| Mathias Thoma MT-1 now MT-185 and MT-188
I can give this Mathias Thoma MT-1 model, now split into a lacquer version (MT-185) and a spirit varnish version (MT-188), a solid endorsement for bluegrass playing. For many years I have provided stage basses for traveling bands at a large Bluegrass festival in northern California. Of the 2-3 basses to select from, the players usually prefer the MT-1. It's a big, beefy flatback Romanian bass that also works well for high school and college level players for use in orchestras and jazz groups. I think that Barrie Kolstein had a big hand in designing these instruments. We don't have as much Bluegrass music in California as in other areas of the country, so I would expect more Bluegrass-oriented shops in the midwest and southern states to have these instruments in stock. I think that Fretwell might carry them. | 
