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MTD 535 Ash Neck / Wenge Neck soundclips

Ari

Ari

Dec 6, 2001
832
5
#1
I'm again in the process of recording soundclips of my basses as a reference - I figured it would be cool to share them and hear what you guys think.

Let's begin by comparing 2 MTDs - let me know what you hear or prefer.

Recorded direct into an MBOX under ProTools LE, no editing, effects or compression - what you hear is the dry sound of the bass! Onboard EQ is flat, pickup pan at the center.

21 frets - Tulipwood body, myrtle burl top, wenge/wenge neck :

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24 frets - Black limba body, ash top, 3 piece ash/bubinga neck, birdseye maple fingerboard :

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To me, the mids on the wenge-neck bass sounds more compressed, and stronger, with more punch. The ash neck is more polite but has a sweeter high-end. I love both basses for fingerstyle but would choose the wenge neck for an agressive funk sound, and the ash neck for a jazz/soloing sound.

For slap, you can't really beat the wenge neck IMO. ;)
 
#2
Both sound great, and I agree with your comments. I actually had an ash neck with ash body, and that 'ash tone' was even more prominent than on yours.

The wenge instruments are totally the bomb IMO. Nice.
 
#4
The only thing I'd like to hear now is the same player, same strings, same recording rig, same lines, with a maple neck'd model. This may surprise Ken, but if I had to pick between these two basses, I think I'd choose the wenge/wenge one, even tho I don't slap much (which is a GOOD thing... *shudder* :D). Just something about the way the mids and highs work together that appeals to me a bit more. I agree with Ari's assessment of the tones diffs, as well.

I'm probably stupid for having two maple neck'd models... that wasn't the original plan, but just couldn't pass up the opp on the second one. Someday, I will have a wenge/wenge non-24... I swear... someday...
 
#5
Vic said:
The only thing I'd like to hear now is the same player, same strings, same recording rig, same lines, with a maple neck'd model.
Click to expand...

No prob. Send one of your maple-necked MTDs my way and I'll be glad to record it as well :D

I had a buckeye on ash 635 w/ a maple/rosewood neck and wasn't too fond of its tone, so I sold it. But I've heard an early 535-21 w/ a maple/maple neck a while ago, and it sounded incredibly growly on an EBS rig... so I'm sure I could love a maple neck 535! :D

BTW forgot to say the strings on both basses are MTD strings.
 
#7
Ari said:
No prob. Send one of your maple-necked MTDs my way and I'll be glad to record it as well :D
Click to expand...
LOL!!!
(...but I mean that in the nicest way...) :D

BTW forgot to say the strings on both basses are MTD strings.
Click to expand...
Cool. I've used other strings, and some really work well, and I know some others disagree, but I really like the 135x's on mine. It's what I use most on them.
 
#11
thanks for the clips, Ari!
man, i finally spent some time setting up my 635 with the ash body, ash neck, walnut top last nite. I like to get the neck straight as possible without impeding the string vibration and the saddles as slow as i can without buzzing. Mike built an amazing neck because i can get this action ridiculously low to where it just barks like crazy. This makes it much easier for me to play.
The ash neck was a concern but the upper register is like a piano, just angelic. The low register is now much friendlier after my "setup" to me.
The slap tone is happenin'! I just add a little bass on the eq and off i go. The midrange veariations allow for many different slap tones. I find I leave the treble pretty much all the way off or nearly off. At home anyway, on the couple of gigs i have done with it, i will opn up the treble a little.
Really love the MTD, and the more i play it and get used to 6 strings the happier I am about it.
 
#17
There might be a slight difference in tone between a 21 frets and a 24 frets model, but I would say the difference is more about feel, cause you don't hit the strings at the same place when you slap.
 
#18
Ari said:
There might be a slight difference in tone between a 21 frets and a 24 frets model, but I would say the difference is more about feel, cause you don't hit the strings at the same place when you slap.
Click to expand...
No, it's about tone, as well. There's a pretty significant difference in the overtone sequence when you slap in different areas of the string, and you can't mimic 21 fret playing on a 24... for example, and slapping further up a 24 fret will not sound like slapping in the same spot on the string, but over the open area on a 21. Very very different. Further, in particular, overtones play a larger role in the slap sound than in fingerstyle, so that's also important.
 

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