MTD "Marilyn Club"

tombowlus · #1 09-27-2007, 04:08 PM

Well, there seem to be enough of us now to start a club, eh? My particular Marilyn is #3, but I'm claiming OFFICIAL Marilyn Club Member #1.

So, you know the drill, if you own a Marilyn, post your pics here. #'s 2 and 3 have been reserved, but after them, your number is assigned in the order that we see photos posted in this thread.

Here's mine (I know, I need better shots!):

Here it is with the custom wood knobs from Pete Skjold:

Let's see some more Marilyn (basses, that is!)

Oh, and for those who are not familiar with these basses, they have 'chambers'....

Tom.

jazzy grille · #2 09-27-2007, 04:16 PM

Alright, alright.. MOD's please close this thread for the saftey of everyone on talkbass.

Sincerely yours:

Jazzy P. Grille

UncleBalsamic · #3 09-27-2007, 04:18 PM

That is beautiful

Dave Muscato · #4 09-27-2007, 04:19 PM

Megatron, you have located my weakness, but if there is anything I can do to convince you not to share it with my enemies, I am all ears.

(drool)

Vic · #5 09-27-2007, 05:26 PM

Ohhh, pick me pick me... what number am I? (I know, I know, #3)

Marilyn #8 ...
535/24
Water Cured Redwood top/headstock/trussrod cover
Chambered Alder Body
Flamed and Blistered Ebony board
Maple neck

First, the Master himself with mine...

Stock/original...

After the knobs update...

XavidmanX · #6 09-27-2007, 05:30 PM

This thread kills. I will be joining the club later this year when my fretless is done!!

tripb19 · #7 09-27-2007, 05:40 PM

Wow is that the standard MTD case? That's the nicest case I've ever seen.

ubone · #8 09-27-2007, 05:42 PM

Wow.. Marilyn #19 is in the shop getting some fretwork done but I will post pictures as soon as I get her back. I'm looking forwards to seeing what gets posted. Very nice Tom & Vic. Love those knob upgrades. Where can I get some?

Steve

magneezius · #9 09-27-2007, 05:48 PM

Forget the Case....That bass is Beautiful...Simply Amazing

The english language doesn't have words to properly describe the glory of that bass

You're a lucky man Vic...

Amen!

Vic · #10 09-27-2007, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magneezius

Forget the Case....That bass is Beautiful...Simply Amazing

The english language doesn't have words to properly describe the glory of that bass

You're a lucky man Vic...

Amen!

Amen as well. I do feel lucky.

Last time I played this was through a pair of Epifani UL310 cabs driven by an Eden head as a preamp into a Crown XTi 2000 power amp... about 550W/cab, and it had relatively fresh strings on it.

They almost had to bring the defib. machine.

Vic · #11 09-27-2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubone

Wow.. Marilyn #19 is in the shop getting some fretwork done but I will post pictures as soon as I get her back. I'm looking forwards to seeing what gets posted. Very nice Tom & Vic. Love those knob upgrades. Where can I get some?

Steve

Pete Skjold.

They will take a while to get done, and they are not cheap, but IMHO, befitting such an instrument.

At least in my case, they exactly mimic the body wood layers in the wood types and even proportionally and the thin layers. Pete totally knocked these out of the park.

Vic · #12 09-27-2007, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tripb19

Wow is that the standard MTD case? That's the nicest case I've ever seen.

No, it's the upgraded "hard" case. The Zero-G is the standard case. As appropriate as it is for an MTD, I never use it. It's too heavy. I always use InCase stuff.

ubone · #13 09-27-2007, 07:17 PM

Thanks for the info Vic. I'm gonna check Pete out. I just recorded a cd using Marilyn #19 run straight into the board and was astounded. A couple of weeks ago I ran her thru my Eden WT 800 and two Bergatino 15 and stained my shorts. I love my Roscoe SKB3006 But Marylin blew me away. Tone Deluxe..

Bassflute · #14 09-27-2007, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tombowlus

Here's mine (I know, I need better shots!):

Tom.

The shots are great, man, you're too hard on yourself; you need better carpets!

BTW, this bass officially makes me #2 in the club (or was it #3?), proud owner of Marilyn #30, nicknamed Ms. Munro:

Cheers,
Cameron

Vic · #15 09-27-2007, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassflute

BTW, this bass officially makes me #2 in the club (or was it #3?)

Technically, you were 2nd in the other thread, so I think you're #2 and I'm #3.

Oh, and post ALL your pics on here!

Also, I need better shots of mine, as well... especially with the new knobs on it.

Bassflute · #16 09-27-2007, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic

Technically, you were 2nd in the other thread, so I think you're #2 and I'm #3.

Also, I need better shots of mine, as well... especially with the new knobs on it.

just send them to me, and I'll take care of it for you. You'll have the pictures within 24 hours of me receiving them.

And that goes for you too, Tom; send me yours and I'll take some shots of them for you. Just put 'gift' on the customs card so I don't have to pay import duty on 7 basses.

Also, any idea how many Marilyn 6's there are? And are they all BRB tops, or what?

My first gig with Ms. Munro is next week; lotsa gigs in October, I can hardly wait to try her out. I don't know if you guys play back-pickup only with a minor smiley curve on the EQ, but if you do, the dynamic and tonal range on the Marilyn is simply unbelievable. I'm running my EBS pedals again (Bass IQ, Octabass, then stereo out from the Chorus) into my Lexicon then the Aphex 204 in full stereo; stereo ins into the Lexicon makes a big difference over mono in - fake stereo out. And I forgot how great the EBS stuff is; a little chorus or pitch mod into a nice subtle delay and then a big, blooming reverb patch I've been tweeking for about 10 years (I named it 'Chartres Cathedral'): total bass nirvana!

Those little Bergs you turned me onto, Tom; you're the best, man.

And btw, Tom: what's happening with this?

http://tinyurl.com/379fuy

Might be time to start another poll!

Cheers,
Cameron

82Daion · #17 09-27-2007, 09:22 PM

These basses are smokin'!

What exactly makes up a "Marilyn"?

Vic · #18 09-27-2007, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassflute

just send them to me, and I'll take care of it for you. You'll have the pictures within 24 hours of me receiving them.

And that goes for you too, Tom; send me yours and I'll take some shots of them for you. Just put 'gift' on the customs card so I don't have to pay import duty on 7 basses.

Nice try...

Quote:

Also, any idea how many Marilyn 6's there are? And are they all BRB tops, or what?

Well, technically, to BE a Marilyn, it has to be a Water Cured Redwood (WCR) top ("blackened" is actually a less specific term and can even refer to a finishing process... I posted a tiny bit of research on this in my Marilyn thread when I first got it). True WCR is actually a specific case where the wood is literally partially petrified, and all the minerals deposited in the wood is what colors it and "treats" it.

Quote:

My first gig with Ms. Munro

Wrong girl, but that's ok.

Quote:

I don't know if you guys play back-pickup only with a minor smiley curve on the EQ, but if you do, the dynamic and tonal range on the Marilyn is simply unbelievable. I'm running my EBS pedals...

I generally don't use much effects, so my sound is pretty much pure unaltered bass tone, just sometimes with some compression. I use a chorus on the intro to one song and that's it.

If I solo the bridge, I usually add a bit of low mids and maybe some bass to even out the spectrum a bit, while still allowing the bite of the pickup to come through on top.

Otherwise, I very rarely use EQ on the blend or neck sounds. I adjust my rig to the room, which usually doesn't take much for me, and then plug in and play.

Vic · #19 09-27-2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 82Daion

These basses are smokin'!

Yeah, and just think... you got to play TWO of them... or at least you had the opps to.

Quote:

What exactly makes up a "Marilyn"?

The original Marilyn, to which these generally are supposed to match to carry the name was...

WCR top
Chambered Alder body
Dual veneers between the top and body, I think wenge and purpleheart
24 fret Maple neck
Ebony board (I think)

I believe the original had an ebony board just like Tom's and Mine, so ours are essentially exactly like the prototype (except I think the prototype also had a slightly thicker body), but apparently that's not a core component. I think it's pretty much all about the body construction and a two octave maple neck.

tombowlus · #20 09-27-2007, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vic

Technically, you were 2nd in the other thread, so I think you're #2 and I'm #3.

Yup.

Quote:

Oh, and post ALL your pics on here!

+1 And Vic, I know we have some shots of both of ours. I just gotta find 'em!

Quote:

Also, I need better shots of mine, as well... especially with the new knobs on it.

Double +1... I am a slacker...