XB26354 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Hi all, Just thought I'd post some pics of my new MTD 635-24. I recently picked this up used for a great price. It dates from 2003, has a swamp ash body, wenge liner, figured maple top and wenge neck and board. The top looks fantastic, with figured, quilt and spalted elements. Wenge neck grain is amazing too... Weight is medium - I'd guess around 10lbs. Tone is to die for!! Seriously the best bass I have ever owned. Tone is quite hard, but tons of woodiness, a ridiculously tight B (Think Warwick Thumb), very even bottom to top. The shape of the body and neck is so comfortable that issues I have had with ergonomics on other basses vanish. String spacing is neither tight like an Ibanez nor wide like a Warwick Streamer but the faster you play (and the better you can play!) the more it rewards you. Chords have a lovely full sound, almost like a classical guitar. I'm mystified what the Buzz Feiten actually does to this bass as the zero fret is perpendicular to the strings - the nut just acts as a string guide. All in all a wicked bass that shines in any style Cheers Mat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray5 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Very nice indeed! I totally love the contrasting neck and body. And the grain on both parts looks fab. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Looks great! Very underrated basses these MTDs.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 looks lovely, i love the look and feel of a wenge neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogerio Rosario Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 What strings spacing ate the Bridge ? 18 or 19mm ?? [url="http://www.MakeMusicNews.com"]www.MakeMusicNews.com[/url] n Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Fantastic! My favourite basses bar my own and that is exactly the sort I'd want. I have the same wood combo (bar the maple top) on my RIM Custom 5: I believe the Buzz Feiten system just spaces the nut and frets slightly differently to compensate for the greater change in static tension when you fret in the lower positions, hence everything's still perpendicular. Cunning. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 MTD's are always fantastic quality. Great catch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 18mm at the bridge. Ash and wenge seem to be a great tonal combination. The neck and headstock are really thin and, together with the Hipshot Ultralites, means balance is spot on. Also it has the first Bartolini PU and electronics I've really liked. The only bass I would get next is... another MTD (Josh where are you!!). Luckily this and the Warwick has put my GAS to bed... for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='469266' date='Apr 22 2009, 08:34 AM']I believe the Buzz Feiten system just spaces the nut and frets slightly differently to compensate for the greater change in static tension when you fret in the lower positions, hence everything's still perpendicular. Cunning. Alex[/quote] Really? I looked on the website and their retrofit kit uses a nut with staggered nut slots. Perhaps when instrument builders build it in they play with the fret/nut measurements. I must say I like the zero fret - allows a lovely low action with exactly the same camber as the frets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 [quote name='XB26354' post='471025' date='Apr 23 2009, 07:24 PM']The only bass I would get next is... another MTD (Josh where are you!!).[/quote] We are Elite. I'm always near when an MTD is afoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Nice. Very, very nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Cheers! Every time I look at that top on your MTD Josh I get this terrible pang of envy! What's the ash neck like compared to a maple neck. Michael says on his website that it's half way between maple and wenge... never understood all this talk of MTD's being unforgiving of sloppy technique - mine just eats it up whether you play lightly with floating thumb or dig in hard. It's not clinical or particularly active-sounding either. The eq is really powerful and can radically change the tone - and the pan actually pans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) [quote]Cheers! Every time I look at that top on your MTD Josh I get this terrible pang of envy! What's the ash neck like compared to a maple neck. Michael says on his website that it's half way between maple and wenge...[/quote] I'd say Mikes right about Ash being the in-betweener, it's not as harsh as Wenge and certainly not as smooth (tonewise) as Maple and really just gives the bass a unique cutting tone. The best way to describe the tone would be it is incredibly warm and modern whilst having the guts to stand out in any mix. [quote]Never understood all this talk of MTD's being unforgiving of sloppy technique - mine just eats it up whether you play lightly with floating thumb or dig in hard.[/quote] I haven't really heard that myself to be honest, but either way it's helped me refine my technique further, it's stupidly easy to play. Edited April 24, 2009 by Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Sounds lovely! I read a Bass Player 5-string shootout where the testers mentioned the MTD was quite hard and unforgiving of sloppy technique. Wouldn't know . Haha, seriously, My experience is like yours - the more you give, the more you get back out. Even though Wenge is the hardest neck wood commonly used I don't find the tone has too much of an edge - perhaps the warmth of the custom wound Barts even things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 [quote name='XB26354' post='471936' date='Apr 24 2009, 11:02 PM']Sounds lovely! I read a Bass Player 5-string shootout where the testers mentioned the MTD was quite hard and unforgiving of sloppy technique. Wouldn't know . Haha, seriously, My experience is like yours - the more you give, the more you get back out. Even though Wenge is the hardest neck wood commonly used I don't find the tone has too much of an edge - perhaps the warmth of the custom wound Barts even things out.[/quote] I'd love to try a wenge necked MTD, I love Warwick's so no doubt the tone would be something else altogether, in a good way of course, it's a shame you don't live to close to here, you'd be more than welcome to come and have a noodle on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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