2 MTD questions

[kesslari]

Two questions about MTD basses:

1. Do any of the 5 strings come in 34" scale length? I'm just not a ginormous-handed 35" kind of guy...

2. I'm sure it's been said somewhere, but I couldn't find it - why did Mike move away from making neck-through basses to bolt-on?

Thanks, ppl, for the info. I know there are some of you who are passionate about these basses.

 

[jazzy grille]

Two questions about MTD basses:

1. Do any of the 5 strings come in 34" scale length? I'm just not a ginormous-handed 35" kind of guy...

2. I'm sure it's been said somewhere, but I couldn't find it - why did Mike move away from making neck-through basses to bolt-on?

Thanks, ppl, for the info. I know there are some of you who are passionate about these basses.

The USA basses can be ordered in just about any scale length you want.. (there are a couple of 32" ones floating around)

As for the neck-through, I think it has to do with (IIRC) the fact that he thinks a bass sounds batter with a bolt-on neck (I have no real clue why), he still makes a few neckthroughs every now and then (and boy they are nice). I would imagine it might also have something to do with making the repairs a little less labor intensive (not saying that is a constant need for repairs, these things are top notch).

I am sure other MTD heads will chime in on this as well.

 

[tbone0813]

In regards to your second question....

Taken from NormStockton.com:

Neck/Body Joint

"The philosophy regarding the preferred method by which the neck is attached to the body has evolved considerably over the years. The original Fender basses featured necks that were bolted onto the body, and other manufacturers later utilized a glued neck-to-body joint. Gradually up through the 80's, the industry came to regard the "neck-through" design (where the neck extends the full length of the instrument, and the body is essentially two "wings" that are glued onto opposite sides of the neck) as the most effective way to build a bass, and many of the "high-end" basses featured this type of construction. The prevailing thought was that the neck-through design afforded the most stable neck, with enhanced sustain. However, the current trend seems to have veered back largely to the bolt-on design. Renowned luthier Michael Tobias believes that this method results in a tone that is perceived to be clearer in the low frequencies, ironically due to less fundamental in the sound. He explains that a neck-through generally contains more of the fundamental in the tone, which results in a perceived lack of clarity in the context of an actual mix. It is an intriguing concept; I can only say that as a player, I definitely agree that the perceived "punch" of my bolt-on well exceeds any neck-through bass I’ve previously owned or played (particularly for slapping or other percussive techniques). There are certainly differing opinions in the industry regarding this issue, but it is interesting to observe the current proliferation of basses in the $3,000+ price range that feature bolt-on necks."

 

[nad]

I don't really want an answer to this, because if it is a YES then I'll be short some deposit money, but can MTD USA basses be ordered with custom string spacing? Like say, 17mm on a 5-string?

I know I could just email Mr. Tobias or one of the dealers, but like I said, I don't really want to know the an$wer.