Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) Hi, I recently played a Tobias Classic 5 at Mansons guitars about a month ago and really loved the bass. I would have bought the bass right there on the spod had it not been for a split to the neck/headtock. I know that the Tobias classic 5's are quite rare to find for sale so i probably wont go for that model. I have watched clips of Wal & MTD 535 bass guitars and really like them both . Each very different. I have never played any MTD 535's and the only Wal 5 string that i have played is owned by "chris b" which i really liked. My question is ................... Is there any Bass Chat members that have either or both of the two mentioned bass guitars that would be willing to let me come and try the instruments out? Best Regards Chris Edited March 13, 2012 by Chris Horton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hi Chris, if the Tobias has been repaired correctly the join will be stronger than the surrounding wood, so you should be safe. If you like the tone of a Musicman and Wal then I think an MTD would be the bass for you. I'm on the "Fender" side of the tone spectrum these days but I'd love to own an MTD 535. They are pure thoroughbreds. [font=Arial][size=2] [/size][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTB Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 PM sent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1331636882' post='1576161'] Hi Chris, if the Tobias has been repaired correctly the join will be stronger than the surrounding wood, so you should be safe. [/quote] Hi Chris, I know what you mean about strength but It was the"unknown" of the repair that put me off. I asked the sales guy how it had been repaired and he said that the crack / split was filled with superglue and lightly sanded back. I had no idea if this is standard practice repair on a through neck bass ? My concern was that could this split get larger with all of the normal stressrs of string tentions etc pulling on the neck ? I believe that as super glue dries it expands slightly and i wondered if the dried gule could act as a wedge and force the split to open up more ? I walked away as i didnt know enough about the technical / structural side of things. I do like the tone of the stingray , i have my rosewood fingerboard Stingray up for sale but i am going to keep the Maple fingerboard stingray as it has slightly more midrange bite and i cant keep them all wish i could. Thanks for your thoughts , very helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) I had a Wal mach 3 5 string fretless a few years ago, and now an MTD. I very briefly picked up a Wal Mach 2 at the Gallery a few months ago, and the neck felt like a baseball bat. I much prefer the ergonomics of the MTD. However, Mike Tobias carves the necks by hand, so the necks can be slighly different e.g. PTB's 535 used to be mine, and has a slightly thicker neck front-to-back than my 535. A couple of millimeters as I recall, but I prefer the slimmer neck. The other thing about MTD is that the sound can differ quite a lot depending on the woods in the bass. again, my ash/maple 535 has a much more pronounced mid-range compared to the poplar/wenge 535 I used to have. The other advantage of MTD is that you can probably get a nice used example cheaper than an exquivalent Wal, although it might mean importing it from the US. EDIT: I imagine that the MTD's sound quite different to the Tobias basses too, although I've never played one myself. Was the one at Mansons a "pre-Gibson"? Edited March 13, 2012 by Gwilym Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 The MTD 535 will have a very different feel next to the Wal and I would strongly recommend trying them out to see which one lends itself to you. When I bought my old MTD I had very little experience playing a bass with 19mm string spacing and it was something I did struggle with for quite some time, but I did eventually start to fly across the fingerboard with some persaverence. If you are used to narrow 5 string necks (around the 17-18mm mark) that little bit extra spacing does actually make quite a significant difference to the playability. Some guys adjust to it quickly...I didn't. I have never owed a Wal, but I have played my friends 5 string on plenty of occasions and it's a very, very fine instrument. It feels very reassuringly solid (if a little bit heavy) and sounds incredible...really really incredible! The feel is almost similar to a Warwick neck IMHO, if not just a tad thinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Gwilym' timestamp='1331641215' post='1576293'] I imagine that the MTD's sound quite different to the Tobias basses too, although I've never played one myself. Was the one at Mansons a "pre-Gibson"? [/quote] I am not sure , but the serial number is - 2291 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1331641646' post='1576309'] I am not sure , but the serial number is - 2291 [/quote] then no. more history here: http://mtdbass.com/pages/company.html by the way, I just sent you a PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Gwilym' timestamp='1331641215' post='1576293'] The other thing about MTD is that the sound can differ quite a lot depending on the woods in the bass. again, my ash/maple 535 has a much more pronounced mid-range compared to the poplar/wenge 535 I used to have. [/quote] Thats what i have heard , thats why i wanted to try one out "in the flesh" as it were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Gwilym' timestamp='1331641215' post='1576293'] The other advantage of MTD is that you can probably get a nice used example cheaper than an exquivalent Wal, although it might mean importing it from the US. [/quote] I have thought about importing a bass but feel very nervous as i could end up with a bass tone that was not for me. I think that trying some out will really help to find out what i do and dont like tonally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1331641424' post='1576302'] The MTD 535 will have a very different feel next to the Wal and I would strongly recommend trying them out to see which one lends itself to you. When I bought my old MTD I had very little experience playing a bass with 19mm string spacing and it was something I did struggle with for quite some time, but I did eventually start to fly across the fingerboard with some persaverence. [/quote] That is a good point too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Is there any tonal gain in an MTD with an exotic wood top or is it just a personal cosmetic taste ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1331645954' post='1576451'] Is there any tonal gain in an MTD with an exotic wood top or is it just a personal cosmetic taste ? [/quote] Maybe a bit of both...depends. Pretty tops don't necessarily mean pretty tone. I chose a myrtle burr top for my bass which was jaw dropping gorgeous, but Mike told me that wood has very little tonal character and just recommended to have a 2mm thick top on the ash (got a similar thing going on with my current Shuker build). Tops can contribute to the tone if they are thick enough, such as maple, walnut, cocobolo, lacewood, rosewood etc… Some builders prefer to use laminates for cosmetic value rather that tone generators, but it is also common to use timber combo’s for tone production by using them as wings rather than top and back laminates…sometimes use both methods (Sei basses are a good example). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thanks shizznit, Just looked on the Bass Central websire and i really like the look of the ............ [b][u]MTD 535 Dark Cherry Sunburst / Wenge[/u][/b] It is the 12'th bass from the top of the 5 string section. very tasty. i love the colour. I would love to play the bass but can't justify the plane ticket ........ unless i bring the bass back with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1331651624' post='1576575'] Thanks shizznit, Just looked on the Bass Central websire and i really like the look of the ............ [b][u]MTD 535 Dark Cherry Sunburst / Wenge[/u][/b] It is the 12'th bass from the top of the 5 string section. very tasty. i love the colour. I would love to play the bass but can't justify the plane ticket ........ unless i bring the bass back with me [/quote] nice, but I would love to try this one: [b][url=""][/url][/b] [b][u]MTD 535 Tortoise Burst[/u][/b] 24 Frets, Red Heart Quilt Top On Makore Body, Maple Neck-Rosewood Board, Matching Headstock, Matching Truss Rod Cover To Body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1331651624' post='1576575'] Thanks shizznit, Just looked on the Bass Central websire and i really like the look of the ............ [b][u]MTD 535 Dark Cherry Sunburst / Wenge[/u][/b] It is the 12'th bass from the top of the 5 string section. very tasty. i love the colour. I would love to play the bass but can't justify the plane ticket ........ unless i bring the bass back with me [/quote] Ooooo!!!! You have very fine taste indeed sir! The Buckeye Burl/Ash 21 fret one just below looks very similar to the one I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) Hehe! Just saw the 'Dennis Rodman' bass at the bottom of the page! Edited March 13, 2012 by shizznit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='Gwilym' timestamp='1331652921' post='1576612'] nice, but I would love to try this one: [b][/b] [b][u]MTD 535 Tortoise Burst[/u][/b] 24 Frets, Red Heart Quilt Top On Makore Body, Maple Neck-Rosewood Board, Matching Headstock, Matching Truss Rod Cover To Body [/quote] That looks super tasty based on the types of wood etc on the bass , what sort of tone would you expect to get from this bass ? I think that i am sold on a rosewood fretboard but the rest is still undecided Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) Just to balance things up... [url="http://www.walbasses.co.uk/Gallery?img_id=110&gallery=17"]Wal 5 String Fretless[/url] Ding-dong!! Edited March 13, 2012 by shizznit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 [quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1331654172' post='1576645'] Just to balance things up... [url="http://www.walbasses.co.uk/Gallery?img_id=110&gallery=17"]Wal 5 String Fretless[/url] Ding-dong!! [/quote] Thats better I was starting to think this was a little one sided Beautiful bass , it's a shame i can't play a fretless. I would have to go for a fretted Wall ......................................i know , don't kick me all at once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 [quote name='Chris Horton' timestamp='1331655232' post='1576667'] Thats better I was starting to think this was a little one sided Beautiful bass , it's a shame i can't play a fretless. I would have to go for a fretted Wall ......................................i know , don't kick me all at once [/quote] Don't worry...I'm useless on a fretless too! Just can't get over it Weirdly, DB...not a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Horton Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 I am glad that it is not just me then Here is a clip thet i found on youtube , this is the kind if thing that i am after - [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4RF_Dap_kM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4RF_Dap_kM[/url] I would love to see what the low B string is like and what variety of tones you can get out of the bass. I wonder if a walm , smooth tone can be achieved ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 There a some sound clips here [url=http://www.basssandiego.com/mtdbass.html]http://www.basssandiego.com/mtdbass.html[/url] of various MTDs which might be of some help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shizznit Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 My MTD 535 was quite a perky bass by design because of the timbers I chose. Mike Tobias is very good at honing in on what the player wants to expect from the basses that he builds and has an incredibly nerdy knowledge of what tone woods combination sounds best…even when it comes down to scale lengths! I would argue that Mike needs to get out a bit more, but you won’t find another bloke who has such in depth knowledge and experience about bass construction. Whether you want a hi-fi tone, a warm traditional tone, a bright and lively tone, an earthy flat tone…whatever you want…Mike will have a good idea on how to achieve that. You really do have the ‘blank canvas’ experience when ordering a MTD. I have never had the pleasure of chatting with the guys at Wal, but I have heard that they are good lads to deal with and also have a heck of a lot of experience and knowledge too. Much like Alembic and Status, they like to focus on electronics quite a lot and they design and produce one of the best active preamps I have ever heard and their hand-made pickups are as good as Ken Smith’s. In a nutshell, Wal and MTD are great basses and neither is better than the other because the build quality and customer service is second to none. However, in my opinion they are quite different animals, most notably in feel, construction and electronics package. My personal preference? Now that I have had the experience of living with an MTD I would have to say if I had to pick either that or a Wal I would go for the Wal. The MTD served me very well and sounded incredible…by far the best bass I think I will ever own, but the wide string spacing became quite uncomfortable for me after playing for long periods (i.e. long studio sessions). Because the bass was oil finished I didn’t like playing it live because I sweat quite a bit and I didn’t want to ruin the finish. In the end it became a piece of furniture to show off to my muso mates when they visited the house and that really bugged me, hence why I sold it to a friend that had a crush on it over the past several years. I think a Wal would suit me better in the long run for all those reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwilym Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 And I almost forgot, [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/168984-some-recordings-mtd-535-content/"]this thread here[/url] has a link to demo tracks that were recorded with my ash/maple 535 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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