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The Official MTD USA Thread

#4,261
Vic said:
mtd_marilyn8_2.jpg
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That bass kills me every time. One of my favorite looking MTD's ever. I saw show the other night on the Food Network showing how they make ribbon candy and I couldn't stop thinking about this bass.

:help:
 
#4,262
VroomVroom said:
Oh, youbetcha. This bass was the catalyst for Tony and I meeting, starting a great friendship, and driving each others wives absolutely nuts. :D
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Vic said:
With Tony, a great friendship is automatically a given. :)
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The best thing about becoming a member of the MTD Club isn't the basses, but the great friendships. I'm thankful for all of your advice and camaraderie. You guys are awesome. You too Virgil!
 
#4,265
XavidmanX said:
The best thing about becoming a member of the MTD Club isn't the basses, but the great friendships. I'm thankful for all of your advice and camaraderie. You guys are awesome. You too Virgil!
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I hear you on this, Tony. A few clubs seem special to me and this is one. I just picked up new to me bass of "another brand", posted a review on it (in the club forum) and nothing... Good thing I like the bass.
 
#4,268
So here is a silly question out of nowhere:
I know the MTD 535 has got 19 mm spacing as standard...however, a Sadowsky 5-string neckin my eyes look wider yet, despite also having 19 mm spacing. Are MTD 535 necks really sleek 19 mm spaced, as in not a lot of fretboard above/below b- and g-strings?

One reason I'm asking is that I might be getting a custom bass built for me, and I've always liked the way MTD necks look...I've been changing my mind between 19 or 18 mm spacing...(5-string)
 
#4,270
Probably a fringe question, but the discussion should be interesting enough and definitely not off topic. :)

How many of you have the opportunity to A/B an MTD and a pre-Gib Tobias Signature? I've recently purchased an oil-finish Signature 5 with walnut centre, wenge surrounds and zebrawood top and back and it's surprisingly not too different sounding to my MTD. (By that, I mean ball-park, in the same way that most MTDs sound roughly similar, but still distinctly different.) Yes, they vary in warmth, punch and woodiness, but still far more similar than I was expecting!

This unexpected "discovery" leads me to wonder if the Signature sound was the starting point for Mike's development of the MTD sound, just that he updated the electronics to bring out the top-end and made it a bit less bass-heavy. Make sense?

Probably the only thing he didn't "improve" on, is the bridge pickup sound, both my pre-Gibs absolutely *own* the MTD in that regard! Sorry guys, it's true and I'm happy to have a bridge-pickup shootout to prove it. :)

Cheers,

EG
 
#4,272
evilgus said:
Probably a fringe question, but the discussion should be interesting enough and definitely not off topic. :)

How many of you have the opportunity to A/B an MTD and a pre-Gib Tobias Signature? I've recently purchased an oil-finish Signature 5 with walnut centre, wenge surrounds and zebrawood top and back and it's surprisingly not too different sounding to my MTD. (By that, I mean ball-park, in the same way that most MTDs sound roughly similar, but still distinctly different.) Yes, they vary in warmth, punch and woodiness, but still far more similar than I was expecting!

This unexpected "discovery" leads me to wonder if the Signature sound was the starting point for Mike's development of the MTD sound, just that he updated the electronics to bring out the top-end and made it a bit less bass-heavy. Make sense?

Probably the only thing he didn't "improve" on, is the bridge pickup sound, both my pre-Gibs absolutely *own* the MTD in that regard! Sorry guys, it's true and I'm happy to have a bridge-pickup shootout to prove it. :)

Cheers,

EG
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IME/IMHO, my pre-Gibson Tobiases are fairly different from my MTDs. My pre-Gibson Killer-B is closer to the sound of an MTD, but still has its own voice.

Tom.
 
#4,273
tombowlus said:
IME/IMHO, my pre-Gibson Tobiases are fairly different from my MTDs. My pre-Gibson Killer-B is closer to the sound of an MTD, but still has its own voice.

Tom.
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+1 I consider the Killer B the 'prototype' for the current MTD USA model. That was a really nice bass, and had more warmth and growl to it than the very 'clickity clackity' bright sounding Tobias basses I've played and the one that I owned. I really enjoyed my early Gibson era Killer B back in the day, but didn't like the 'Series 2' models that came later. The pickup design changed, and the tone moved more toward the standard Tobias tone (deeper lows, more clicky highs, less warmth and grind in the mids.).

I find the MTD's a great improvement over the original design in almost every way (playability, general design, and especially electronics).
 
#4,274
I didn't explicitly say it, but I was strictly talking about my Signature bass sounding fairly like my MTD, whereas my Classic sounds quite different. It's probably more fluke than anything, as the woods in both basses are totally different. (Which makes it even more surprising!)

No disagreement on the MTD electronics being superior, but there is still a time and place for the old stuff that is generally more suitable for warmth and thickness. Horses for courses. :)

I guess I must have had a "Series 2" Killer B-5, it was built in '98 and generally sounded like a Tobias take on a Music-Man Stingray. Not much in the way of mids, but it was pretty warm and focussed. Would still love an earlier pre-Nashville Killer B-5!

Cheers,

EG
 
#4,275
What's up MTD fans? I don't post much here but I do read a lot and love the info. I e-mail Mike this about a custom 535 and I was trying to get a piano tone with a lil warmth to it not real bright. The wood combo he give me was maple neck, mahogany body, burl figured maple top and Pau Ferro fingerboard. I was wondering what you guys think about that wood combo.

I own a 535 rose of the mountain fb and body/ ash combo. And it’s great but not the tone I am hearing in my head.

Thanks.
 
#4,279
jpeeze said:
What's up MTD fans? I don't post much here but I do read a lot and love the info. I e-mail Mike this about a custom 535 and I was trying to get a piano tone with a lil warmth to it not real bright. The wood combo he give me was maple neck, mahogany body, burl figured maple top and Pau Ferro fingerboard. I was wondering what you guys think about that wood combo.

I own a 535 rose of the mountain fb and body/ ash combo. And it’s great but not the tone I am hearing in my head.

Thanks.
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I would have to agree with Mr. T's assesment from my experience with the MTDs I have owned and played.
 

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