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The Official MTD USA Thread

#4,941
Vic said:
On pricing, you'll just have to ask a dealer. On tonal diffs, I'd think yes, but as to in which way, ask Mike.

Actually, Glenn at Austin Bass Traders is also a great resource for tonal descriptions, and I'm pretty sure he's had neck thru models in stock before.
Click to expand...

I bought my new MTD 535 from Glenn
ash - spalted maple, Ash - BEM
great guy..

Link Removed
 
#4,943
Vic said:
Virgil, not sure about 8 pounds "flat" with an ash body that Mike could be comfortable with tonally, but if you're just trying to get significantly under 9 pounds, it is a challenge for him and his tonal goals with ash, but it CAN be done.

Only 8.6 pounds, and ALL the MTD tone...

535_walnut_ash_01.jpg
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I can't say for sure whether the body will be ash or not. It may be poplar. I played a poplar body with a wenge neck and board and it weighed 8 pounds. It had dead strings on it, so I could not gauge the true tone of that wood combination. But when I spoke to Mike, and told him what weight I wanted my bass to be, he said, "I can make you bass that weighs 8 pounds, I just need to find the wood that will meet your tonal requirements. I don"t think he knows just yet what he is going to recommend. I told him that I was in no hurry, so he is going to take his time to find the right piece of wood. I also have a bass that is light in weight and sounds incredible, so I am not in "need" mode, just in "want." Commonly referred to as GAS. :-) By the way, Vic that's an awesome axe you have there my friend.
 
#4,944
Virgil said:
I can't say for sure whether the body will be ash or not. It may be poplar. I played a poplar body with a wenge neck and board and it weighed 8 pounds. It had dead strings on it, so I could not gauge the true tone of that wood combination. But when I spoke to Mike, and told him what weight I wanted my bass to be, he said, "I can make you bass that weighs 8 pounds, I just need to find the wood that will meet your tonal requirements. I don"t think he knows just yet what he is going to recommend. I told him that I was in no hurry, so he is going to take his time to find the right piece of wood. I also have a bass that is light in weight and sounds incredible, so I am not in "need" mode, just in "want." Commonly referred to as GAS. :-) By the way, Vic that's an awesome axe you have there my friend.
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Thanks! :)

On the rest of your post, ok, I think I misunderstood you earlier on. I thought you were specifically looking for an ash body. That said, I honestly think it's even cooler that you're just opening it up for Mike to figure out the whole deal. A little mystery makes it fun, and that should assure you best overall results in the end. YOU BETTER KEEP ME UPDATED ON THIS!! :D
 
#4,948
LikeButtah said:
That's usually when I replace them too ;)
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Duuuhh.... :rollno:

Sorry if I didn't make it clear. How long is the batteries goes 'bad' after replacing them with new ones. I recieved the bass used, I don't know how long the batteries have been in there.

And, one more thing, Does anyone ever bought MTD single strings? I recieved mine today, and the thread colours are grey, not yellow like the one on my bass now. Just wanna know if that's the way the single string go.

Thanks
 
#4,951
antontanzil said:
Duuuhh.... :rollno:

Sorry if I didn't make it clear. How long is the batteries goes 'bad' after replacing them with new ones. I recieved the bass used, I don't know how long the batteries have been in there.
Click to expand...
Honestly, there is no cut/dry answer to that question, which is what LikeButtah was getting at with his first post, and clarified later. There's just way too many variables depending on how you use the instrument. One of my MTD basses doesn't get out too much, and it's literally had the same batteries in it for like maybe two years or more. Another MTD I had as a main player for a while, I think I replaced the batteries in less than a year.

Bottom line is, if you're concerned about it, just make sure you always have a fresh pair of batteries with you at all times, and if you want forewarning, get one of those battery testers that plugs into your output jack.
 
#4,952
antontanzil said:
Duuuhh.... :rollno:

Sorry if I didn't make it clear. How long is the batteries goes 'bad' after replacing them with new ones. I recieved the bass used, I don't know how long the batteries have been in there.

And, one more thing, Does anyone ever bought MTD single strings? I recieved mine today, and the thread colours are grey, not yellow like the one on my bass now. Just wanna know if that's the way the single string go.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Batteries life depend on how much you're playing a day.

I think you bought a nickel string because AFAIK MTD SS strings are yellow, nickel strings are white/grey.
 
#4,955
Vic said:
Honestly, there is no cut/dry answer to that question, which is what LikeButtah was getting at with his first post, and clarified later. There's just way too many variables depending on how you use the instrument. One of my MTD basses doesn't get out too much, and it's literally had the same batteries in it for like maybe two years or more. Another MTD I had as a main player for a while, I think I replaced the batteries in less than a year.

Bottom line is, if you're concerned about it, just make sure you always have a fresh pair of batteries with you at all times, and if you want forewarning, get one of those battery testers that plugs into your output jack.
Click to expand...

One of my friend told me that If I keep my bass unplayed for more than 3 months its better to take off the battery (s), reason being is the battery might leak and can cause damage to the instrument. So for good sake, I always take off the batteries on all my basses whenever I am going overseas (4 months rotation).
 
#4,956
t0t0m said:
One of my friend told me that If I keep my bass unplayed for more than 3 months its better to take off the battery (s), reason being is the battery might leak and can cause damage to the instrument. So for good sake, I always take off the batteries on all my basses whenever I am going overseas (4 months rotation).
Click to expand...
Depends on your environment. I know what you're talking about, and yeah, batteries can do that corrosion leaking thing, but in a typical cool dry environment, it should not be a problem for a LOONG time.
 
#4,959
I could use a # for this club , here is my bass , I bought it new in 2002 , it has a poplar body , maple burl top , maple neck and rosewood board , it has been a great bass all these years , mostly I use it for a jazz fusion group I play with allot and a church band that does lot of gospel type music , although I can also get some great traditional tones out of this one as well , it is a beauty and a forever keeper
 

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#4,960
Spent some quality time with my sixer last night.

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Confession time... Recently I went through the fleet, using my "If I haven't gigged it in six months, can I justify keeping it?" rule of thumb. Turns out this bass hasn't been on a gig since last June. Uh-oh. :ninja:

Of course I never really considered selling it, but I've only played it a handful of times since then during practice sessions. It was a blast going through the "spa" ritual - new strings, setup, and lots of playing. This thing really is something. Tons of bark, some healthy snarl, and the typical crispness and full-range clarity from the electronics. I'm doing a cool outdoor gig this Saturday, and it's right in the wheelhouse for this bass. A lot of my work these days calls for a more retro/vintage tone, so it'll be great to give the MTD a workout.
 

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