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The Official MTD USA Thread

#6,081
R.Cocco steels are also REALLY nice on an MTD, but I'd advise getting a taper-core low B. They aren't as bright as the MTD steels and have a really great voice, plus last for ages. I don't have an MTD right now, but was using the nickels for ages on my old one and then tried the RCs out and really liked them.

Cheers,

EG
 
#6,083
dirtbird said:
Also, I think the tapered B string on the MTD set makes the B more defined too.
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evilgus said:
R.Cocco steels are also REALLY nice on an MTD, but I'd advise getting a taper-core low B. They aren't as bright as the MTD steels and have a really great voice, plus last for ages. I don't have an MTD right now, but was using the nickels for ages on my old one and then tried the RCs out and really liked them.

Cheers,

EG
Click to expand...

Very interesting feedback. I do like the sound of the MTD steels after they calm down a bit. Maybe I'll try the nickels and see if that's what I've been after all along.

A taper B oscillates differently from a wrapped core across the bridge saddles. I was thinking of going non-taper with a slightly lighter gauge on the B. Not that I dislike the sound of the B now, but like I said, I'm in the mood to experiment. I currently have D'Addarios on my Roscoe 5 and the B is amazing. I may have to try those as well as the R. Cocco steels.

I don't change strings all that often, but someday I'll have to calculate how much I spend on strings over the lifetime of a bass. Or maybe I shouldn't.

-Alan
 
#6,087
red_rhino said:
Very interesting feedback. I do like the sound of the MTD steels after they calm down a bit. Maybe I'll try the nickels and see if that's what I've been after all along.
Click to expand...
That's pretty much what led me to try the MTD nickels, I wanted a bit less brightness and a bit more mids/upper-mids. I can't say I had much time to try the RC steels on the MTD, though, as I sold the bass a few weeks after, but I did like how it was sounding. That set had a solid-wrap low B, but it didn't quite have the same tone as the other strings, so I'd go with taper-cores in future. (At least on a similar MTD, my Roscoe sounds fine with solid-wrap low B.)

Cheers,

Justin
 
#6,088
red_rhino said:
Very interesting feedback. I do like the sound of the MTD steels after they calm down a bit. Maybe I'll try the nickels and see if that's what I've been after all along.

A taper B oscillates differently from a wrapped core across the bridge saddles. I was thinking of going non-taper with a slightly lighter gauge on the B. Not that I dislike the sound of the B now, but like I said, I'm in the mood to experiment.
Click to expand...

I normally use the non-tapered MTD B-string. I tend to dig in kinda hard at times, and with tapered strings, I can sometimes feel them roll around a bit on the saddle. I don't get this with the non-tapered strings. And for the record, I don't always get this even with tapered strings.
 
#6,089
Question for you fine folks: will a Long Scale set of D'Addario Pro Steels have enough length to sit comfortably on the nut? I seem to remember putting some D'Addarios on an MTD of mine and the tapered part of the string that goes to the tuner sat too low on the nut and gave me horrible buzz in the 1st position. Do I need to get the extra long set?
 
#6,090
ElMon said:
Question for you fine folks: will a Long Scale set of D'Addario Pro Steels have enough length to sit comfortably on the nut? I seem to remember putting some D'Addarios on an MTD of mine and the tapered part of the string that goes to the tuner sat too low on the nut and gave me horrible buzz in the 1st position. Do I need to get the extra long set?
Click to expand...
I'll try it tonight with an Long XL170, which should be the same length, but I have a feeling you're right and you'll need the extra longs.
 
#6,093
Dr. GregN sold this bass to somebody. Just wondering if that purchaser might be interested in selling it.
 

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#6,094
ElMon said:
Question for you fine folks: will a Long Scale set of D'Addario Pro Steels have enough length to sit comfortably on the nut? I seem to remember putting some D'Addarios on an MTD of mine and the tapered part of the string that goes to the tuner sat too low on the nut and gave me horrible buzz in the 1st position. Do I need to get the extra long set?
Click to expand...
Well, I didn't want to take the existing strings off/on and possibly tweak them, but it's close. It looks like the outer windings might clear the zero fret, which is all that's necessary, but it's close enough I'd recommend you go Extra Longs just to be safe. Remember, these don't have nuts... that's only a string spacer/guide. The zero fret is what sets string height at that end.
 
#6,095
Vic said:
Well, I didn't want to take the existing strings off/on and possibly tweak them, but it's close. It looks like the outer windings might clear the zero fret, which is all that's necessary, but it's close enough I'd recommend you go Extra Longs just to be safe. Remember, these don't have nuts... that's only a string spacer/guide. The zero fret is what sets string height at that end.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, and thanks for checking for me!
 
#6,097
Tunaman said:
What a collection. Do these basses sound that different that you feel you need to get more or is just I like the colors\have the resources to do it?

I'd love to get one 1 day but I'm almost too sensible, there has to be an objective "improvement to cost ratio" vs another bass for me to make the plunge.
Click to expand...

I have found that Mike's basses absolutely sound different based upon the different woods. In fact, at one of my GTG's, Pete Skjold was playing most of these MTDs, some of Vic's MTDs, and maybe one or two others, and we kept handing him different basses while he played the same licks through the same rig. It was remarkable how different they all sounded. I still kick myself for not videotaping that little exercise... :rollno:

Edit: That being said, I am trying to be more reasonable (a little, at least), and I am currently down to just four MTDs, though I have another one in the works.
 
#6,098
I'd like to craft a bass that sounds "different" than production basses like the P, Sterling & Jazz I have, that would be useful and a clear benefit of getting a MTD. I see them for sale used so much but have to study wood, pickup whatever combo to achieve that.

They look great, congrats
 
#6,099
Tunaman said:
I'd like to craft a bass that sounds "different" than production basses like the P, Sterling & Jazz I have, that would be useful and a clear benefit of getting a MTD. I see them for sale used so much but have to study wood, pickup whatever combo to achieve that.

They look great, congrats
Click to expand...

The nice thing is, they tend to hold their value. So if you get one and don't like it, you can usually flip it pretty quick. What are your tone goals?
 
#6,100
tombowlus said:
The nice thing is, they tend to hold their value. So if you get one and don't like it, you can usually flip it pretty quick. What are your tone goals?
Click to expand...

I like diversity... I have a P, a J a Sterling HH. I'd like something that a stock bass can't do... G&L, Bongo, Warwick etc.

I also don't see these basses as "Very versatile" they do their "main" sound well & others okay... I'd hope the MTD could great many more high quality tones than these.

I'd say I'm looking for a better E string... It seems that the basses I have lose power from the "A" note down to the open E. The P bass & especially the Sterlings get a little weak & if I boost the bass it just adds to the volume difference between a B note & an E note.

So recap
1. Different than common mass produced basses
2. More versatility
3. Stronger E, F, G notes on the E string
 

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