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The Official MTD USA Thread

#7,661
tombowlus said:
Yeah, my first thought was mahogany body with a rosewood board. But maybe pau ferro would be a better choice. I've played mahogany/pau ferro basses, and they sounded great. Mahogany/rosewood might be a bit too rounded up top. Depends on the rosewood used, probably.

Another great body wood choice would be makore. In fact, I'd be surprised if Mike didn't mention that as one of his preferred options.

Another possible fingerboard that might work would be wenge. A full-on wenge/wenge neck and fingerboard might take Brams away from the tone he is after, but one or the other (neck or fingerboard) might be an option.
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Hi Tom, Thanks for sharing.
Although I didn't get a reply yet from Tim I found he's also mentioned as a non US mtd kingston player. In this section all his basses are mentioned.
Looks like this bass "jazmin" (he gave them all girl namens... Funny... Found that on myspace) has a body of ash and maple burl, neck maple and rosewood. So very much the Same kind of Woods as I already played basically. Although I really Find his bass to sound very warm compared to other ash bodied mtd's.

about makore, yes I heard its the new rave for the moment as mt pervers it over mahogany.

Looking At some more clips on YouTube and reading stories.
I think mahogany or makore maybe black limba a maple neck and rosewood or Pau ferro would make a great choice indeed.

hopefully samething like this would pop up on the 2nd hand market as ordering new is kind of too costly at the moment.

Thanks Guys.
 
#7,662
taylor16 said:
I was in the same position as you just a week or so ago. I love the look of MTD basses, but wanted a less "hi-fi" sound. Looked into different woods (swamp ash, walnut body, etc...) and came to the realization that a Roscoe 5 would be my best bet. Just as awesome looking with the exact tone you are looking for. I put my deposit down a few days ago!
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congrats on the roscoe! But to be honest I Find the bodies of roscoes too small, plus the neck of a mtd is just what feels best to me.
But can fully understand why roscoe would be a great choice for bassists.
the Same can be said for Elrick, as they can also get close to that kind of sound and have similar woods, electronics and construction.
 
#7,663
Brams77 said:
congrats on the roscoe! But to be honest I Find the bodies of roscoes too small, plus the neck of a mtd is just what feels best to me.
But can fully understand why roscoe would be a great choice for bassists.
the Same can be said for Elrick, as they can also get close to that kind of sound and have similar woods, electronics and construction.
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I have tried MTD, Roscoe and Elrick. It somehow seems like they have something in common. Yes, they are different but they feel familiar to each other.
 
#7,665
I'm looking to get a MTD. What's the wood choices for this one? I love it.

IMG_1777_2.gif
[/QUOTE]

I'm looking for a less aggressive sounding wood selection. In other words, I like finger thump and warmth over aggressive slap tone but I do like to slap a bit. I'd love a not so hi-fi sound. I see it's been discussed but I didn't find a definitive answer. Rosewood boards seem to get the sound I like. Any advise is great. I'm overwhelmed with the wood choices and tone science in MTD land. Mahogany? Anyone selling one? Thanks!
 
#7,666
Just finished my second gig with my 434-24. I am really impressed how well this bass turned out. On the first gig, I pulled out my old #1. Made it thru two songs then went back to the 434. On this gig, pulled out old #1 on a break but it never made it into the gig. That's how well this bass works.

For those sticking their toes into the MTD waters, they are not all created equal. Wood selection is huge! I had two before this one that sounded nice but didn't cut it on my gigs. This time I asked for a specific tone and Mike and Glenn (of Austin Bass Traders) delivered.

So no pics, no gig so here was my little corner of the world last night. Tone started with a 434-24 into a bunch of effects then into a GK MB800 and out a Bergantino AE112. Life is good. :hyper:

mtd_gig_zps9a85b0a7.gif
 
#7,667
Congrats!!!

It's that "they're not created equal" phrase that has me so reluctant to go with an MTD...I am no expert in tonal characteristics and may not even be aware of what I like...seems like quite the $5k (or more) gamble to "hope" that it comes out just right...

Seems many on this thread have gone through multiple MTD's until they found "THE ONE"
 
#7,668
I can't disagree with you. For me, it was a combination of not really knowing what I wanted tone wise and settling for what ever I could find used.

Once you know the tone you're looking for, describe it to Mike (he's very approachable) and he'll tell you what woods to look for. Then either look used or order new. In my case, I couldn't find a used 434-24 so I went new.
 
#7,671
CTC564 said:
Congrats!!!

It's that "they're not created equal" phrase that has me so reluctant to go with an MTD...I am no expert in tonal characteristics and may not even be aware of what I like...seems like quite the $5k (or more) gamble to "hope" that it comes out just right...

Seems many on this thread have gone through multiple MTD's until they found "THE ONE"
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With these comments in mind, I would HIGHLY recommend that if you are considering an MTD (and I think you should!), then you really should go through Glenn Kawamoto at Austin Bass Traders. Mike is a master luthier, and Glenn is a master at helping players figure out which woods and basses will work the best for them. Call Glenn and talk to him about what you like and what you don't like. He's a gem of a human being, to boot! :cool:
 
#7,672
swmmojo said:
I'm looking to get a MTD. What's the wood choices for this one? I love it.

IMG_1777_2.gif
Click to expand...

I'm looking for a less aggressive sounding wood selection. In other words, I like finger thump and warmth over aggressive slap tone but I do like to slap a bit. I'd love a not so hi-fi sound. I see it's been discussed but I didn't find a definitive answer. Rosewood boards seem to get the sound I like. Any advise is great. I'm overwhelmed with the wood choices and tone science in MTD land. Mahogany? Anyone selling one? Thanks![/QUOTE]
That's a black limba body/macassar ebony top/wenge/wenge combo. A great wood combination for a very clear, articulate and punchy tone (very "piano-like" to my ears). For what you are describing I'd suggest an alder body, maple neck and rosewood board combination.
 
#7,678
swmmojo said:
Thanks bass12! I'll keep my eyes open for alder, maple and rosewood. What's the difference between alder and ash? I'm seeing lots of ash 625s for sale on TB. I appreciate the info.
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The difference, tone-wise (in theory at least), is that alder will be slightly "warmer" and more compressed than ash. Ash, on the other hand, will provide a slightly "grindier", more sizzly tone. For a lot of people, the alder/maple/rosewood combination says "classic" and, because MTDs have not so much been associated with that but instead with a "modern" vibe, the alder/maple/rosewood combo is relatively rare in MTDs. But, as someone who has owned 535s in various wood combinations (and whose main 535 is alder/maple/rosewood), I can tell you that it is a great combination that maintains the "MTDness" of Mike's more usual wood combos. :)
 
#7,680
tombowlus said:
Pschaw! Everyone knows that the Mayans had it wrong! The Hopi were the ones in the know, and I'm sure that you are all preparing for the arrival of Pahana, right?
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I heard Pahana's can strip a man to the bone in seconds... I'm not messing with those... ;) :D :D

:hiding:
 

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