Is it true that new MTDs are just north of $6k....!!?...we're rapily entering Fodera territory ,aren't we...??
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The Official MTD USA Thread
- Thread starter johnpaulbass
- Start date
Oh OK... I was checking out an F Bass on the Ultimate Bass website and I'd thought I'd see what they had in their MTD stock...its a beautiful Bass there for sure but they listed it over $8300 US.
.I figure the retail price would be well over six grand...man...
Could be that the price would exceed $6000 for that bass (on the Ultimate Bass site). But you can definitely find 535s for less than that. A lot of it depends on the woods and options. Check out the difference in prices on 535s at Bass Central: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
On another note, I really wonder how many high end basses get sold in Guelph, Ontario. Must do a lot of shipping.
Yeah their prices kinda seem all over the place...similar options on acouple with just a few key differences can apparently cost you big bucks....it seems like each individual instrument has a unique selling price which is really interesting.... Not a problem, just something I've never noticed before..... Some basses seem to have stable prices though...I noticed they are selling an MTD that's pretty similar to one I bought from them about eight years ago for about the same price... I suppose as he continues to branch out with more exotic woods the price climbs a bit...
bass12 said:
And on another 'nother note, I was just reading your profile... How fascinating is it that you listen to go-go all the way up in Canada. ..!!..that's so cool...BTW, Funky Ned was my first ever Bass teacher when I was eleven...cool dude...
No way! Funky Ned was your teacher? Now that's cool. Great player and so few people seem to have heard of him. Go-go never made much of a dent up here but as a DJ I picked up on bands like RE, Trouble Funk, EU and Chuck Brown. Ended up writing my master's thesis on it a few years ago and was lucky enough to catch some shows down in D.C. (including Chuck Brown). On a side note, PM me if you know what tracks Funky Ned played on from Maxwell's first album. I've always wanted to know for sure.
Oh, and back to MTDs, yeah, the prices do vary quite a bit. Certain woods (wenge, for example) have become more scarce over the years and that might account for an increase in price. A topless body will also be cheaper than a body with a top.
No way! Funky Ned was your teacher? Now that's cool. Great player and so few people seem to have heard of him. Go-go never made much of a dent up here but as a DJ I picked up on bands like RE, Trouble Funk, EU and Chuck Brown. Ended up writing my master's thesis on it a few years ago and was lucky enough to catch some shows down in D.C. (including Chuck Brown). On a side note, PM me if you know what tracks Funky Ned played on from Maxwell's first album. I've always wanted to know for sure.
Oh, and back to MTDs, yeah, the prices do vary quite a bit. Certain woods (wenge, for example) have become more scarce over the years and that might account for an increase in price. A topless body will also be cheaper than a body with a top.
Yeah Essence is a legendary band
down here...its cool that you got to see Chuck before he passed..great show...did a cover of "The Mood For Love" that's everything to me and every other DC native...its what go-go is all about....but i digress..
I guess I'm that much more happy that I ended up with an MTD with wenge.....that's one thing I did notice about the basses on the website..no wenge on anything, not even on any recent sales IIRC....Im gonna be in Florida next week...might have to go and play some stuff...
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Hello, I'm thinking about getting an MTD bass and considering between the MTD AG5 and MTD 535 Tulipwood body w/ wenge neck and board.
The MTD AG5 is what Andrew Gouche plays so I'm pretty familiar with the sound of it, but the tulipwood wenge combination was hard to find. I know Norm Stockton plays that but it's hard to find him playing with a band.
Which would be more versatile? It would be great if you guys can give me some comments and comparisons between those two basses regarding the sound and tone. Or a good link for the tulipwood wenge.
Thanks!
The MTD AG5 is what Andrew Gouche plays so I'm pretty familiar with the sound of it, but the tulipwood wenge combination was hard to find. I know Norm Stockton plays that but it's hard to find him playing with a band.
Which would be more versatile? It would be great if you guys can give me some comments and comparisons between those two basses regarding the sound and tone. Or a good link for the tulipwood wenge.
Thanks!
You can go to th MTD site and contact Mike directly he can help you with exactly what you want. Here is a YouTube video of Norm Stockton
.
I have an MTD 535/24 and have a Saratoga being built
j4 string bass
34" scale LEFTY
Birds eye maple fingerboard
solid flamed sycamore body
matching peghead veneer matching truss rod cover
hand rubbed stain yellow to green burst
MTD custom fitted case
MTD clear blue nylon strings
matching wood knobs color matched stack set
Just purchased my 2nd non US MTD . It's a Kingston AG5. Saving for a Norm Stockton right now. Keep this thread alive. I love it!! Helps to keep me motivated to keep saving and not spend the $ elsewhere .
With all due respect, I think you might be going about this backwards. Tell us what kind of sound you are looking for and some of us might be able to help.
I really like the sound and tone of the Andrew Gouche. It seems like it sounds very full and sits well when played in a band or cutting through a mix. Also like the tone when soloing. But one thing I'm worried about is that if the tone would be too light or bright when I actually play it.With all due respect, I think you might be going about this backwards. Tell us what kind of sound you are looking for and some of us might be able to help.
I hear so many compliments and recommendations on the wenge neck and board wood combo. But its really hard for me to figure out how it really sounds in a band playing rhythm or soloing.
I'm looking for that great MTD slap tone but don't want the highs to be extremely bright. I want the bottom to be full and deep so it blends well in a band or cutting through a mix. Also want a clear fingering tone.
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Sounds like wenge to me....I prefer a darker colored tone myself and I find that wenge gives me a nice balance to my tone...the highs are brittle at all...I've heard them referred to as "sizzling" and I guess that's a good way to describe it... Not as nasally and thin to my ears as the purpleheart/maple combo
is to me...the wenge seems to have more of a presence...I slap a good bit and it's got that covered, but the real reason I think this MTD is a keeper is how drawn I am to the fingerstyle tone...YMMV..
is to me...the wenge seems to have more of a presence...I slap a good bit and it's got that covered, but the real reason I think this MTD is a keeper is how drawn I am to the fingerstyle tone...YMMV..
As a point of reference, I've owned four wenge-necked 535s. They all sounded a bit different to one another but they also had certain tonal characteristics in common. One of those tonal characteristics was mild compression. I also have found that, with three of the four, there was a markedly darker aspect to the tone than what I've experienced with other MTDs. In addition to the wenge-necked MTDs I've also owned three maple/rosewood necked MTDs, a maple/maple and one maple/ash (which actually shared the same body - I just had the necks switched). The MTDs that worked for me the least were the ones (or one, depending on how you look at it) with maple fingerboards (not enough fundamental to the notes and too trebly). That's not to say all maple-boarded MTDs will sound that way (two basses is a pretty small sample size - and I played a maple-boarded Saratoga that I loved) but that was my experience. Of the MTDs I've owned my favourites have been my first ash-bodied, wenge-necked 535 and my alder-bodied, maple/rosewood-necked 535. Both of these are a little more "traditional" sounding than a lot of the MTDs I have played or heard. Both are great for slap, with the wenge one edging out the rosewood by a couple of hairs. Neither one of those basses are what I would call "too bright" and I've used both to effectively play a variety of styles, including old-school soul and reggae. It's good to keep in mind, too, that the EQ on the 535s is pretty powerful (and that Andrew Gouché supposedly turns all of his EQ knobs up to full.
NS is only playing his custom Saratoga in that video. I've never played a Norm Stockton but what I've heard makes me think more of a Saratoga than a 535 (which is not a bad thing - the Saratogas sound great).
As a point of reference, I've owned four wenge-necked 535s. They all sounded a bit different to one another but they also had certain tonal characteristics in common. One of those tonal characteristics was mild compression. I also have found that, with three of the four, there was a markedly darker aspect to the tone than what I've experienced with other MTDs. In addition to the wenge-necked MTDs I've also owned three maple/rosewood necked MTDs, a maple/maple and one maple/ash (which actually shared the same body - I just had the necks switched). The MTDs that worked for me the least were the ones (or one, depending on how you look at it) with maple fingerboards (not enough fundamental to the notes and too trebly). That's not to say all maple-boarded MTDs will sound that way (two basses is a pretty small sample size - and I played a maple-boarded Saratoga that I loved) but that was my experience. Of the MTDs I've owned my favourites have been my first ash-bodied, wenge-necked 535 and my alder-bodied, maple/rosewood-necked 535. Both of these are a little more "traditional" sounding than a lot of the MTDs I have played or heard. Both are great for slap, with the wenge one edging out the rosewood by a couple of hairs. Neither one of those basses are what I would call "too bright" and I've used both to effectively play a variety of styles, including old-school soul and reggae. It's good to keep in mind, too, that the EQ on the 535s is pretty powerful (and that Andrew Gouché supposedly turns all of his EQ knobs up to full.
Thanks. Can you describe the tone of those two basses by comparing each other?
It's good to keep in mind, too, that the EQ on the 535s is pretty powerful (and that Andrew Gouché supposedly turns all of his EQ knobs up to full.
True statement. Watched it happen at the MTD booth at Summer NAMM and when he played live later that night. Killer tone, but if I did that, there would need to be an endless supply of speakers. That eq method and his touch have to work in tandem or it would sound like mud. So if your looking for a little more fullness just bump up the bass a reasonable amount on any 535 you can try and see if that is your sound. And talk to Mike.
Well, I'd say the ash/wenge is a little throatier sounding with a thicker sound when the G and D strings are popped (slap and pop) while the alder/rosewood is a bit more polite sounding (the slap sound is maybe a bit more "refined" sounding). I have to point out, however, that the ash/wenge bass I am talking about has the old MTD preamp that, by all accounts, sounds a bit thicker than the newer version. I had another ash/wenge 535 that sounded quite different from my older one. Could have been the preamp or it could have been the simple fact that no two basses are going to sound exactly alike. What actually sounded closer to that old ash/wenge bass was a black limba-bodied wenge/wenge 535 (although that bass sounded a little smoother and less throaty - a bit more elegant and "piano"-like). I think it's important to keep in mind that no matter what specs you choose, one can never fully predict how a bass is going to sound. You can try to stack the odds in your favour but, in the end, luck plays a significant role in how well the bass' sound matches up with what you were wanting.
[QUOTE="bass12, post: 17678304, member: 119528" I think it's important to keep in mind that no matter what specs you choose, one can never fully predict how a bass is going to sound. You can try to stack the odds in your favour but, in the end, luck plays a significant role in how well the bass' sound matches up with what you were wanting.[/QUOTE]
This is key....that's why it's preferred to get out and play a custom build if you are able...anything else ,even on a recommendation from Mike or anybody else is a bit of a dice roll...that's why you can find a pretty MTD in excellent condition in the classifieds with someone saying that they're chasing something else... If you can't try before you buy, do the crap out of your homework, pick the one with the specs that make the most sense, and hope for the best...
This is key....that's why it's preferred to get out and play a custom build if you are able...anything else ,even on a recommendation from Mike or anybody else is a bit of a dice roll...that's why you can find a pretty MTD in excellent condition in the classifieds with someone saying that they're chasing something else... If you can't try before you buy, do the crap out of your homework, pick the one with the specs that make the most sense, and hope for the best...
