9v/18v Conversions

When I first started playing MTD Kingstons, I decided I wasn't going to change out pickups, nuts, nothing I'd done to my Spectors to get them playable...the basses are great, feel great, sound great...there's a lot of discussion on other sites about swapping out the pickups or the electronics on the Z series (not ZX) due to their allegedly wimpy sound. I think the stock electronics sound great, on both my Z5 and ZX...however...

...I just had a second battery installed in series to the electronics on my ZX #26(25)...WOW! WOW!!!!!!

So the guy who turned me onto that idea, he'd done it in his Z5...let me be clear here, I consulted with Mike, to the best of his knowledge, the electronics in the Z5 are designed to run at 9v, so he does NOT recommend or endorse modding those...but this guy's been running his Z5 for over a year at 18v with no issues, it sounds KILLER! His Z5 was sounding pretty close to my ZX in our opinion (myself, the store owner, and another bass player we're friends with who happened to be around...) I'll be upgrading my Z5 next...but the ZX is my main axe, so I wanted that done first...WOW!

Mike sent me the link for wiring up the ZX with the second battery, you can find it here:

http://www.bartolini.net/instruction...mb/AGDB918.htm

The diagram is for a different Bartolini circuit, but the wiring is essentially the same

Yeh, as most of you would know, the second battery doesn't make things louder...it gives you more headroom...I noticed especially more response in the mids...and the top end sizzles! Fat booty bass...the only other bass I'll want now is a ZX fretless! We played it in the shop through a guitar amp at first, and one of the regulars came to ask him when he got a bass amp in the repair office!!! Yeh, it's that huge a difference!

So yeh...if you have a ZX, or upgraded your Z5 or another MTD Kingston to Barts, give this a try...try it on your Z5 AT YOUR OWN RISK! But a $10 mod to improve the sound of a Z5 (which sounds great as is, IMO) is more cost effective then upgrading electronics/pickups IMO!

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pleasant Lindsey III on October 11, 2008 at 9:46am: I'm new to MTD's world -- what's the difference between the Z5 and ZX? I just bought an "Artist" on a whim; definitely NOT Bartolini territory, but it feels and plays well enough to keep me interested in the other models.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by SPEEDY on January 5, 2009 at 7:38pm: HEY PLEASANT

THE Z5 HAS PRETTY GOOD KOREAN MADE PUPS AND TRONICS AND THE ZX HAS BARTOLINI PUPS AND TRONICS PLUS A TOUCH OF MR. TOBIAS HIMSELF!! NICE LOOKING BASS YOU HAVE THERE.

RON (SPEEDY) PERKINS; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Pickering on May 12, 2009 at 7:06pm: A.J. - Does $1700 sound like too much to pay for a brand new MTD Michael Tobias Kingston Z X-5 Bass w/ bag?

Thanks for the input. I will definitely be adding the second battery to mine!

Jonathan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by A.J. Smith on May 12, 2009 at 11:20pm: That sounds about right...where from?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Omar Somonte on June 26, 2009 at 11:50am: Thank you for the info.... Im in the process of getting the Kingston ZX,how woud you describe this Bass? And do you have the Mapple neck? Thank you.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by A.J. Smith on June 26, 2009 at 12:19pm: I have the maple fretboard, and I have one with a rosewood fretboard on trial right now too...strung with the same strings, the maple is of course a little brighter sounding...I'm going to see if I can't swing the 2nd one AND keep my Z5, which gives me nice J-Bass like sounds with the 2nd battery....

...and the ZX? Out of this world, plays like a bass that's much more expensive...wish it came with a case, but it's well worth it either way...anything specific you'd like to know about it?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Omar Somonte on June 26, 2009 at 2:49pm: Thank you A.J.,you say that the ZX brings the case? And i also heard that they were only doing 30 of these basses? Its yours signed by Michael? And will they be making other colors? Thank you my friend.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by A.J. Smith on June 26, 2009 at 3:16pm: No case, unfortunately...the one I bought and the other one I'm trying are both LTD editions signed by Mike, they are now into the regular run, which are not signed by him.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Omar Somonte on June 26, 2009 at 3:35pm: Thank you,do you know any where that there selling on of the first 30 basses sigend by him?And did you payed more for the LTD,then the ones that are coming out now,or its the same price,and the same bass? Thank you so much for your help.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by A.J. Smith on June 26, 2009 at 5:29pm: You can try and get one through theperfectbass.com . I'm not sure about the price difference, I think they're the same price...ask James or Brandt at TPB!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Omar Somonte on June 26, 2009 at 7:21pm: One Last question,where did you buy yours? And i really thank you AJ ,for your time,and friendship.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by A.J. Smith on June 26, 2009 at 11:35pm: No problem Omar! I work at Long & McQuade in Canada, I got mine there.; ▶ Reply to This