Remember a lot has to do with strings too!
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The Official MTD USA Thread
- Thread starter johnpaulbass
- Start date
Remember a lot has to do with strings too!
Forgive me if this has been posted before in this thread but I thought this was a great article and more proof of how great a person Mr. Tobias is. And great that Daniel is there to carry on the legacy.
The Tobias Luthier Legacy: Building Basses and Giving Back
The Tobias Luthier Legacy: Building Basses and Giving Back
That’s a good point. I’m using the mtd strings that came with the bass.
Thanks for the link.
As many of us know, Mike is certainly a treasure to the bass world; and it is outstanding to see Daniel carrying on the tradition! Mike’s combination of talent, experience, and grace are special; and I’ve been most grateful for it.
All this talk about the pope preamp made me wonder what the actual difference is between the stock MTD and the pope preamp. Can someone give a rough comparison between the two and what the pope pre excels at vs the MTD?
My experience with the Super pickups and preamp in traditional 534 spacing is that I had to literally spend hours sitting down with the bass and turning knobs until I found the magic combo. A lot of the tones I wasn’t super in love with but when I found the giant jazz bass/hifi gospel tones that the instrument could provide i was amazed!
A concise description of the differences is that:
The Bartolini preamps tend to be articulate on the high end, “polite” in the mids and tight in the lows; all of which yields a somewhat compressed but interesting solo tone. I have personally found the circuits to be prone to being somewhat inconspicuous in R&B / R&R type mixes, while being engagingly distinct in more solo / small Jazz type ensembles..
The Pope preamp is a 4 band preamp, which is more open sounding across the spectrum, and more able to cop traditional bass tones; so more useful for my cover-ish gigs.
YMMV
More often than many are willing to admit (which is understandable as it can feel embarrassing to spend that kind of money and not be happy with it). IME many people (myself included) fall into 2 traps...
1.) They hear basses like Gouche's and think they are representative of the standard "MTD sound", when in fact they are not. (This one is an easy fix though as you just need to swap the stock preamp with an NTMB+F preamp)
2.) They think that because they are made by the same person that if they get the right cut of wood and figure out some "secret setting" that they can get them to sound like the old Tobias basses. The design and goals behind Mike's current electronics vs what was going on in the Tobias basses could not be more different in sound and function.
Mike and Daniel build amazing instruments, they are the best playing basses I've ever come across for the way I like to play and run my action. However, I had to go on a bit of a journey myself when it came to sorting the sound out after not getting on with the stock stuff.
Yes, as you and others have stated here, I think I will have to change the preamp. I also find that with my current build the highs are very articulate, more than I would like because I'm not a solo artist. My application would be more gospel and covers of multiple genres.
A few have mentioned the Pope preamp. I will research that option. Any other suggestions?
I can't necessarily recommend a specific preamp but I would think that a passive tone control might go a long way in helping you tame some of those unwanted highs. My Lull Jazz has a very pronounced top end. Rolling off the passive tone control (Sadowsky preamp) by around 80% really helps take the edge off. Just an idea.
This. I have two 535s, both with passive tone control added; works well to tame the highs. I've also changed the pickup heights to favor the neck pu a bit (a lot?) more and moved away from the MTD strings (now I mostly use Fat Beams).
^^^ Mike added a tone control knob to my latest MTD, and it’s extremely useful. Using both the treble and vtc knob’s, it’s much easier to dial in my desired top-end tone…
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I went with John East's Uni-Pre. Variable bass, treble and mid frequencies. Along with passive tone, all in 5 knob configuration.
Switching the pre might be what it takes to achieve the sound you’re going for. Strings, trim pot, etc should be explored, but if the tone shaping options onboard the bass aren’t doing it, other pieces in the chain can still make a huge impact. Preamp/DI pedals have become increasingly common and are much more convenient to try different varieties.
I’d like to point out that probably the most important pedal on my board is my diamond bass compressor. For years I was ignorant of compression and just thought having an awesome bass & awesome amp was all it took. When dialed in correctly it does so much for your sound, especially in a live setting.
Also, my super 5 just flat out sounds different from the hi fi active bass type tone so many of us have associated with the Tobias name. With an ebony board, the nasal midrange quality is a trait which is quite noticeable in contrast with my ash/walnut 535 and smith bt. Instead of trying to make it sound like something else I’ve embraced it & enjoy having a tone unlike any of the other bands we share the stage with.
I’d like to point out that probably the most important pedal on my board is my diamond bass compressor. For years I was ignorant of compression and just thought having an awesome bass & awesome amp was all it took. When dialed in correctly it does so much for your sound, especially in a live setting.
Also, my super 5 just flat out sounds different from the hi fi active bass type tone so many of us have associated with the Tobias name. With an ebony board, the nasal midrange quality is a trait which is quite noticeable in contrast with my ash/walnut 535 and smith bt. Instead of trying to make it sound like something else I’ve embraced it & enjoy having a tone unlike any of the other bands we share the stage with.
Oh heck yes!
Loving the onboard pre shots and added PTC!
can anyone with a 434/534 tell me what the pickup position measurements are from the zero fret? Curious if they are 60s-ish spacing…
I’m kicking around the idea of a 434 build with pickups in (roughly) MM/P or MM/J positions. And yes, I know MM and P overlap normally but that shouldn’t be an issue with soapbar shaped pups
Also, I want to piggy back on the number of posts extolling how great Michael and Daniel are. I’ve not spoken with Daniel, but Michael Tobias has never rushed me in any thought or conversation, and has been more than willing to work around what I wanted on past builds. I can’t say enough about what a pleasure it is to speak with him! I’m 100% sure the apple has not fallen far from the tree, and I know Michael Tobias is very quick to tell you how proud he is of his son. Coming from him, that’s all I need to know!
Loving the onboard pre shots and added PTC!
can anyone with a 434/534 tell me what the pickup position measurements are from the zero fret? Curious if they are 60s-ish spacing…
I’m kicking around the idea of a 434 build with pickups in (roughly) MM/P or MM/J positions. And yes, I know MM and P overlap normally but that shouldn’t be an issue with soapbar shaped pups
Also, I want to piggy back on the number of posts extolling how great Michael and Daniel are. I’ve not spoken with Daniel, but Michael Tobias has never rushed me in any thought or conversation, and has been more than willing to work around what I wanted on past builds. I can’t say enough about what a pleasure it is to speak with him! I’m 100% sure the apple has not fallen far from the tree, and I know Michael Tobias is very quick to tell you how proud he is of his son. Coming from him, that’s all I need to know!
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