MTD Kingston Super 5 vs Sire M5 (M7) - Clash of the Tonal Titans - LowEndLobster Tone Shootout

[@rydoggsc2]

For me it's the MTD Kingston. Love the burpy more aggressive tone.

[@meyersguitars2196]

You nailed it on the description. The Sire has a much more vintage feel to it and the MTD has a much more modern tone. Two great basses and great video

[@gwlankard1]

I sometimes wonder how the technology works... Like how pressing the like button causes your hand to turn back to normal. It must be very advanced technology.

[@rickrolli7091]

I noticed the tone difference with MTD being tighter because the plucking hand was over the bridge pickup and the M5 was over the neck pickup. It could've been an accidental misjudgement based on how the bass sits on the lap and it's comfortibility spots. But generally the basses are close in voicing. The M5 being warmer. The MTD being a bit MM gnarly. Thanks for a good shootout Lobster. Until we groove again 😉👍🎸

[@mountaindont34ify]

That's what I thought too.. Sorry lobster, you'll have to make an entirely new video comparison now.. this one is obsolete.. as Davie504 would say.. you cheated

[@Bassic778]

Both sound great but the MTD really speaks to me! That's one of the best MTD's that I've ever heard!

[@markdbenson75]

Love the M5 bridge pickup in parallel at 16:36. Great tone demo from the Lobmeister.

[@daltonbell2907]

I agree, the Sire has a more open tone, not as compressed sounding as the MTD. Sire for me

[@budduggly7781]

Both are really nice.....but the Sire does it for me. Great review as always.

[@CharlieRobe]

Me too.

[@VictorEzell]

@@CharlieRobe Me too .

[@floppytnarwal1641]

It comes down to personal preference. I prefer the MTD. Not just the tone but the way it plays.It also sits so well in the mix when I use it with a full band. I don't mind the sire at all, I love the tone too. Both are great sounding basses. I love seeing such a mixed bag of comments with love for both

[@bassimprovjams3772]

I’m glad you said “this isn’t a which is better video, because there is no comparison maybe on Aesthetics goes but tone, not really both great basses! For me the MTD would fit me better I’m a sucker for them MM pickups especially the placing of them like the Warwick corvette $$ “doublebuck” I had one of them and absolutely loved it!! I never realized the Super5 has zero fret!!! And that B on the 35”scale is boss!! MTD=Bruce Lee one inch punch, Sire= chuck Norris punch

[@MrSparks54]

Nice demo. Thanks Lobster 🦞

[@gibutribe]

Hello Lobster, Great video , thank you . Can wait to hear the MTD stock super 5 with a John east preamp 😊. That will be it ! 💥

[@michaelkeefer4293]

I thought the bridge pickups sounded somewhat similar, but the neck pickups sounded about as completely different as they possibly could. For me I think it would depend on the application, if looking for a "do it all" everyday bass the more classic sound of the Sire may be the better choice. If you want a more distinctive and aggressive tone then the MTD is the one to get. Though I normally gravitate to more aggressive tones I personally preferred the more classic tone of the Sire, it just seemed a lot more open and dynamic where the MTD seemed kinda compressed.

[@jeffjones1359]

They both sound good to me but different. I think some of that is due to the right hand position being naturally closer to the bridge on the MTD which produces a tighter sound. Personally I liked the MTDs mid range punch and more focused “modern” sound. The Sire had more bottom but I’m wondering how much of this was due to your right hand position. It’s just the way anyone would naturally play these basses due to where they sit in your lap and the pickup positions. Too bad you didn’t have a 5 string Sire handy, I would have liked to hear the b strings on both. Maybe a b string shootout is in order?! Fun as always Low!

[@CandraR]

I actually like the warm, roundness of the Sire! The MTD sounds just a little more focused in my opinion. I wish you had a 5 string version too. I’d love to hear the low B comparison! Overall really impressed with both!

[@trevorblair5552]

Hi Lobster, Sire in single coil for me. MTD is nice if your into a more modern tones but sound is subjective! 🤷🏿‍♂️🙏🏿

[@calvincurry8496]

Ive Played both Basses.( 1 gen M7) Both are Beast Basses. I have huge Hands. , So the MTD S5 fit my hands Better ( 19mm vs 18mm on the M7) Also the MTD. Asem neck fits my Hands Best. I Agree the Sire nails those mote Classic tones. The MTD the SR and Modern tone. One cannot go wrong with either Bass. (Actually the SireM5 is a great Value for the Money))Curios- Lobster Which Bass was more comfortable for you to Play???? PS your Bass Wall behind you is Just. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😎😎😎😎😊😊😊😊

[@paulvanwal4875]

A very good Review, thanks . Bove a good Sound, but I'm going to Kingston .

[@TittiPotestaBP]

Great video of this 2 amazing basses. For me the M5 sounds a bit more open and warm, and the MTD sounds more mid focused. I compared similar basses and went home with a M7 6 strings, and that bass just sings, can be as open and warm as the M5 but also as focused and gnarly as the MTD. Thank you Lob's!

[@latenight5865]

This is a great video! Thanks a lot!!! In terms of ternal versatility, I prefer Sire. When you change the pickup selector on M5, it sounds sometimes like Jazz bass and sometimes like P bass, but MTD basically sounds like... MTD, regardless of changing pickup selectors, without loosing its identity, which I actually like. I would recommend M5/7 if someone, like me :), wants to have both j bass and p bass(-ish) sounds in one hand,' if someone wants to have more straightforward, higher quality stingray-like sounds with a little bit decent tonal flexibility, MTD will be a better choice.

[@calvincurry8496]

Double PS. I Know it would be very Tedious but Could do a series on how different Bass strings match to the Character of Basses. ( example DR DDTs and Diaddario NYXL Sound wonderful on My Lakland 55 02 but not on my MTD Z5 The SIT foundation makes that bass sing) Some times Strings alone match better to Different Basses!

[@calvincurry8496]

Lobster Just found out the Sire Bass control is centered at 20 Hz which makes the Sire M Series a lil more Bottomy. MTD is More Midrangey. I gone back and listened to all the Super 5 , MTD, Sire Bass Vids with good Headphones. Boy the Super 5 and the. M 7 s are just Excellent Excellent Basses. Esp for the Money. Just Boils down to Personal taste. Wonderful Comparison. Thank you for this. Hope you do more MTD Kingston Comparos in the Future( Zx-5 , AG 5 etc) Again Bless 🙏You sir. Im a Lobster Channel Fan👍

[@Nick-Nasty]

I just ordered an m7. I had an m2 a while back, but I'm hoping the m7 is a little nicer sounding. I loooved the feel of the m2.

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! I just got an m7. They're killer

[@TheGAMEGod_YT]

LETS GOOOOOOO

[@giddibass3964]

love your reviews and your channel! can you review a MTD Kingston AG signature?? would really appreciate it. i'm planning to buy one but i can't find substantial reviews for that bass. and from where i'm from, access to mtd is a bit hard.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Giddi! I will try and snag one from MTD for review.

[@giddibass3964]

@@LowEndLobster thank you! Hope to see it soon. More power to you sir

[@chrismorris3897]

I like the MTD, but both are beautiful 😍!

[@DiogoBaeder]

The MTD cuts more through the mix, considering you only have drums and bass going on. I think it has more interesting mids than the Sire. But both sound very good to me.

[@MotoMarios]

The Sire sounds more open and "close" to you. I bet this goes beyond the pickups and their voicings - it must be down to neck woods too. I am seriously tempted for an M5 although I have yet to buy an MM style bass to mod the heck out of it per your own mods. Must be because I've found love in my Cort B5 with the neck pickup changed to A Nordstrand Zen blade and I use the pedal-ized John East preamp you've seen on TalkBass. I just love the end result so much, I prefer to sit and play rather than grab screwdrivers and soldering irons :).

[@bassape207]

Had an mtd Kingston that I replaced all the electronics and pickups in the barts and I loved how it played. I really loved the tone on its own but unfortunately in rock band mix(nothing heavy) it just got buried.

[@Daryel_Tracey]

Yeah, I went and got a 5-string Sire M5...Kingston is a great bass, indeed, but I like the Sire!

[@deonhiggins2357]

Nice man !! I got my eyes on that MTD,,,Yes sir!! I have a 6 string LTD 😁👍🏾👍🏾

[@gwlankard1]

Both sound great but that MTD... damn.

[@cooldeke]

I was gonna purchase the Sire Marcus Miller bass until this comparison, the Kingston Super 5 is in a league all by itself, that why I purchased the Super 5.

[@julianthesmooshyhusky8976]

Do you like fenders, G&Ls or musicmans? I think we can all agree that Clarance Leonidas Fender loved us and wanted to make a bass sound for every ear.

[@pilummurialis6490]

I just realized now that when you have your claw change back to your hand, you have the LOZ Temple of Time theme playing, now that's rad! are you a big Zelda fan?

[@Hndsmstrngr1]

I'm sorry seem to have a fuller low end low mid sound to it and in good trouble and the MTD seem to have a little more transparency overall but not quite as rounded fat on the bottom end. Other than that they sounded virtually identical. I closed my eyes when you did your thing and I could always tell when you switched from one to the other. But since I got an M7 from Thomann for $622 I don't feel bad that I don't have the MTD because I know it would cost about twice that. My first Sire was a V7. Who was phenomenal out of the box but E flat E and F Frets are the g-string we're just a little lower than their neighbors and you get a buzz/choked sound slapping. My M7 was really sweet out of the box but the trust rod gave me some grief and I've been working on my basis for 40 years and I know how to set a neck but after I tightened it a little bit in the next day it was just a hair back but when I went to try to loosen the truss rod, after having relaxed the strings a little bit and put a little pressure on the neck in the direction I wanted it to go the Allen key stripped out the truss rod. It was kind of stiff and it felt like to trust ride was turning but stiffly when suddenly it just let go. Tell man was nice enough to pay the freight to take the base back and notified me today that it's replacement has just been shipped. So of the QC on this one is absolutely flawless. As member of a sire odors group on Facebook it seems like there's always a little QC issues and it's pretty rare to get it absolutely 100% perfect instrument but most of the things that need a little touch of operator it consequential stuff like maybe something in the Finish or things that you can fix. The Marquess with the emgs, that's a really phenomenal sounding Bass now, but I can't switch series parallel with those pickups and with the Sire I can, so it's kind of why I bought it just so I can have two five strings with slightly different tonal options. Now that I have them I wish all of my bases were 35 inch scale they just fit my hands ergonomics better than 34. How weird is that?

[@BYLRPhil]

Is Sire even still making guitars? They don’t seem to exist at the moment

[@LowEndLobster]

Very much so, demand is just ridiculous right now

[@BYLRPhil]

@@LowEndLobster crazy. I’ve been on a wait list for the Orange Bass Butler for about 4 months now, still back ordered.

[@vince8081]

The M5 is to me more versatile by it's preamp but the sound is a llitle thinner than the MTD. I love the roundness and punchier sound of the MTD, and much prefer 19mm for a 5 strings.

[@eugenet2408]

It sounds like Sire has somewhat scooped mids, which does sound nice, especially for slap, but makes it less articulate and not as tight as Kingston. I tend to think the latter would sit better in a mix and you have to crank Sire louder to be heard. Is this a correct assumption?

[@revlewisrees9880]

I was surprised at how similar the two instruments sounded to my ears. Personally, I prefer the Sire aesthetically.

[@MegaTerryNutkins]

Kinda just want both tbh.

[@robertvilleneuve8272]

I also prefer the Sire for the same reasons as below.

[@serdarozbey]

Both of them are good bases , in personally, MTD much closer for me

[@BlommaBaumbart]

I had this video running while doing something else, only listening with reduced attention. I couldn't even hear when the basses were switched.

[@BlommaBaumbart]

Going over the examples again with attention, it's clear that the MTD has a darker sound. I'd chalk this up as a difference only bassists who listen to their instrument solo care about.

[@paikesitics]

If I play with pedals, MTD is a safe choice because its tone is compressed. Sire more opened tone. I prefer Sire.

[@rl-ub9hx]

MTD FTW

[@Bass.Player]

A multi-piece neck is stronger than a single piece and less prone to warp. The Sire looks like a better deal....

[@ericplummer4089]

I owned the sire m7 alder and was not impressed with the neck. It is not a 1 piece neck as it had a scarf joint near the head stock! Mayb3 the ash models have a true 1 piece. As for the kingston, they too have a glued headstock? But the neck plays so great on my Z5 it doesn't really matter. I bet the sire m5 neck plays better than the m7.

[@TheSirpatrick33]

I wonder if MTD would loan me a bass? Too damn broke to buy a Glarry, let alone something like that. I've been a fan of Tobias products for a long time now.

[@emancia]

now I want both. u happy now?

[@davejones7475]

Badd Ass, that is badd ass funk

[@peekaboo4390]

The MTD by a country mile.

[@FMLGuitars]

My eyes and ears prefer the Sire, but I feel like the MTD would fit in most mixes better.

[@zonzontsai4479]

MTD !

[@jermainelong1843]

I prefer the Sire. Good play off.

[@caljerm]

at least the Kingston's name makes sense with the Super "5" actually having... "5 Strings" 😁

[@funfanacyland1172]

The strings made the difference change the strings over and see how the mtd beats the sire it’s the strings 😊

[@mrpositronia]

The Sire has a nicer warmer tone. Doesn't sound strangled, like the MTD.

[@russellzauner]

*rubs eyes* *blink blink*

[@russellzauner]

TBH, I didn't fall in love with that MTD and keep forgetting it exists because anytime I see "MTD" on LEL I immediately think rose of the mountain lol I would just feel bad for that one, because every time I played it I would be thinking of the other one - and it would likely sense my disappointment. They're both great but neither are basses I see entering the stable anytime soon. There's not anything that strikes me as very unique or uniquely useful about them. Besides, I hate having REALLY nice instruments because I will absolutely ding them. A lot. Or chip... :-( lol I am very clumsy...no matter how graceful my movements, I always smash into something somehow...I could dent the Sire and not feel it in my pocketbook but I have a LOT of basses that I am sure I like better already. I'm more fascinated by Sire as a company and manufacturer, really. They're doing so many things right and a lot more that are really close to right, especially where they sit in the markets. You have said you've reached out to Kyle Kim, which is why I have pestered you - when things really start opening back up I am sure we'll start hearing about all sorts of things that were worked on in the interim between here and there; I think when I started watching there were like a k or two of subs, you're building a very nice channel and helping tie together what looks like a nice bass subcommunity on YT. Thanks!

[@AdrianoStAubyn64]

Sire sounds more round and warm. In the mid range kingston is better.

[@funfanacyland1172]

Sire is more funk and mtd is more of a jazz bass 😊

[@denfinch5694]

I have to question a review of a 4 string versus a 5 string! I tend to be a 5 string player moreso nowadays and have a few serious top end boutique basses as well as some SIRES which l also love. Oh, l now realise that you're only using the MTD's top 4 strings therefore my criticism isn't valid!!!

[@jayphilbert67]

To be honest lobster the sire sounds better

[@michaelb.42112]

The SIRE just runs circles around the MTD.

[@michaeljoeallen9412]

Sire wins. Again

[@nuggers23]

First! 🦞

[@zdys2yllhso45]

Bad comparison

[@fatdogwiggle]

Your playing is amazing.