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The Official MTD USA Thread

#5,921
slamsinger said:
Ok..... Here's a question.....what has the bark-bite-and tone of a mtd535 minus the weight?!?!.....I'm thinking of trying to swap my mtd535 for a ash-ash-rosewood combo....mine is a tulipwood-wenge-wenge-...... But the 9.10lbs is killin me...Any suggestions?....or someone who has a ash-ash-rosewood?.....Michael wants 1500.00 for a new neck and he keeps my wenge neck.....a bit steep for me to pull the trigger...
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Ash isn't necessarily the answer to your problem. It really depends on the wood itself, not just the species. There are ash/wenge MTDs that are considerably lighter than some ash/ash MTDs. You can either simply keep an eye on the classifieds or ask Mike to find you lighter pieces of wood.
 
#5,929
Hi to all...

Former pre-Gibson Tobias owner and current admirer of MTB

Also, I have to tip my hat to Vic and say that the bass he posted at beginning of this thread is UNREAL!!!!

What wood combo is that? Also LOVE the world logo!!!

Someday there will be a 535-24 as part of my "family"
 
#5,930
CTC564 said:
Former pre-Gibson Tobias owner and current admirer of MTB
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I mean no disrespect, and not to call you out, but this reminds me...

I don't know how many people I've heard refer to my bass or others like it as "a really nice MTB." I try to be polite and let them know that's a "D", but I do find it funny how often I hear it.

Again, sorry, and welcome to the thread.:D
 
#5,934
CTC564 said:
Also, I have to tip my hat to Vic and say that the bass he posted at beginning of this thread is UNREAL!!!!

What wood combo is that? Also LOVE the world logo!!!
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Thanks! :)

Well, there are actually two basses there, but only one with the world logo. That one is a very light ash body with a crotch walnut top, an ash neck, and maple fingerboard. The other one is my Marilyn. It's a chambered alder body with a water cured redwood top, maple neck, blistered flamed gaboon ebony board.
 
#5,936
@ Vic....

They're both gorgeous but I was referring to the pic from grooveshoppe

If that's your Marilyn...my GAWD man...I don't think I've ever seen any wood combo as pretty

Can you try to describe her tonal characteristics???

I may just have to start saving for a duplicate of her....
 
#5,937
CTC564 said:
@ Vic....

They're both gorgeous but I was referring to the pic from grooveshoppe

If that's your Marilyn...my GAWD man...I don't think I've ever seen any wood combo as pretty
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Thanks! That's not the one with the world logo, but it is a nice looking bass, I must admit. :)

Can you try to describe her tonal characteristics???
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Think about a modern electric bass blended with a grand piano, and the piano-like breadth gets more exaggerated the louder you turn your amp up. 535's have all that MTD clarity, but then you add some chambering to give it a bit more of an acoustic element and it can be pretty impressive.

I may just have to start saving for a duplicate of her....
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Yeah, it is a chunk of cash... I just priced one out to see what it'd take these days...

4800 base 535
600-1000 top wood
200 24-fret
200 Ebony board
500 chambers
100 match peghead veneer to topwood
100 match trussrod cover to topwood

That makes it 6500-6900 depending on how expensive the topwood would be.

Also, Mike made it sound like water cured redwood like this doesn't come by too often... most of it is burls, so it might possibly take a while to select a topwood if you really want to dupe this one.
 
#5,938
Joelc73 said:
:spit:

The only thing "defective" about these Wenge necks is Mike unnecessarily installs a truss rod... These things don't move at all! :bassist:
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All BS put aside, that is a SERIOUSLY beautiful bass. I had one pretty much identical to it at one point that I got used. You're right, the wenge was SUPER stable, but you still need to rod to SET the preferred relief (which is actually why Joe Zon is putting adjustment rods in his non-wood necks now.)
 
#5,940
Joelc73 said:
New MTD in the house:

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Tulipwood, Myrtle burl, Wenge/Wenge.
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Here's the one I had that I bought used... same exact body and neck woods:

535ww1.jpg


535ww2.jpg


535ww3.jpg


535ww4.jpg
 

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