For trade MTD 535-24 Makore Body Cocobolo Top African Blackwood FB

Not related to anything at all, but ...

Every picture of Blue Oyster Cult I see ... the bandmembers look like they're roadies for a popular band named Blue Oyster Cult.

On hold for ... me.

Really hit on something once I ran this bass through my KHAN TUBE DI, Aguilar AG700, EA110 (4ohm).

Leave the bass knob all the way up regardless of every other setting, hit deep and bright switches on Aggie ...

Gotta do some soul-searching gear-wise.

Tell ya one thing though:

A Sadowsky Will Lee 5 (metro or NYC, but no morado. period) or an ash/maple Modern 5 (NYC or Metro plus cash my way) would change my mind.

The same thing happens to me with MTD's. Every time.

I'm tweaking the metric crap ton of available knob configs (seriously) but I can never combine what I like in one setup with something else equally useful without pretty substantial knob resets.

For instance:

1) FINGER-STYLE: bass up A LOT ... low mid boosted at 250 (down switch) ... treble rolled back. WOW. Absolutely perfect finger-style tone. Neck pickup, bridge, blended. Just great.

CRAPPY SLAP TONE.

2) SLAP: bass up, treble up, and mid cut at 1k (half cut) with both pups blended, and mid cut at 500hz for neck pickup, 70's P slap.

DON'T LIKE THE FINGERSTYLE.

My Sadowsky basses, I touch exactly two knobs the entire night: pickup blend, and VTC. I have everything, from Motown to Marcus (I saw that a lot, take notes) and endless variations in between. Mainly PJ5's for this guy.

So ... I envision this bass in more capable hands. Guys who know the EQ and are fluent with it in a way I just don't ever envision being.

Random trade ideas:

1) Sadowsky Metro 'Modern' M5 and/or NYC Modern, if it's unchambered

2) Late 90's/Early 2000's MTD 535 in that Korina/Myrtle + Wenge combo that I never should have gotten rid of. Something about that year-range/wood combo. Maybe just me remembering things with rose-colored glasses.

That sure is a pretty one. I have to commend you on your very up-front and honest ads. I will say that, even as a Sadowsky/Sadowsky preamp fan, I don’t share your experience with MTDs EQ-wise. With all of my 535s I’ve been able to get my ideal sounds (for both fingers and thumb) with very little tweaking of the knobs. Almost set-and-forget, in fact. Just mentioning it should any potential buyer want a different perspective. Good luck with the sale/trade!

There's so much hyperbole going, figured it was good to shoot it straight.

Gotta say, the one MTD I wish I'd never gotten rid of was an early-era Korina-bodied, tulipwood topped, all-wenge MTD 535.

That thing was YUGE.

The Sadowsky pre has become the 'sound in my head', and I've had so many gigs on Roger's basses that it's probably affected how I play/approach my sound live.

Still, by and large, the MTD's more textured, stringy, hi-fi sheen sound, it just sounds thin in comparison. To me.
I'm betting that some of the MTD guys who play modern gospel and are move across the fretboard more than I do would hate my flatwound-strung NYC PJ5, and they'd be right.

I throw this one out here a bunch ... and I remember some very snarky, 'I can't believe this #$%-hole did this to our sainted Bartolini MTD Setup' ... but hands-down the best bass I've owned, that combined playability/thick tone/etc was the walnut bodied (no top) MTD 634 with a wenge neck, Sadowsky PRE, and Aguilar big single pickups.

MAN that thing killed. It just had a c-string because I listen to too much Thundercat and John Patitucci/Anthony Jackson

Wouldn't mind doing that little experiment again some day.

This time around: heavy-ash, brazilian RW fretboard, 34" scale, quit fooling myself that I can handle a 6-string live and get an MTD-534 and then hot-rod it with the same Sadowsky/Aguilar setup.

Furthermore (sleep deprived, and you got me thinking)

I have this neo-soul/modern R&B thing coming up, pending Corona Virus complications ...

That gig would really benefit (I think) from a bass like this. My 'ginormous' Sadowsky basses might be a bit agressive for this type of gig. I've had that problem before and keep a Metro UV5 with roundwounds for this same gig ... and even then I have to flatten out my EQ and really dial things back. I played a Ken Smith on gigs like that for a while, and that thinner, more even tone really seemed to do the trick.

Crap.

Good problems to have I suppose. 'Gee, which game-changing hi-end bass design should I bring out on my gig?'

I have to say that it's piece of art ! Good Luck with the sale !

Played this bass over the weekend and was imagining a pit-orchestra player who has to cover a wide range of tones and not overwhelm a mix. This bass does sound noticeably thinner across the fretboard than my Sadowsky basses (all MTD's sound like that to me) but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Just like it's not 'bad' that I find new ways to say that same exact thing if only to bump my thread. Tricksy I is.

Something I've always loved about Sadowsky basses (fanboy alert):

No matter what pickup blend position ... set flat or EQ goosed ... VTC on or off ... and no matter what kind of strings or setup I give one ... it always sounds big and fat and juicy. Roger, you stole my heart sir.

MTD's are not like that.

Mike's basses are hands-down the best example of 'does wood selection/EQ/pickup height/string selection matter all that much' and the answer here is a resounding yes.

The MTD I never should've let go: myrtle body/tulipwood top, all wedge neck/board, and an early run of Mike's then-new line. Sounded like the voice of God through my Aguilar DB750/GS410 rig at the time.

But alas ... GAS.

This bass came in on a trade, with very low action and some piddly-little light gauge strings. Had a very surgical sound to it and I really had to goose the EQ knobs to get anywhere close to 'my sound' ... lots of low-mids and the ability to sparkle and spank if I need to.

But today I slapped some LaBella Nickel-wounds on it, which are a heavier gauge, and I set it up like one of my Sadowsky basses: medium action. Add to that I dimed the trim pot inside the control cavity and then backed it off a hair.

Damn.

This sucker is back into 'FatsVille' and I just dunno ...

Taking this off the market for now. Will still trade towards, straight across/cash to me/cash to you a wee bit for:

* NYC Sadowsky Ash/maple Modern or real rosewood/other body wood.
* Alleva Coppolo anything. Want to revisit that brand, which I'm new to.
* Japanese Metroline Modern and/or ash/maple PJ5 or a Will Lee 5'er in ash/maple.

Hope it goes without saying ...

If you did have an earlier MTD with that classic wood combo of:

• Korina Body/wenge neck
• Tulipwood Body/Myrtle top (or to I have that backwards?) and wenge neck

I'm down.
The guy from the Erykah Badu live album (Hubert Eaves? I could easily do a search but I'm relying on my 90's-raised brain to just remember crap?) is what got me interested in MTD's in the first place.

And yet ...

Nice fella from New Jersey 'makes me an offer I can't refuse' via a Sadowsky Bass, in a configuration I've always wanted to try. Oh GAS!!! Le Sigh.