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The Official MTD USA Thread

#3,641
Sithian said:
Hi All,

I have a 635-24 MTD with a Tulipwood Body and a 1-piece Wenge neck- this bass punches like a ton of bricks. I am VERY curious about different wood combinations. How does this combination compare to some of the other beautiful combinations that I am seeing on this board (drool....:cool:) (I play a percussive fingerstyle style, no slap)... I am really curious about the ash/ash/maple board combo that I have been hearing so much about.

Thanks!

IMG_1086-1.gif
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Stunning bass!

You can find a lot of sound samples of different wood combos here:
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I can't wait my new 535-24... and I'm already thinking buying an Ash/Walnut + Maple/Maple just as Vic's.
 
#3,642
I ordered a MTD 535 11 months ago and the wait it's getting tougher!!!

here's what i ordered:
alder body/rosewood top
maple neck, birdseye maple fretboard...
here's a pic of a bass made with the same pieces of wood...

I listened to some MTD clip lately and i was amazed by the tone of Wenge neck and board...

Is there someone experienced enough here with MTD bass to explain me the kind of tone Wenge is bringing to the bass or what would it change compare to my upcoming maple/maple neck?

Thanks for your help!!!
 
#3,643
bassman74 said:
I ordered a MTD 535 11 months ago and the wait it's getting tougher!!!

here's what i ordered:
alder body/rosewood top
maple neck, birdseye maple fretboard...
here's a pic of a bass made with the same pieces of wood...

I listened to some MTD clip lately and i was amazed by the tone of Wenge neck and board...

Is there someone experienced enough here with MTD bass to explain me the kind of tone Wenge is bringing to the bass or what would it change compare to my upcoming maple/maple neck?

Thanks for your help!!!
Click to expand...

I love the wenge neck MTD's. To me, the wenge neck MTD's provide what many of us consider the 'classic' MTD tone (ala Norm Stockton). The wenge provides a unique top end on the MTD's that I've never heard reproduced on another bass nor on MTD's with different wood combinations... a sort of 8K sparkle that has zero harshness. It's just beautiful through the right rig. The low end is fat and warm, and there seems to be just a little bit of a dip in the upper mids that makes for a wonderful slap tone without any gank.

The maple/maple necks are great also, and provide much more upper mid brightness, and a little bit more of a 'traditional' tone for lack of a better word. This is a nice wood combination for fingerstyle pop/rock players IMO.

I'm not a fan of the ash necks at all on the MTD's (personal taste there... nothing wrong with them)... way too much going on in the upper mids for me, although for a fingerstyle player with a 6 string looking for lots of articulation when soloing, the ash neck thing would probably be great!

IMO, and since every piece of wood is different, take the above as a very general desciption.
 
#3,644
bassman74 said:
alder body/rosewood top
maple neck, birdseye maple fretboard...
Click to expand...

Hi,
This wood combo is a classic, you can't be disappointed anyway!
I own a 535-24 chambered alder with flamed redwood top, maple neck/rosewood board, you can see it page 6 of this thread. The sound is just great: warm & growly, but with the MTD sounding. The difference between mine & yours lets me think that your bass will sound a little bit brighter than mine due to the facts mine is chambered and that you'll have a maple fingerboard instead of Rosewood.

I own 2 others 535 with Wenge neck, one with ash body, the other with tulipwood. Wenge sounds more compressed and focused in the lows. Although I can't really compare the influence of neck wood on the sound, I hope this helps. I really like theses basses.
 
#3,645
Daniel LeClaire said:
I'll have what he's having, please.



There's a few more videos of Dyson playing with Marcus Johnson if you search around on youtube. It looks like he is playing the same bass as the other video I linked. That has got to be the finest sounding MTD I have heard.

I use to have a 635 with a poplar body, maple neck, and wenge board. It was too many strings. But beyond that, it just didn't have enough low end or enough growl for me. But man, when I hear Dyson's MTD it makes me want to get another one. Anyone know what wood combo he has on that particular bass?
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FWIW, David Dyson is now a Skjold endorser, and has his own Skjold signature model. Man, what a smokin' hot player and a heck of a nice guy! I heard him play (on one of his Skjolds) at the 2007 Winter NAMM Bass Bash, and he was incredible!
 
#3,646
Thanks George and Kjung!

Your comments really helped me! I think the minute you have a MTD bass you want another one, they are like all different piece of Art!

I think my next one will be:
Tulipwood body, burl maple top , dark cherry sunburst
wenge neck and board...

I should order it right now because 18 months waiting is SO LONG...

Do you know if the world logo is an upcharge?
 
#3,647
bassman74 said:
Thanks George and Kjung!

Your comments really helped me! I think the minute you have a MTD bass you want another one, they are like all different piece of Art!

I think my next one will be:
Tulipwood body, burl maple top , dark cherry sunburst
wenge neck and board...

I should order it right now because 18 months waiting is SO LONG...

Do you know if the world logo is an upcharge?
Click to expand...

Yes you're right, I planned to have 5 MTDs...

Yes, World Logo is an option.

You'd like to order one like this one? :bassist:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed][Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Waiting time is 18 month now?! :help:
 
#3,652
I know about the 18 months waiting, i ordered mine 11 months ago and i can't wait anymore:crying:

I'd like to order a marilyn also, they sound so sweet and i like the reason why they are named "marilyn"

Do you know how much more is the world logo compare to the standard logo?
 
#3,654
rockstarbassist said:
If anyone knows, what's the update/status on the USA Saratoga models? I know the site hasn't been updated, but I'm assuming they're in production or available for ordering?
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Yep.

Same options, etc. as available on the "standard" MTD's?
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This I'm not sure of, but I would actually think so. Contact Mike and let us know what he says. :)
 
#3,655
Vic said:
Yep.

This I'm not sure of, but I would actually think so. Contact Mike and let us know what he says. :)
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I just might! I just hate asking what I feel "silly" questions about gear I'm not 100% ready to order or buy yet... I feel like I'm just leading the guys on... :hiding::hiding:

It's gonna be a tough call between the USA Saratoga or the custom 535 J/J I'm thinking in my head. The Saratoga will more than likely be more cost-effective for what I want out of the bass, so I probably will at least start there.

I just don't wanna go back to 34" scale!! :bawl::bawl::bawl:
 
#3,656
rockstarbassist said:
I just might! I just hate asking what I feel "silly" questions about gear I'm not 100% ready to order or buy yet... I feel like I'm just leading the guys on... :hiding::hiding:

It's gonna be a tough call between the USA Saratoga or the custom 535 J/J I'm thinking in my head. The Saratoga will more than likely be more cost-effective for what I want out of the bass, so I probably will at least start there.

I just don't wanna go back to 34" scale!! :bawl::bawl::bawl:
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Then I'd say stick with the 535 J/J idea. Seriously. The USA Saratoga is a whole different animal. If you really dig the 535 that much, I don't think the USA Saratoga, as nice as it truly is, will measure up for you.

IMHO!!
 
#3,657
Vic said:
Then I'd say stick with the 535 J/J idea. Seriously. The USA Saratoga is a whole different animal. If you really dig the 535 that much, I don't think the USA Saratoga, as nice as it truly is, will measure up for you.

IMHO!!
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You're probably right. And I've been down the road of "slight variations from what I know I want and like" and have come up empty.

I wonder how much upcharge it'll be for him to do this, as he'll basically only have to route the body differently, and then use whatever Bart J/J's I decide on. I'd prefer the preamp to be the same stock one.
 
#3,658
rockstarbassist said:
You're probably right. And I've been down the road of "slight variations from what I know I want and like" and have come up empty.

I wonder how much upcharge it'll be for him to do this, as he'll basically only have to route the body differently, and then use whatever Bart J/J's I decide on. I'd prefer the preamp to be the same stock one.
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I'm guessing not a lot, but once you get a definitive answer from him, I'd love to hear it... just in case... :)
 
#3,659
Vic said:
I'm guessing not a lot, but once you get a definitive answer from him, I'd love to hear it... just in case... :)
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I'll run it by him sometime in the not terribly distant future and make sure and report back.

I'll probably hit you up for your exact specs on that cherry 535 just so I can forward those to him also.
 

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