• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The Official MTD USA Thread

#2,401
Tony G said:
I actually find that using my LMII with my mahogany/maple/rosewood 635, I have to boost the lows a touch, and cut the highs a touch. This is with the epifani tweeter at about 9 o'clock. Boosting the low or high mids gives me an unnatural sound that doesn't sound very pleasant to me. But I definitely need to subdue the highs on my bass. The sizzle that even my MTD has needs to be tamed a bit.
Click to expand...

Do you play over the neck or bridge pickup? I find that when I play over the bridge pickup on my MTDs, I prefer to boost the lows and cut the treble a bit. But when I play over the neck pickup, more often than not, I leave everything flat.

IME/IMHO, of course, and YMMV.

Tom.
 
#2,402
tombowlus said:
Do you play over the neck or bridge pickup? I find that when I play over the bridge pickup on my MTDs, I prefer to boost the lows and cut the treble a bit. But when I play over the neck pickup, more often than not, I leave everything flat.

IME/IMHO, of course, and YMMV.

Tom.
Click to expand...

On average I play between the pickups.
 
#2,403
tombowlus said:
Do you play over the neck or bridge pickup? I find that when I play over the bridge pickup on my MTDs, I prefer to boost the lows and cut the treble a bit. But when I play over the neck pickup, more often than not, I leave everything flat.

IME/IMHO, of course, and YMMV.

Tom.
Click to expand...
+1, except with me it's more low mids than lows (if you meant bass specifically, anyway). I do use some bass, but kinda' sparingly. However, I love the effect of boosting 250 when favoring the bridge.
 
#2,404
Vic said:
+1, except with me it's more low mids than lows (if you meant bass specifically, anyway). I do use some bass, but kinda' sparingly. However, I love the effect of boosting 250 when favoring the bridge.
Click to expand...

I generally leave the midrange tone control alone. When I do want a tad more midrange presence, my preferred method is (on my vol/vol MTDs) to back off on the bridge pickup enough to get it out of humbucking. I can get somewhat similar results by favoring the neck pickup with a blend knob, but at least IME/IMHO, I get better results using the vol/vol setup.

Again, though, more often than not, I leave my MTDs set flat, with either both pickups full on or with the blend in the middle, and I tweak the tone by varying my right hand location (and on my MTDs, this is normally somewhere between just in front of, to just behind, the neck pickup).

Tom.
 
#2,407
xkimsungminx said:
Sorry this is off topic from what you guys are currently discussing but... could an Ash/Ash Maple MTD sound similar slapped, to a Wenge/Wenge MTD?

And does anyone know if this is the MTD with the Alder/Bloodwood top and Maple neck? [If so would anyone know what FB it has?]

Click to expand...
What the heck kinda' pickups are in that? I think I can see pole pieces!
 
#2,409
I think they're just really glossy from lots of play time haha.

So can an Ash/Ash/Maple MTD sound similar, slapped, to a Wenge/Wenge MTD? :) Because I've heard people discussing about the qualities of Ash/Ash compared to Wenge/Wenge here, and I also saw what someone put about Mike Tobias having said that Ash/Ash, is like Wenge/Wenge without the choke? So I was wondering how that would translate into the slapping tone.
 
#2,411
xkimsungminx said:
So can an Ash/Ash/Maple MTD sound similar, slapped, to a Wenge/Wenge MTD? :) Because I've heard people discussing about the qualities of Ash/Ash compared to Wenge/Wenge here, and I also saw what someone put about Mike Tobias having said that Ash/Ash, is like Wenge/Wenge without the choke? So I was wondering how that would translate into the slapping tone.
Click to expand...
It would translate to a difference. Noting how a scooped sound is usually more pleasant as a slap tone, I think that's why the slappers tend to prefer the wenge neck'd MTDs a bit more even tho the slap tone on ANY MTD is killer.

My "problem" with wenge is that choke falls right in a zone that goes against my tone prefs when playing fingerstyle, which is almost all the time. For my needs ash works best because it has a similar low mid push that wenge does, so it still sweetens the slap tone a little compared to maple, but doesn't take anything away up higher for (at least my prefs in) fingerstyle.

Again, that doesn't mean you have to have a wenge neck'd bass to get a good slap tone, and it does not mean you can't use a wenge neck'd bass for fingerstyle. Just that wenge doesn't fit me personally. Someone who has a different sound in their fingers might actually prefer wenge even for that style. Just not me.
 
#2,412
Ooh okay. Thanks for the clarification. I do remember xavidman telling me that he would need fresh strings on his wenge/wenge because once the strings got dull, the compression would kill the tone of the bass.

On that note, I guess it would be better for me to try looking for an Ash/Ash MTD instead of a Wenge/Wenge one as I rarely slap, but would like to have the option of having a great slap tone if needed. And plus.. I don't think I could afford changing strings too often just to keep the tone fresh and lively.
 
#2,413
xkimsungminx said:
Ooh okay. Thanks for the clarification. I do remember xavidman telling me that he would need fresh strings on his wenge/wenge because once the strings got dull, the compression would kill the tone of the bass.
Click to expand...
He's not the only one. TB'ers maconbass and vision also both noted the same thing, as did I, now that you mention it.

I don't know if every wenge neck'd MTD owner agrees, probably not, but it was another issue for me at least.

On that note, I guess it would be better for me to try looking for an Ash/Ash MTD instead of a Wenge/Wenge one as I rarely slap, but would like to have the option of having a great slap tone if needed. And plus.. I don't think I could afford changing strings too often just to keep the tone fresh and lively.
Click to expand...
Well, if it was my decision, the ash neck with the maple board, one of Mikes current very strong recommendations, perfectly meets these needs. I am TOTALLY diggin' mine that have that combo and it sounds like you and I have similar needs.
 
#2,414
Vic said:
He's not the only one. TB'ers maconbass and vision also both noted the same thing, as did I, now that you mention it.

I don't know if every wenge neck'd MTD owner agrees, probably not, but it was another issue for me at least.
Click to expand...

He mentioned that tombowlus i THINK, and Justin from the Bass Exchange, thought so too.

Well, if it was my decision, the ash neck with the maple board, one of Mikes current very strong recommendations, perfectly meets these needs. I am TOTALLY diggin' mine that have that combo and it sounds like you and I have similar needs.
Click to expand...

Haha yea I hope I can find one sometime this year. I tried tracking down the one ptidwell sold, but the guy he sold it to sold the bass soon after locally and not through TB :crying:.

Tony G said:
If you look really close during the video between about 0:20 to about 0:35, they look to me like Nordstrand Dual Coils. I don't know if they are, just saying what they look like to me in that video.
Click to expand...

Oh and I found the picture of the bass he's using in that video. [At least I think it's the same bass??]

l_0ac1a3fc953fc907899d89984664b988.png
 
#2,416
xkimsungminx said:
Oh and I found the picture of the bass he's using in that video. [At least I think it's the same bass??]

l_0ac1a3fc953fc907899d89984664b988.png
Click to expand...

Yep, that's Gouche's main bass - tulipwood with maple burl top, maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. He's been using that one as his main axe for a while.

However lately he's also been spending alot of time with his walnut/walnut body, ash/rosewood neck-through 635:

l_3358957caf42fbb1d2d8c36002c6ed8f.png


l_45b46d0e647b74e5d680b61a2f26e2f6.png


and his bloodwood/alder/maple neck 635 here:

l_6a9d52a0dc1233578008ee50d19050bd.png
 
#2,417
hasbeen said:
Vic- have you posted a pic of yours?
Click to expand...
They don't allow that kinda' thing on this site, but I could redirect you to a site with a bunch of pop-ups that... oh... wait... ;)

I need to take a few pics... it's the one I got from XavidmanX not too long ago. I gotta run soon, but I'll try to post a few up later.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back