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*SOLD* : MTD 535 (poplar, maple, wenge) *SOLD*


Gwilym
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Something has come up that requires some funding, so this is a feeler, and I may withdraw this if the other thing falls through.

£1900 + shipping + professionally packed. Collection preferred (West London). Packing the last bass i shipped cost £30 at Mailboxes Etc. Shipping to Europe via FedEx Economy through Interparcel was around £65, but max insurance cover was £1000.
Shipping through Mailboxes Etc was quite a bit more expensive £180 to £230 + VAT to Europe. Obviously would be a fair bit cheaper to the UK I imagine.

I'm letting this go because I have another 535 in a different wood combo (and has 24 frets), thats better suited to the music I play, although I have played this bass live, and it cuts through the mix very well, and sounds fantastic.

Pictures are courtesy of the Groove Shoppe (RIP) from where I bought the bass back in 2006 I think. The condition I would say is near mint - I take very good care of my gear. I can take additional photos if there are any seriously interested buyers out there, or you can come to see/try it out yourself.

I would consider trades on this, with cash either way if appropriate. However, I think if I were to trade it would have to be meet-up involved, rather than shipping. Preferred trades would be another MTD, a Smith (both either fretted or fretless), or fretless FBass. 5 string only on fretted, 5 or 6 for fretless.

[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535f_tn.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535hs.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535f2.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535b.jpg"][/url]
[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535b3.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535f.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/535.jpg"][/url]

So, here's the blurb from MT
[quote]Dear Customer,
Thank you for selecting this bass as your new instrument.
This is an MTD535. This is the 1189th bass of my MTD series. The serial number is xxxxxxxxxx
The body is poplar with a maple burl top. The neck is wenge with a wenge fingerboard. This bass is delivered with the revolutionary Buzz Feiten Tuning system. This system will show a great improvement in tuning when playing chords and when working with a keyboard and horns. I recommend the Korg DT7, tuner which has the “Feiten Mode” built in. Tuning is normal in every way except the intonation. The tuner has the pitch offsets burned into the chip and all you need to do is follow the simple instructions in the tuner manual to achieve the proper intonation settings.
This bass is 35" scale with 21 frets. The neck and body are hand finished with an epoxy base coat and catalyzed urethane topcoat. This should make a great feeling and durable finish. Upkeep on the finish is simple. This can be done with "Butchers Wax" (follow the directions on the can) or it can be cleaned and polished with any high quality guitar polish. The fingerboard should also be oiled regularly with a good quality wood oil or mineral oil. Be sure to wipe off the excess.
The new truss rod is a true double acting rod and will adjust in both directions. It is adjustable with the 4 mm Allen wrench supplied with this package.
The strings are MTD strings gauged: 045, .065, .085, .105, and .135. They are available through your dealer.
The pick-ups and active electronics are custom made by Bill Bartolini. The controls are: master volume and a pan pot, treble, mid, bass cut and boost, with center click (from neck to bridge). The three position switch selects the mid range cut and boost point. Down is lower mids (250); center is middle (500) and up is upper mids (1000). When the mid pot is at center click, the switch has minimal effect. This eq has 2 batteries and is a +/- 9 volt system. Be especially careful not to change the batteries when the bass is plugged in. There is a trim pot inside the control cavity to adjust the gain.
There is great variety in the settings of the EQ. The basses can be made to sound very traditional by cutting the mids all the way at 1000 and boosting the bass and treble to 10 with the blend pot at center. To me, this is the best slap tone. Boosting the mids at 250, with bass at 10 and treble at 9-10 with the blend pot on the bridge pick up gives the early Bartolini TCT tone. This offers a very percussive finger tone. These are just suggestions. Your tone will vary depending on your rig and technique.
I hope that this bass brings you many hours of enjoyment and playing satisfaction.
Best regards,

Michael Tobias, Luthier[/quote]

In email correspondance with MT he also stated:
[quote]The bass was made on 12/26/04[/quote]

I weighed it once and I think it was a touch over 8.5 lbs

Regarding the price if any one is interested:
Looking at the current price list, this would cost at least $5300 (4800 basic, 300 for the wenge neck and 200 for the matching headstock and truss-rod cover) new. As far as I'm aware though, the typical price through a dealer would be $4200 ish. Bottom line, to get a similar new bass into the UK from the US at the moment would set you back a cool £3500 (at least IMO).
Typcially a used bass like this will be in the $2800+ range, so around £2500, all in, to the UK - at thats before the Torys put up VAT! :rolleyes: So anyway, I think the price is fair, even though the economic climate is not.

Thats it for now thanks :)

G

Edited by Gwilym
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Everytime I've ever seen this bass, it calls my name!

Alas, if I were to buy it, I imagine my bank manager would also be calling me by name and asking me what the heck I thought I was doing!

An absolute beauty.

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i have to confirm gwilym is a top guy to deal with, i enjoy his mint fbass now ID mine :) Bass had the original string on it!.


He has 5 basses and play them all so i am sure this is in mint condition and top deal :rolleyes:

Edited by KERMITNT
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[quote name='molan' post='836975' date='May 14 2010, 10:58 AM']Wow this one is a beauty Gwil :rolleyes:

For anyone who doesn't know Gwil I have to say he's a top bloke who really knows his basses - everything he has is absolutely top drawer :lol:[/quote]

thanks! :lol:

[quote name='Rumble' post='837075' date='May 14 2010, 12:35 PM']Everytime I've ever seen this bass, it calls my name!

Alas, if I were to buy it, I imagine my bank manager would also be calling me by name and asking me what the heck I thought I was doing!

An absolute beauty.[/quote]

It's a beauty no doubt.


[quote name='owen' post='837172' date='May 14 2010, 02:13 PM']Gwil wants the 65 Jazz.[/quote]

has it got 5 strings? :lol:

[quote name='ashevans09' post='837179' date='May 14 2010, 02:17 PM']Jizzzzzzzz... lovely!

I miss the grooveshoppe. I got my 535 from them too :)

Lovely bass! Great price![/quote]

Yep, a shame they seem to be gone for good...


[quote name='chrkelly' post='838649' date='May 16 2010, 09:52 AM']Hi Gwilym, MTDs are amazing instruments. Just out of curiosity, what's your other MTD and how does this one differ soundwise? I've never played one in the classic wenge/poplar wood combo.[/quote]
hi Chris,
here's the pr0n thread on my other one: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=61071"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=61071[/url]
it's ash body/maple neck.
i think the poplar wenge is just naturally brighter. with nickel strings it sounds a lot closer to the ash/maple bass. There's defintely a MTD sound that is apparent in both of them, and I suppose that's the pickups and elecronics.
Some would say its a great bass for slapping, and it is, but I've only ever played it fingerstyle in a band, and it's always been spot on. I think I'm less inclined to go for that bightness of tone when I play (or rather have no need for it), and I like a more vintage slap tone than the modern hi-fi of the MTD. (I think the best slap tone I ever heard was on the old Wal Pro2e that I sold to silverfoxnik a few years back)
Anyway, you're welcome to come and try it for yourself if you want.
cheers!



[quote name='KERMITNT' post='838750' date='May 16 2010, 11:54 AM']i have to confirm gwilym is a top guy to deal with, i enjoy his mint fbass now ID mine :lol: Bass had the original string on it!.


He has 5 basses and play them all so i am sure this is in mint condition and top deal :lol:[/quote]

cheers Manos, glad to hear you're digging the F so much - it is a very sweet bass.

Edited by Gwilym
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  • 3 weeks later...

[quote name='leloupa' post='839473' date='May 17 2010, 08:27 AM']Lovely .. Almost too beautifull :)


good and honest price for one of the best basses on the market ![/quote]

thanks!

just a little bump - potentially still available for the right trade, or until my bass funds get back up to a decent level.

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[quote name='Stockholm Syndrome' post='864265' date='Jun 11 2010, 12:50 PM']What is the right trade? :)

I have a nice Modulus just waiting for a new owner... :rolleyes:[/quote]

hi! pretty much this:

[quote]I would consider trades on this, with cash either way if appropriate. However, I think if I were to trade it would have to be meet-up involved, rather than shipping. Preferred trades would be another MTD, a Smith (both either fretted or fretless), or fretless FBass. 5 string only on fretted, 5 or 6 for fretless.[/quote]

I've seen your Modulus around on the forum, and it does look very nice, however I'm not keen to trade by post for a number of reasons. Also, my main motivation for this sale is to get cash for a MTD fretless, so anything that comes my way in a trade is likely to be going straight out again.

I would be willing to trade for a bass + cash as long as I consider that the bass would be easy to move on. This probably means a 4 string bass, and where I get at least £1000 in cash, but again, I would be keen to play it before committing to a trade. Realistically, it limits a trade to a local deal.

cheers
Gwilym

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  • 1 month later...

I think I forgot to mention this comes in the branded MTD Zero-G case :)

EDIT: i think I'm looking for a sale only on this now. If anyone is seriously interested, I will entertain offers, so PM me if you're keen.

Edited by Gwilym
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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='KERMITNT' post='949531' date='Sep 8 2010, 03:41 PM']my friend have a bump from me :)[/quote]

thanks Manos :rolleyes: hope you're still digging the F?

I'm surprised there's been so little interest in this, I think it's fairly priced? It really does need to go to a good home now - my new MTD arrived a few weeks ago, and I can't justify having 2 of them, let alone 3. If this had 24 frets and the neck was as slim (it's a slightly deeper front-to-back) as the others I'd probably keep it.

So bump again for a great (or even fantastic!) bass.

I guess I'm open to trades, but if that happens then it pretty much has to be a local deal, and the basses should be what I'd consider to be easier to sell on (e.g. a 4 string Sadowsky or something in that vein), so no battered old basses (unless it's a pre-CBS Fender :lol: ), or anything where it'd be difficult to establish a market value.

So hit me with any offers etc - the worst I can do is say no.

As always, I'd prefer prospective buyers to try before they buy (West London), but I can (probably) ship in the UK/EU. I have a proper box to put it in now, so should be able to adequately package it without incurring the £30 cost at Mailboxes Etc.

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[quote name='Gwilym' post='950951' date='Sep 9 2010, 09:10 PM']thanks Manos :) hope you're still digging the F?[/quote]


I just change strings the sound is unbeatable, the best bass all around bass can been a very bad boy thnx again Gwilym


by the way i think this mtd is awsome i wish i didnt had the money

Edited by KERMITNT
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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='jayblaze' post='962740' date='Sep 20 2010, 09:22 PM']is this bass still up for grabs? the thing is all i have in return is a spector and a dingwall.

you want cash dont you?

how did you get this bass in the first place?[/quote]

hi Jay, yes I'm afraid I'm only looking for a sale, for a number of reasons. I bought it (used and) direct from the US a few years ago.

cheers
G

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  • 3 months later...

EDIT new photos taken and added 9/1/2011

[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1161.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1163.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1164.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1165.jpg"][/url]

[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1166.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1167.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1168.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1169.jpg"][/url]

[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1170.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1171.jpg"][/url]

Edited by Gwilym
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[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1173.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1174.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1175.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1176.jpg"][/url]

[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1177.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1178.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1179.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1180.jpg"][/url]

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[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1181.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1172.jpg"][/url] [url="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v722/Gwilym/MTD/DSC_1182.jpg"][/url]

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  • 5 weeks later...
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