD sound out of Music Man?

[namuxtree]

Hi Guys, here's a humble korean-american believer who has fallen in love with the Gospel music that the Lord has blessed us all with. I live in California and I play a Music Man Stingray 5 for my church and i've become more interested in integrating gospel into my playing. So here it goes:

I was given the Stingray 5 to me and as I played more and more I began to realize that I didn't like the vintage sounds of a music man and I wanted a more 'gospel' tone (which can't be offered as well as MTD) and so I was wondering what I could do to get that sound. Now i've considered buying a bart pickup and adding an aguilar preamp but my main concern is my wood and hardware. Musicmans are made out of ash I believe and the saddles are stainless steel (I replaced mine with brass ones from Hipshot but it sounds strange...the sustain has increased for sure but the tone became too muddy with mids and it doesn't have the brass ring to it..if you know anything about that let me know. But please help me with this little predicament that I'm in.

P.S. Below ill show what the pickup and preamp looks like and if you have any better suggestions please let me know asap. Thanks and God bless!


Pickup - http://www.bestbassgear.com/bartolini-mv5cbc-pickups.htm
Preamp - http://www.aguilaramp.com/products_preamps_obp3.htm
the axe - http://www.music-man.com/instruments/basses/stingray-5.html

[namuxtree]

and just so we're not confused I have not bought or installed these parts yet (with the exception of those strange brass saddles). peace!

[malthumb]

First a couple questions.....

Does it have the be THE MTD sound (not sure I really know what that is) or something more similar to a particular artist's sound, who happens to use an MTD?

Or does it just need to be something other than the Stingray sound you are getting?

Can you isolate the differences you want to see to tone elements (more/less bass, more/less mids, more/less treble, better sustain, more/less growl, more/less punch)


If you HAVE TO HAVE THE MTD sound, chances are you need to consider getting an MTD.  Maybe that involves selling or trading your Musicman.  If so, you DO NOT want to mod the Musicman.  You should be able to get a used Kingston Z or Kingston Heir type bass for about what you can sell a used Musicman for.  Maybe even a little less.  If you mod the Musicman, the selling value will drop like a stone.

If you just need to enhance or de-emphasize certain aspects of the Musicman tone, consider outboard preamp / Direct Box solutions first.  Then maybe look at some other sort of signal processing like a multi-effects unit.  Take your bass to a music store and experiment with the DI boxes the have.  Try to play through amplification as close as possible to what you normally use.  That will be your lowest cost approach.  Playing around with the settings you can get on a Radial BassBone, a SansAmp BDDI, or a Line 6 Bass Pod could help you get close.

I also am not certain that there is ONE MTD sound.  In my opinion, the MTD USA series is the most wood sensitive of the major boutique basses.  In other words, an ash bodied, maple necked MTD will sound significantly different than an alder bodied wenge necked MTD.  Not so much that I can identify one or the other blindly, but if they are played A/B, I can hear the differences.  If the sound you're talking about is more the Kingston Z sound or the Kingston Heir sound or something like that, you'll be better off just selling the Stingray and buying one of those with the proceeds.

I am not anti-modding (I've modded several Fender Jazz basses and one of these days will get around to assembling a P-Bass I have in pieces).  The thing is, Stingrays have such a distinct character that most mods you could make will de-value the instrument. 


Good luck finding that sound!

Peace,

James

[jeremyr]

listen to Malthumb, for he is wise in the way of modding and reselling basses.

If you're not a fan of the Stringray tone sell it (you will get your moneys worth) and put that cash towards a MTD Z5.  I believe that if you buy the Z5 Mike T. Will sell you USA electronics,  if not he will not sell them to you (i've tried..lol).  The MTD pups aren't like any other bart pups!! They are reverse P's, which give them they're distinct sound.  I think Carey nordstrand will do custom pups, so if you can get him to wind you some reverse P's in a soap bar container you might be on your way (heck I might have him do that for me..lol). 

[browntree]

I actually have experience with that preamp.  I use one in my bass, but what everyone has said is true.  You don't want to change that Music Man.  I would suggest restoring it back to its original condition.  Like Malthumb said, I love working on basses; get you a cheaper bass and put your Barts and Aguilar in that.  You'll probably come very close to that "sound" you are looking for.  Get something like a Fender, Schecter, Ibenez, or Spector.

Browntree

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. I Chronicles 15:16

[ddwilkins]

listen to Malthumb, for he is wise in the way of modding and reselling basses.

If you're not a fan of the Stringray tone sell it (you will get your moneys worth) and put that cash towards a MTD Z5.  I believe that if you buy the Z5 Mike T. Will sell you USA electronics,  if not he will not sell them to you (i've tried..lol).  The MTD pups aren't like any other bart pups!! They are reverse P's, which give them they're distinct sound.  I think Carey nordstrand will do custom pups, so if you can get him to wind you some reverse P's in a soap bar container you might be on your way (heck I might have him do that for me..lol). 

Agreed!!!!!

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

If you HAVE TO HAVE THE MTD sound, chances are you need to consider getting an MTD. 

Can't get any simpler than that.  If you could get the MTD sound out of any bass, MTD wouldn't have the niche that they have. 

[hands5]

 You ither love the sound of the Stingray or hate it,there's no in between,they are what they are.

[Bullitt]

Can't get any simpler than that.  If you could get the MTD sound out of any bass, MTD wouldn't have the niche that they have. 

That's why they're the "best basses in the world".....*ducks and dodges stones from JeremyR and others* lol jk

But yep, I agree with brotha BigFoot. I tried going down other routes to get the MTD tone but was never satisfied with any other basses (modded or otherwise).  Everyone has a sound in their head, and with the exception of a select few instruments, that sound is often impossible to mimic with anything but the real mccoy.

Good luck!
-J