• 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

#5,341
Vic said:
Nope, that's ebony. It had a maple neck. I VERY begrudgingly let that go to get the ash/walnut one I have now. VERY begrudgingly. That bass was amazing, but I had to make a choice.

In fact, that was the first one I ever bought. I ordered that one, and a similarly configured one except with the wenge neck, played both, sent the wenge necked one back.

Later on, after re-reading all the buzz about wenge and noting it is a very popular config, I gave it another shot. Bought a really great tulip/wenge 535 from someone used, but ultimately sent that one down the line too. The ash/walnut bass with the ash neck and maple board was what precipitated from the discussion I had with Mike regarding what I kept hoping to get from the wenge neck but was unable to.
Click to expand...

Okay, a maple neck. I've been curious about the maple/ebony combo, actually. I'm also thinking that a fretless 535 might be nice to have :) Then again, I keep hearing about how great-sounding the Zon fretlesses are...
 
#5,342
bass12 said:
Okay, a maple neck. I've been curious about the maple/ebony combo, actually. I'm also thinking that a fretless 535 might be nice to have :) Then again, I keep hearing about how great-sounding the Zon fretlesses are...
Click to expand...
I LOVE my MTDs, but if I was gonna' get a fretless, I really have to say I'd get a Sonus Special... again.

Ebony on a maple neck is cool if you really want to accentuate the modern sound. That ebony gives a super crisp ping at the high end, and then it's compressed just a bit under that, but the maple fills that back in. It's a very bright, cutting, and aggressive combo (all good things for me).
 
#5,343
Vic said:
... That ebony gives a super crisp ping at the high end, and then it's compressed just a bit under that, but the maple fills that back in. ...
Click to expand...

That's the reason I use a wound G on my Hohner Professional fretless. The other three strings are flats. Ebony on maple is awesome for fretless.
DSC_0425.jpg
 
#5,344
lindseyp said:
Ebony on maple is awesome for fretless.
Click to expand...

I agree. That's the neck combo on my Skjold fretless (Pete is another guy who really excels when it comes to building a fretless bass). I recently had a Clement fretless built with a zirocote board, and I like that a lot, too. It seems to be in the same general ballpark as ebony, but without the "ping."
 
#5,346
Well guys let me have a number please.

I just picked this up from LSU921 yesterday. Borrowed pics from him.

Plays great and sounds just the same. And yes I was even "shocked"!!:D

I dropped the action some, put new MTD SS on it, and it was slap heaven.

Combined with my MBF500 it is puncheeeeee whether fingerstyle or slap.

Now I have to think of a name for her hmmmm.
 

Attachments

  • MTD5351.jpg
    MTD5351.jpg
    64.5 KB · Views: 71
#5,348
groov'ster said:
Well I'm kinda sad now. The MTD strings I put on just a few hours ago (B and E specifically) are deaad. Fishing line has more tone than these strings. Any thoughts I think I'm gonna shoot MTD an email about this. ANybody else had these kind of issues with the strings?
Click to expand...

I haven't used that many sets of MTDs but in my relatively short history with those particular strings (I started using them about ten months ago) I've never experienced any problems. I have, however, encountered the same problem you've just mentioned with another brand (two consecutive sets were dead - I guess it was a bad batch). I phoned up the company and they sent me replacements free of charge. I would contact whoever you bought the strings from before contacting Michael Tobias himself and would fully expect to receive a free replacement set. Just for the record, I really like the MTD SS and plan on continuing to use them. Good luck, and congratulations on that beautiful new MTD of yours!
 
#5,349
Hello all,
Some of you may remember some weeks ago, I purchased a new Marilyn 535. It eventually arrived with me a few days before I went on my summer vacation and now that I'm back home and had some spare time and decent light, I've taken a couple of flash-free photos.
The thumbnails are clickable if you want the full picture...and enjoy :)

th_DSC_1052.jpg
th_DSC_1053.jpg


Unfortunately, I've not had a great deal of playing time yet, but to say that I'm not disappointed is an under statement :bassist:

cheers
G
 
#5,350
Sweet, dirtbird! What are the specs? The problem with my looking at Mike's hand-made basses is that I pretty much want them all! He's got such a fantastic eye when it comes to woods. Where's that Wishbass link when you need it...
 
#5,351
bass12 said:
Sweet, dirtbird! What are the specs? The problem with my looking at Mike's hand-made basses is that I pretty much want them all! He's got such a fantastic eye when it comes to woods.
Click to expand...
If it's true to the original spec, and it looks like it is, it should be a chambered alder body, purple and black wood lams, redwood top, 24 frets, maple neck, ebony board.

What makes this one particularly special is it's got one of the rare "Audi" tops.

Where's that Wishbass link when you need it...
Click to expand...
Here you go... :)
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=688442
 
#5,352
bass12 said:
Sweet, dirtbird! What are the specs?
Click to expand...

What Vic said...

Vic said:
If it's true to the original spec, and it looks like it is, it should be a chambered alder body, purple and black wood lams, redwood top, 24 frets, maple neck, ebony board.
Click to expand...

is spot on... looks far prettier than any Audi I've ever seen too :)

bass12 said:
The problem with my looking at Mike's hand-made basses is that I pretty much want them all! He's got such a fantastic eye when it comes to woods. Where's that Wishbass link when you need it...
Click to expand...

+1 - I think I've seen at least 5 since I bought this one, that have induced dangerous levels of GAS.

I'm quite envious of you all in the US/Canada, there's not many of these beauties knocking around in the UK, so we have to pay the extra $200 for shipping and 22% extra on the total in import duties and taxes. That is (usually) just about enough to stop me pulling the trigger :D

cheers
G
 
#5,354
dirtbird said:
While I'm here in typing mode, could I ask if anyone knows of a thread on TB discussing specifically which amps/cabs do justice to Mike's basses? If there is, I've not found it yet! :)

Does anyone know what Mike uses amp/cab-wise in his workshop?

What's your poison?
Click to expand...
Interesting. I was about to say almost any amp/cab combo, 'cause that tone simply can't be squelched. :D

That said, I'd say any cab that's got a tweeter and is big enough to push some good lows (at least a 210, maybe a 212, 310 or 410, or multiple cabs), and a head that's also designed to be pretty widely voiced, probably typically solid state for that one. I have really good luck with the Mesa M9, Markbass F amps (F1/500), Carvin BX, Genz heads, and even the much more classic sounding TC RH450.
 
#5,355
dirtbird said:
While I'm here in typing mode, could I ask if anyone knows of a thread on TB discussing specifically which amps/cabs do justice to Mike's basses? If there is, I've not found it yet! :)
Click to expand...

Well, any high quality rig that sounds good to you with other basses and which fits your gigging needs, style, budget, etc. should do well with an MTD. They are not highly dependent upon the rig to make them sound good.

That being said, I have found that Bergantino cabs seem to work very well with MTDs, especially the IP-series (which are devastating with an MTD!). Another highly viable (and more affordable) option is GK. While I like GK amps/cabs a lot, in general, they really seem to pair up especially well with MTD basses.
 
#5,356
Vic said:
Interesting. I was about to say almost any amp/cab combo, 'cause that tone simply can't be squelched. :D

That said, I'd say any cab that's got a tweeter and is big enough to push some good lows (at least a 210, maybe a 212, 310 or 410, or multiple cabs), and a head that's also designed to be pretty widely voiced, probably typically solid state for that one. I have really good luck with the Mesa M9, Markbass F amps (F1/500), Carvin BX, Genz heads, and even the much more classic sounding TC RH450.
Click to expand...

hi Vic, thanks for the reply, I'd agree about the F500, and the ACME B2 has plenty of bottom end, but I'm not sure how well matched they are.
 
#5,357
dirtbird said:
hi Tom, thanks for the reply, I'd agree about the F500, and the ACME B2 has plenty of bottom end, but I'm not sure how well matched they are.
Click to expand...
Again, like Tom and I are both really saying, it won't really matter much as long as you're not playing through a total piece of crap. MTD's have so much going on tonally it's really really hard to make it sound bad.

Tom raises a good point about GK too... IMHO very underrated amps, super affordable, and they do sound great with an MTD. I use mostly Bergantino AE210's (2) and Epifani stuff. For small stuff, I use a UL110/UL112 mini-stack, and for bigger stuff, I use either my Berg cabs, my UL310, or my UL2-410 (still one of my all time fave cabs).
 
#5,358
Yes, the famed "Audi" tops - nice one! Regarding amps - I use an Ampeg SVT III or IV Pro through Eden cabs (the cabs are both over ten years old - I don't know how the current Edens compare). However, I just returned from an outdoor gig on a big stage where I went direct and only had stage monitors with which to hear myself. My ash/wenge 535 sounded great - punchy and well defined (though a few more highs might have been nice). Anyway, I doubt any bass would have sounded better going direct through the monitors.
 
#5,359
Vic said:
Again, like Tom and I are both really saying, it won't really matter much as long as you're not playing through a total piece of crap. MTD's have so much going on tonally it's really really hard to make it sound bad.

Tom raises a good point about GK too... IMHO very underrated amps, super affordable, and they do sound great with an MTD. I use mostly Bergantino AE210's (2) and Epifani stuff. For small stuff, I use a UL110/UL112 mini-stack, and for bigger stuff, I use either my Berg cabs, my UL310, or my UL2-410 (still one of my all time fave cabs).
Click to expand...

+1. I play my 535 through an SWR 410 with a SWR SM 900 head, a GK 1001RB II through GK Neo 212 and 115 cabs, a Epi UL 902 C head, into a Epi UL 112, 310 S1 or 410 S2, or a Bergantino 112ER, and I also use a Markbass LMII, and my MTD kills in every configuration. IMHO the 902 C into the UL 410 sounds the best. Warm, fat, articulate, all of the things I look for.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back