A 6'er that feels like a 5'er!! Now that's what I need!! My 6'er feels like a 6'er.
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The Official MTD USA Thread
- Thread starter johnpaulbass
- Start date
Could be the name of the original owner. One of my older MTDs has the name of the original owner on the back of the control cavity cover (written by Mike). And, yes, the 635s are very playable sixes!
Yeah, thats what I first tought
I have had Yamaha TRB-II 6-string, Ibanez 6-string and cheapo Harley Benton 6-string basses and those always felt a little "clumsy" to me. This one feels like a home straight from the start!
That's how the 535 was for me. It was the first 5 string I picked up that I was immediately able to feel at home on and was then confident enough to take to a gig while leaving my four at home.Yeah, thats what I first tought
I have had Yamaha TRB-II 6-string, Ibanez 6-string and cheapo Harley Benton 6-string basses and those always felt a little "clumsy" to me. This one feels like a home straight from the start!
Nice! Theres something magical about Mike's necks. What I missed most about my 535 was the playability. Of course it had great sound and it resonated really well acoustic, but the neck was my favorite!
I feel that my 635 has warmer lows than the 535. The only difference being the ash neck. Do tops really change the tone much?
The tops on Mike's basses are quite thick so I would say they do influence the tone. How much they influence the tone I have no idea. Having owned eight or nine of Mike's basses as well as having played many at his shop I can say that each one, while definitely possessing a distinct MTD tone, sounds a bit different. This is a big part of the reason why I always find the tonewood debates that occur here on Talkbass interesting. For me there's absolutely no question that the wood makes a difference. On the other hand, I do find that the predictability factor of wood types and tone is not terribly reliable.
Yeah, maybe its the combo of rosewood top and ash neck that warms the bass a little bit. I have been actually reading this whole thread backwards today and going somewhere in page 320 LOL! All this tone-wood-talk is great!
Also I have learned so much about the electronics and stuff!
I actually have Fbass VF5 and BN5 with same wood combos and acoustically they sound really different, altough they are almost the same bass. So, wood matters and every bass still sounds different even with same woods! this is never ending quest for tone!
I've played a few MTDs with identical specs and they didn't sound the same. I think there are certain tonal tendencies where specific woods are concerned, but there are never any guarantees. Lots of good info in this thread over the years. I find it interesting to see the changeovers in terms of the folks who used to be really present and are no longer around.Yeah, maybe its the combo of rosewood top and ash neck that warms the bass a little bit. I have been actually reading this whole thread backwards today and going somewhere in page 320 LOL! All this tone-wood-talk is great!
Also I have learned so much about the electronics and stuff!
I actually have Fbass VF5 and BN5 with same wood combos and acoustically they sound really different, altough they are almost the same bass. So, wood matters and every bass still sounds different even with same woods! this is never ending quest for tone!
Very true what you say about tonewood being a definite factor but not totally predictable. My 534-24 is ash body, maple top, maple neck, and ebony board. While that sounds overly bright and aggressive on paper, it's actually quite warm with good clarity and bite. Love how it opened up! My Nebula 634-17 is bright for its wood combo.
..was thinking the same thing...and to add: I try to follow the newer MTD USA bass release pics (via Daniel T's Instagram) and have always assumed the eventual future owners of these great basses would join this thread...and then I could appreciate/learn from their personal comments, regarding their newest MTD acquisition. It seems as though very few "new" owners are on TB???
On the "keeper" side of things...been thru a few MTDs myself, getting to THE desired tone/feel. Pretty much settled on two "keepers" (AG634-24~Red Narra 534-24). I've been conscious of not wanting to "re-up" the same two basses (in other words...no NEW news...
)Bottom line...I personally find MTD USA's to be fantastic sounding/well-made basses, and just wish this thread was waaaaaaay more active!
It is surprising to find that this thread hasn't been active enough to breed Part 2. It's been ten years!..was thinking the same thing...and to add: I try to follow the newer MTD USA bass release pics (via Daniel T's Instagram) and have always assumed the eventual future owners of these great basses would join this thread...and then I could appreciate/learn from their personal comments, regarding their newest MTD acquisition. It seems as though very few "new" owners are on TB???
On the "keeper" side of things...been thru a few MTDs myself, getting to THE desired tone/feel. Pretty much settled on two "keepers" (AG634-24~Red Narra 534-24). I've been conscious of not wanting to "re-up" the same two basses (in other words...no NEW news...
Bottom line...I personally find MTD USA's to be fantastic sounding/well-made basses, and just wish this thread was waaaaaaay more active!
Threads are no longer divided after 1000 posts the way they used to be, so there will never be a Part 2.
First gig done with the new 635. I was playing thru Markbass TTE-501 and Markbass 1x15 designed for that amp. The bass sounded GREAT! It is alot warmer and doesnt have as much high-mids than my former 535. I just love that sweeeet MTD treble. It is there, doesnt "bother" anyone on the mix and cuts thru like knife when slapped! The gig was basic "party gig" with alot popular music. Panning a little bit to neck pickup really made the bass sound fat! But when slapping i used both pickups to get more modern sound.
I have seen alot MTD people using labella strings. I was checking those out and seems people use their nylon strings. Whats up with those? White nylon, bubby-signature ect. How those are compared to basic stainel steel strings? I have no clue about those strings but i am tempted to try out!
Just awfully curious, does Mike have any limits on the customization of a bass? As in, is customization of something such as the headstock off limits?
Well I was thinking more among the lines of a custom Tobias-esque headstock without catching a lawsuit from Gibson.
Mike is not really a custom luthier. He has specific designs and a list of options that you can choose from. If you have an idea about a design feature that Mike feels might be worth implementing (Norm Stockton asking him to make a more Jazz-like bass, for example) then he might oblige - or if you need something that he is interested in trying out and it doesn't change the identity of the bass significantly (he made someone a midi bass a while back, I think) then he might agree to give it a go. But I would think that the headstock design would not be negotiable. It wouldn't hurt to ask him though.
