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The Official MTD USA Thread

#2,921
Vic said:
I played my trusty older "red" MTD as well as my newer "red" MTD (the one that also has the figured back, but also an ash neck) on the gig this past weekend. It was outdoors, through my Eden 405 and a pair of the new Berg AE210 cabs. To say I was pleased with my tone would be like saying the Hoover dam can power a couple light bulbs. :D
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I feel ya! :D

I just wish I could play through my Eden rig at church, to even maximize my enjoyment.

I could play this thing through a $20 Rapco and it would probably still pwn > all...

And this is with the stock MTD steels that came with it, from the showroom floor... I'll be adding the MTD nickels this week! :D
 
#2,922
I'm going to try and gather enough cash for this MTD:
535-24 Redwood

Could any of the experts here (Vic, Tom) give me an idea of how it would sound? I love wenge necks from Warwicks, and ash and redwood seems to be a good combination for getting a lot of growl, which is what I'm looking for.

I've been on a hunt for the ultimate 5-string for years now, and I've never found any that didn't have something I didn't like. To sloppy B-string, good B-string but other strings not so good, not enough punch, no growl etc.

Would the bass in the link work out for me?
 
#2,923
The_Owl said:
I'm going to try and gather enough cash for this MTD:
535-24 Redwood

Could any of the experts here (Vic, Tom) give me an idea of how it would sound? I love wenge necks from Warwicks, and ash and redwood seems to be a good combination for getting a lot of growl, which is what I'm looking for.

I've been on a hunt for the ultimate 5-string for years now, and I've never found any that didn't have something I didn't like. To sloppy B-string, good B-string but other strings not so good, not enough punch, no growl etc.

Would the bass in the link work out for me?
Click to expand...

It's hard to say, as the wenge/wenge necks seem to strike different players very differently. I find the fingerstyle sound on my wenge/wenge necks to be about perfect for me, but I know that these same instruments did not float Vic's boat with regard to fingerstyle tone. Personally, I still think it has a lot to do with where you position your right hand (I play mostly over the neck pickup, and Vic plays over the bridge pickup, FWIW). That bass is probably not the snappiest for slap/pop, but I think it should have a warmish, fairly growly fingerstyle tone.

Tom.
 
#2,924
My Rodman is myrtl burl/tulipwood with wenge/wenge, and is pretty darned snappy to my ears.
I've only had wenge/wenge MTD's before, so nothing to really compare it against, but I just let go a 99 Dolphin Pro I 5, and this thing growls just fine, even when compared to that beaut.

It works fine for me, fingerstyle so far, as like Tom, I tend to play dead center or right on the neck pickup. I usually cut my Treble back a good ways, though.
 
#2,925
tombowlus said:
It's hard to say, as the wenge/wenge necks seem to strike different players very differently. I find the fingerstyle sound on my wenge/wenge necks to be about perfect for me, but I know that these same instruments did not float Vic's boat with regard to fingerstyle tone. Personally, I still think it has a lot to do with where you position your right hand (I play mostly over the neck pickup, and Vic plays over the bridge pickup, FWIW). That bass is probably not the snappiest for slap/pop, but I think it should have a warmish, fairly growly fingerstyle tone.

Tom.
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Wow, quickest response ever...

Well, I'm mainly a fingerstyle player, so slap comes second for me. However, I doubt that it would sound bad when slapped.:D

I like to play funk, soul, r n b, anything with a nice beat to groove on. That's why I like a bass to growl to accentuate the basslines. If I don't buy a very nice prized Warwick (Stage I for anyone who cares), I'd like to save up for an MTD.

I know the B-strings are good on MTD:s, but in what way? Clarity and punch/focus comes to mind here. I've tried a lot of basses that had one, but lacked the other.
 
#2,926
The_Owl said:
Wow, quickest response ever...

Well, I'm mainly a fingerstyle player, so slap comes second for me. However, I doubt that it would sound bad when slapped.:D

I like to play funk, soul, r n b, anything with a nice beat to groove on. That's why I like a bass to growl to accentuate the basslines. If I don't buy a very nice prized Warwick (Stage I for anyone who cares), I'd like to save up for an MTD.

I know the B-strings are good on MTD:s, but in what way? Clarity and punch/focus comes to mind here. I've tried a lot of basses that had one, but lacked the other.
Click to expand...

The wenge/wenge is just great IME for mainly fingerstyle, and especially slap.

And the B is just great. It has both of what you described in spades. You can even get a little slap-happy on it, and it responds beautifully.
 
#2,927
The_Owl said:
I'm going to try and gather enough cash for this MTD:
535-24 Redwood

Could any of the experts here (Vic, Tom) give me an idea of how it would sound? I love wenge necks from Warwicks, and ash and redwood seems to be a good combination for getting a lot of growl, which is what I'm looking for.

I've been on a hunt for the ultimate 5-string for years now, and I've never found any that didn't have something I didn't like. To sloppy B-string, good B-string but other strings not so good, not enough punch, no growl etc.

Would the bass in the link work out for me?
Click to expand...
That one there should be an interesting combo... not to mention stunningly beautiful, to boot. :)

On the one hand you have the ash body to sorta' fill in for the wenge "choke", so you should have a growly tone that also slaps extremely well. In addition to that, you have the redwood top, which is gonna' warm things up just a bit for a really smooth sweet high end. Probably soften the wenge zing just a little... maybe also add just a touch of lows.

I'm going to take a guess that this bass will sound great on fingerstyle, maybe with a bit more of a classic character, but I predict it particularly shines with slap.
 
#2,928
Vic said:
That one there should be an interesting combo... not to mention stunningly beautiful, to boot. :)

On the one hand you have the ash body to sorta' fill in for the wenge "choke", so you should have a growly tone that also slaps extremely well. In addition to that, you have the redwood top, which is gonna' warm things up just a bit for a really smooth sweet high end. Probably soften the wenge zing just a little... maybe also add just a touch of lows.

I'm going to take a guess that this bass will sound great on fingerstyle, maybe with a bit more of a classic character, but I predict it particularly shines with slap.
Click to expand...

Sounds nice. Now I have something to shoot for during boring work hours...:hyper:

Oh, and I vary where I attack the strings a bit, but I mostly play in between pickups or over the neck pickup.

EDIT: LOL, just noticed that the bass sold a few minutes ago. Oh, well, the search goes on... :D
 
#2,929
jazzy grille said:


There is three total... Very interesting. :p
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By the way - the bass that Mike is working on during the interview (at the end of part 2 and beginning of part 3) is my 535 fretless! :)

<JOKE> Nice to see that he didn't screw something up... </JOKE>

mtd_profile.jpg
 
#2,934
Ok, I thought I'd start here rather than start a new thread. I used to have a 53 set of 5 (that I miss!) that was serial # 11XX. I'm curious about the various electronics packages that Mike's used for his MTD line. I heard that at some point he began using a slightly different pickups and/or preamp. Does anyone here know:

(a) approximately when that was (year/serial #)
(b) did it coincide with the bridge changeover to the Hipshot, and most importantly,
(c) what would be the difference in tone, response, etc...-wise between the older and newer electronics?


Thanks in advance!
 
#2,935
gruuv said:
Ok, I thought I'd start here rather than start a new thread. I used to have a 53 set of 5 (that I miss!) that was serial # 11XX. I'm curious about the various electronics packages that Mike's used for his MTD line. I heard that at some point he began using a slightly different pickups and/or preamp. Does anyone here know:

(a) approximately when that was (year/serial #)
(b) did it coincide with the bridge changeover to the Hipshot, and most importantly,
(c) what would be the difference in tone, response, etc...-wise between the older and newer electronics?


Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
This is really a question for Mike, but the two tidbits I know are, there was a very limited set of basses that went out with a SLIGHTLY different preamp rig that was not quite as wide and dynamic as the current stuff. ALSO, there is basically two versions of the current stuff... one version has a preamp built into the pickups and the other version had an additional module in the cavity that was the preamp for the pickups, since that version's pickups did not have the integral preamp... however, the tone was the same.

I have no idea on dates/coincidentals. I only know this because I had at one point one of the few basses that had the other preamp... the guy I sold it do had the current stuff put in because he wanted the current tone.
 
#2,939
ssommer said:
Hey guys,
I'm new around here and would love to "join the club!"

Here's my 535, in Wenge/Wenge/Tulipwood. "Ice Tea" finish.

Thanks to Beaver and Grasshopper at BassCentral.com for the pics!
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THat is an awesome looking MTD. I don't think I've seen many of the Ice Tea finishes. Also, it's an older one, S/N 655, but looks brand new! :)
 

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