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The Official MTD USA Thread
- Thread starter johnpaulbass
- Start date
Wow, Tom - that's an incredible piece of craftsmanship. The top looks like a Group of Seven painting! Congratulations on an incredible looking bass!
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,942
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Obviously, Mike deserves all the credit, but we have been working together on this bass for well over two years. The choice of the neck woods and construction came first, and the rest of the details were painstakingly discussed and fretted over for years. I thank Mike so much for putting up with me and my obsessive compulsive behavior. The end result, though, is exactly what I wanted, and that's all due to Michael Tobias.
Tom,
that is "HOT", I'm sure you posted it, but could you give the specs on this one again? If it sounds anyway like it looks,
, I'm really enjoying the Walnut/Ash 535, thinking about getting another one with different woods. These things are addictive.
that is "HOT", I'm sure you posted it, but could you give the specs on this one again? If it sounds anyway like it looks,
, I'm really enjoying the Walnut/Ash 535, thinking about getting another one with different woods. These things are addictive.
WOW indeed, just the looks alone are stunning enough not to mention how that beast must sound. Congrats Tom!
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,942
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Tom,
that is "HOT", I'm sure you posted it, but could you give the specs on this one again? If it sounds anyway like it looks,
Sure thing! It has a makore body, ebony top, flamed ash neck (with white wenge and "regular" wenge stringers), and a birdseye maple fingerboard.
The makore body contributes great presence, and still has growl and clarity, but is warmer than an ash body. I wanted some of the attack/growl/clarity of an ash neck, but I wanted to give a bit more focus and I wanted a less sharp or peaky response, which is why Mike recommended the laminated neck. The ebony top contributes to a big, but tight, tone and the birdseye maple board brings clear, open mids to highs.
All of these tonal factors came together just as I had hoped, and this bass just nails the tone I was after. I wanted big (but balanced to the rest of the notes) lows, but I wanted them to be tight, and I wanted the "growl" to be there when I wanted it all the way down to a low B. I wanted a defined, but not harsh, attack, but backed by a full, slightly on the warm side tone. I wanted extended, open highs and upper mids. Once again, Mike has totally delivered! I know the strings are very fresh, but this is sounding like possibly one of the most clear sounding MTDs I have owned (the primavera/redwood/wenge/wenge 535 I had would likely give it a run for the money in the clarity department, but was nowhere near as full and warm sounding as this bass). The low B is great, with deep, seismic lows that are very tight and have a hint of growl, but still feels connected to the other 4 strings. I love my ash/maple/wenge/wenge 535 in this regard as well, but this one may trump "Old Faithful."
Yes, Mike's basses certainly are addicting!
Oh, my, folks! This thing is off the hook...
Wow! Extremely nice bass! Turned out great! Congrats!
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,515
- 19,942
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Nice piece of quilt there! Are you planning on keeping it "natural" or are you going with a colour?
