Hi I really thought that MTD J5 was the USA Jazz version of MTD and Saratoga was the no USA Jazz MTD but in ThePerfectBass.com they have a J5 but They call it Saratoga(http://www.theperfectbass.com/explo...103128101&W=STORE&P=N&S=1001081&U=1&SS=1&CR=Y) and they have a video were they call it the american Saratoga or something like that but Norm Stockton has one and he call it J5 and Michael Tobias too () ... please help me.
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Difference between MTD J5 and MTD Saratoga???
- Thread starter gzarruk
- Start date
Dude, its a USA Saratoga plain and simple. This video is quite old. What happened is Mike caved into customers inquiring about him making a "Jazz Bass" type bass. Mike did not really want to because everyone else is doing it. At first he was planing on having the necks and bodies being built in Korea - then assembling here to keep costs down. They did not have a name yet when he built the first few. Norm Stockton got #2 for evaluation - so it was being referred to as the J5. the official name is the USA Saratoga or now Saratoga. the previous Saratoga's were Korean made - but did not look like the new USA version.
There are a few videos of Mike explaining the MTD Saratoga (J5)
Well I´ve seen this video and now I´m more confused because behind michael are a few J5´s and he is talking of a production bass, not a USA MTD and they have different controls and pickups so I´m more confused...sorry but I want one so I want to know more about those american
Anyway thanks and hope if you can help me again
Anyway thanks and hope if you can help me again
I Finally found the answer here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=478942&highlight=
So thanks alex but you where wrong and thanks Vic who helped me and he didn´t know that!
That's because the bass on the perfect bass website IS a MTD USA J5! The point I was making is, I was saying the perfect bass had mislabeled the instrument.
Ok, so I called Mike. Here's what it really is...
I'm right about the USA J5 and the import Saratoga being completely different instruments. However, I'm wrong about the name being incorrect... at least at this point in time, but originally, it truly was not named the Saratoga... that's a recent change.
Here it is...
Mike told me he DID "rename" the USA J5 the Saratoga (after the Saratoga "Jazz" festival), but he did it because 1.) He had to use the name to keep the name registered as a product, and 2.) Because Fender, as time passes, is getting nastier and nastier regarding people using the "J bass" moniker, and Mike just doesn't want to deal with that.
So there you have it. Mike went and renamed his product without checking with me first... can't believe he did that... sheesh...
I still remember having the J5 (now USA Saratoga) prototype and even talking to Norm Stockton about this bass, so it's always just been the J5 to me.
So thanks alex but you where wrong and thanks Vic who helped me and he didn´t know that!
where am I wrong??? I said he was calling them the J5 at first then the Saratoga. I may not have had 100% correct info regarding the reasons the name change symantics. The Saratoga you all are referring to is probably the original which is an import and of course is a completely different bass than the J5/"New" USA Saratoga. Link Removed and It has not been made for years.
None the less whether you buy one of the first units named a J5 or a "New" USA Saratoga - they are exactly the same bass. Now, it looks like he will be making an import entry level version "New" Saratoga too.
Thats because he is going to stick to his original mission of making the J5 (New Saratoga) in Korea. Im sure he will make a hand made USA model too.
NP - so are you gonna throw down the $3-4k or so for a USA and get one?? or you gonna wait for the "new" import Saratoga for probably $1k (or less from the sounds of it)
I saw the video but it didn´t confuse me, it only said me something that I know... but trying to download the video snd I can´t
I´m actually thinking on buying an Fender Standard Jazz 5 string in a few months and then I´ll going for the MTD´s.
I wanted one like this: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474654&highlight= with maple board and neck... but then I saw this that Vic was selling : http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474654&highlight= so I prefer this but with complete ash body and only one maple burl not two and can´t decide if a maple or ash neck... but I have much time so I won´t worry.
My second MTD will be a Norm Stockton 535(love that bass)
