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Reviews of my Level 5s. The customer is always
right!
Hi Matt, I just left you a message on the
answering machine about the bass. Again,thank you for doing such
a wonderful job! This thing is positively beautiful! I just got
through playing it, and it is better than what I expected.I decided
I'm going to play it passive,since I never used the tone controls
on my MM basses anyway.I thought about using the active setting
with a preset tone of some kind, like a slap contour. or something
like that.The weight? It feels like it weighs half as much as
my old SR5.The balance is nothing short of perfect. I particularly
like the position of the rear strap button.It puts the bass at
the perfect playing position.This is imho, the perfect 5 string
bass. Now, all i need is one like it in a fretless, and maybe
a 4 string.I have an idea for a fretless already.Cocobola top,matching
headstock,either 2 Aero pups,or a MM pup moved a bit further
back than the typical mm position,and an unlined ebony or pao
ferro fingerboard.That would be a nice fretless.I'll be calling
after the first of the year to talk about it.Again, thank you
so much, you just made me a very happy bass player. I will be
posting pictures of it on a couple of the bass player bulletin
boards today or tomorrow.There are several bassist out there
that are waiting for pics on this bass.Hopefully you get a few
more orders! Thanks so much again.If you ever come to Atlanta,look
me up. Mike Wilkes.
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Hello Matt,
I just wanted to drop you a line of thanks
for making a great bass. I came
about my Level 5 in a round about way so I need to appoligize
for not
purchasing it direct from you. I have been laid off for 6 months
and money
has been tight but when the guitar center in Indianapolis took
in one of
your basses ( Serial number 5101) I jumped all over it. Traded
my Pedulla
MVP 5 for it. I have no idea of it's history but it plays great.
When work
calls me back ( cross my fingers) I plan on being a member of
the 3 MPG
club.
Thanks and God bless,
David Cochran
Dayton, Ohio
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Matt,
I've been playing the bass most of the evening.
It sounds great,
balances well and looks absolutely amazing. I really like the
tilt back
headstock. Gives it a higher-end look, IMHO. If I had to bitch
about
anything, I would have preferred brass inserts for the cavity
control.
Then again, after peeking inside, I will probably never look
in there again.
The bass definitely exceeds my expectations
and I was expecting a lot.
Thanks again for a killer bass!
Rich
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Hey Matt,
I know I said it before but THANK YOU! The
bass is superb. I played a
gig last week where 4 bands shared the stage one after the other
and my bass
(next to a Tobias, Fender and Tyler) had the best tone out of
all of them.
Thanks again for the great service. If anyone
ever needs a testimonial, let
me know, I'll be glad to speak or write to them.
Saving my pennies for a new bass from you.
Brian Tong
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Doug Mason from Canada with his trusty Level 5.
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Hello Matt,
I've received the bass yesterday. Its awesome!
That would definitely be my
main axe now. I was surprised at how light it was. When I first
lift the
box, I thought "Hey, is there really a bass inside here??".
The balance is
great, so is the neck. Not to mention the sweepable mids, lotsa
nice tones.
I love the case too. The setup is just nice for me. Thanks for
the T-Shirt !
Thanks.
Regards,
Zachy Farez
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Matt,
The bass arrived a day early! It is FABULOUS!
I have been playing it since
this afternoon, and it is like I'm dreaming. The functionality
of your
design is outstanding! ...and the TONE. It really IS like I'm
dreaming. You
have got a customer for life! There really is no other bass that
I have ever
seen that incorporates all the detail and artistry in such a
rock solid
package! Please accept my heartfelt thanks.
Sincerely,
S. C.
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Matt--It's been about a year now since I bought
this bass and I thought I'd
just drop you a quick note about it.
You'll recall that I didn't have much experience
when I bought your bass.
Well, I've been taking lessons for the past few months. I'm no
prodigy, and
I don't think I'll quit my day job to start gigging, but I have
really
enjoyed learning and playing this bass guitar.
Everyone who has seen it and played it can't
believe how great the sound is.
One guy wanted to buy it on the spot! ('Sorry', I said, 'It's
not for
sale'.) I still don't know much about the capability of this
bass because
of my limited skill, but every time I learn something new, the
bass sounds
fantastic doing it.
One more quick comment. The "artsmanship"--that
is, the craftsmanship, the
materials used, the attention to details on the bass--are outstanding.
Those people who don't play bass look at this, hold it, feel
the surfaces
and just smile. Their comment is something like 'it doesn't matter
how it
sounds, it looks good just sitting in the room'.
Thanks for a great bass!
D . S.
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Matt,
I have to say that this is better than my
first. Lakland who? You have
truly outdone yourself on this instrument. The electronics and
pickup
configuration are flawless and the tone is destructively smooth
and fat.
I swear there is no reason to buy basses from anyone else.
Next up will be a Level 6, but I must sell
off my Modulus first. I tell
the guys at Bass Northwest about you every time I talk to them
- I think
the world needs to know the kind of incredible instruments this
cat in PA
is making for people.
Thanks for making such a killer instrument
for me - the finish is exactly
what I had in mind too- tealburst over quilt - so pretty it looks
like
water.
Happy 2nd Level 5 to me!!
-Steve
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Matt,
This is a little late in comming, sorry. The
new bass you built for me is
fantastic!!!! The cocobolo fretboard with the pearl white is
very striking!!
The sound of this bass is very middy, when set flat, but the
beauty of the
eletronics is that you can dail in any sound that you want, which
makes it
very versitial. The neck is smooth as silk and very comfortable
to play.
This is the first time that I have been able to play and not
get hand
cramps. The set up was perfect for my style of playing. All of
the strings
come through very clear including the low B. I never though I
would like a
five string, But I just love yours, very confortable on the shoulder
and
easy to play, along with great service and craftsmanship. Thanks
Matt....When I get ready to buy another one I will be calling
Stephen Damron
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Hi Matt,
I have been admiring your basses for some
time and now here I was finally
unpacking one and because I have never had one of yours in my
hands I was
very excited and anxious to try it out.
When I opened the case I became immediately
aware that the pictures on the
web site, do in no way represent the full spectrum of the woods
beauty! And
it's one piece top of Spalted Maple, not book matched and splendid
in all
it's Spalted swirls and textures combined with some really nice
Alder on the
back, the body is much better than I expected! The matching peg
head
lamination is very classy by the way, keep up the nice touches
as they make
a difference.The fingerboard is a thick piece of Ebony that is
like
chocolate on the Maple neck. No scrimpimg here folks and the
fret job is
superb with a good neck body joint to boot, once again I am impressed.
This Bass has joined a collection of 14 Basses
that includes some very tough
company, that includes Roscoe's, Ken Smith, Sukop, Rick Turner,
Vintage
Fender, Fodera and a few others. I won't mention all the others
that I have
had the pleasure of owning in my 30 year career as Bassist and
Bandleader. I
have played and owned Alembic's to Zon's and many, many Basses
in between. I
would consider myself to be one of your most critical buyers.
So let's move
on to why I choose one of yours.
First the explanations for your concept and
design make sense to a musician
that has to go out and play for 4 sometimes 5 hours at a time,
on a regular
basis. As for me the first 5 to 10 minutes of playing an instrument
tell me
whether or not I can feel a seamless quality between my mental
process and
the manipulation of the instrument itself. Without that comfort
level there
is no point in going any further, forget whose pickups and what
woods we
have chosen, as it does not matter, if my thoughts are drawn
to the
challenged ergonomics of an improperly designed instrument. Your
Bass feels
great and immediately comfortable with a feeling of
substance to it. It greets you with a hug like your best friend
when you
strap it on. Boy was I thankful for that!
Now on mine we have the Aero passive JJ pickups
and they are as you
described very alive and sounding like a vintage Fender. But
there is more
to this Bass and the dimensions I think are playing a role in
it's full
voice that speaks with authority and presence. Good slap tone
too! I have
been playing the Bass for two days straight almost, comparing
it to some of
my best examples in my collection and time and time again I find
that my new
level 5 is holding it's own and sounding as good as any I have.
It's voice
is very useful and it sits great in a mix. I will take it out
on the
upcoming gigs for sure. The more I play this Bass the more I
like it and we
are becoming fast friends.
I will be getting another one in the future
and we can talk about that when
you schedule opens up again. This is my update and I felt that
I needed to
tell you how pleased I am with the Level 5. I just needed to
stop playing it
for a while so that I could send you this e - mail!!
Thanks Matt!!
John Faison Bassist / Bandleader "The Express Band"
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Matt,
Just a note to let you know how much I truly appreciate the wonderful
craftsmanship, not to mention artistry of design, that went into
the
creation of my new bass. The design, playability, and sound quality
are all
the best that I have encountered anywhere.
Just as an aside, the "Shoreline Gold" finish is exactly
what I had
in mind- this bass actually looks much better than I ever could
have
imagined!
Many thanks,
Michael Fiorino,
Chicago Freelance Bassist
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Matt,
I was very apprehensive about purchasing your
bass solely on what I read on
your website. That is partially why it took me three months to
decide to
order it. My wife and friends thought that I was crazy for ordering
a bass
that I hadn't played, especially because I'm very particular
about what I
buy when it comes to my music. I was very skeptical and apprehensive
when I
opened the case so I examined the bass thoroughly. I was more
than prepared
to ship it back if it wasn't up to my expectations.
In a nutshell: I was impressed with it's sound
and versatility immediately.
True to my requests from you, I am quickly able to dial in my
"Jacoish" jazz
sound, and I am just as quickly able to switch to a killer slap
sound,
especially when using the slap contour setting. The bottom end
on ballads
is round and pure, and the low B is just as usable as the other
strings
unlike most of the other basses that I have played. The more
I play it, the
more I like it. After playing two gigs and two rehearsals with
it, I am
just beginning to explore all of the possible sounds that I can
produce with
your bass. It is very nice and I'm very satisfied. And as others
have
said, the musicians that I perform with noticed quickly that
I had become a
better bass player for some reason.
Thanks for a fine product,
C. D.
Sacramento, CA
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Hi Matt!
I have just become the proud owner of Level5
#2500. This is in addition to
the Dark Cherry burst #3000 I bought from you last year. I got
#2500 in a
trade from the Bass Palace(great guys). It is every bit as impressive
as
#3000!
I'm just dropping this note to thank you again
for designing and building
such an excellent instrument. For what it's worth, I am the author
of the
recommendation you found on the web that is quoted on your reviews
page. I
have liquidated my collection of Tobias 5 string instruments
since I have
begun playing your basses. This choice of action was aided and
abetted by
my bandmates specifically requesting I bring the Level 5 after
they had
heard it. The first time I played the Level5 at a rehearsal,
the
leader/guitarist of my band Third Degree(an "old school"
blues/60s R&B
band) made a point of asking if I had a new bass, and commenting
that it
sounds incredible. The few times I brought another instrument
to a gig or
rehearsal, bandmates asked why I wasn't playing the
Pulcinella...fortunately, I always bring it along as well. Goodbye
Tobiases......
Milan
Hawaii
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BEST LETTER AWARD!
Matt,
I cannot begin to explain to you how amazing
this bass is. I opened it
around 3pm, played it a little, admired the construction and
appearance,
then put it away for rehearsal.
And I just got back from rehearsal. Your bass
is nuts, Matt. Nuts. I
haven't had to work so little to play a bass in so long, that
I think I
truly lost the sense of joy that comes from an instrument so
well made
that it becomes effortless to play. Yours is it. It balances
in a way
no bass I've ever owned has, and let me give you the list:
Warwick
Roscoe
Warrior
Ernie Ball
Zon
Modulus
Frenandes
Carvin
Do you understand what that's like? To put
on a bass and use your left
hand to intonate, not hold the bass neck up? My right hand fits
in
just the right position, and I can move it anywhere from the
bridge to
the neck for whatever tone I want without compromising the way
the bass
fits my body. And it is light!! I just got done playing from
8pm-11pm. That's 3 hours of straight playing with no shoulder
pain and
no hand fatigue (you know, when you play and then shake your
hands out
from the cramped muscles?). And it's dead quiet!! No noise! It's
unholy, I have to work less to play this instrument - it is the
best bass I
have
ever played or owned - ever. My only wish is that I discovered
you sooner.
I think that what I am going to do is this:
I am going to sell off my
other basses one by one, buy one more Level 5 (I think in the
brightest, kitchen gloss white possible - that would be deeply
funky)
and then call it a day. Thank you so much for making this bass
for me.
It is stunning - in sound, comfort, weight, appearance, and did
I
mention sound?
THANK YOU MATT!!!
-Steve
Harrisonburg, VA
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Matt:
Know this is overdue but wanted to let you know that the Level
5 is just
incredible. Versatile tone and plays like a dream. The birdseye
on the
maple neck is beautiful - my bandmate's jaws dropped when I brought
it in.
thx again
P.G.
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Matt,
This is one of the most beautiful basses i
have ever seen....It is
perfect!!!!!
Opening that case was one of the best feelings i ever had..
thank you so much.
2 Days Later,,,
just played a show with it.......
this bass goes way past the expectations i had.....
you created a bass so perfect, i want no other luthier for a
bass.
I had the treble flat, low mids all the way up, bass boosted
slightly, both
pickups wide open, funk tone from heaven, slap tone was crushing.
when i first plugged it sounded so damn good,
everything was perfect,
THEN I SWITCHED TO ACTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I melted at the B strings depth
Comfortable as hell......even more so than the Tobias
Thank you again for the great service and
producing an even better product.
A.P.
Castle Shannon, PA
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Awsome!!! If you are into Lakland's or Sadowsky's
check out one of Matt's
basses. With the bassline pickups and electronics it sounds like
a cross
between a 70's Jazz and a MusicMan Sabre and with a 35"
scale the B is as
tight as it gets. On top of all of this Matt incorperates tons
of other
modern features but retains a vintage vibe. For the money it
is the world's
best 5 string.
Mike B.
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You really have done a great job putting this
together, the workmanship is
flawless and I agree that it looks great too. I had a good bass
(Carvin)
that matches the same description as the Level 5, but there is
no comparison
in the tonal quality. The Level 5 is so much more responsive
and detailed.
Mine is also totally quiet which the Sadowsky I played was not.
I like
having essentially 5 kinds of EQ onboard, but find that I like
the sound
best set flat with the bass up almost all the way. I also appreciate
that
you did a quality set up, the action was just how I like it.
Another big plus for me is the tightness of
the low B string performance. It
is the same volume and tonal characteristics as the other stings
making it
very usable. I was hesitant to play notes on the B sting of my
previous bass
as they were boomy and dull sounding, I really was not playing
five strings.
I feel like now I will use all five strings with confidence as
they were
meant to be.
Big Al
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.modernamericanmusic.com
Downloadable MP3s of Al's songs. Some of which were recorded
with his Level
5.
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Matt, I just want to thank you for a superb
instrument. The guys in my band
are awe struck. It sounds so sweet coming through my Eden rig.
I told that
guy you gave my email address to, that he couldn't go wrong with
you. I am
very impressed. I have a friend who works for Keith Roscoe, I
don't know if
you have heard of him, but he makes awesome stuff, with very
high prices. He
played my Level 5 and could not believe the sound. Even unplugged,
it sounds
like butter. Again, thank you and I will be looking foward to
the finished
J-style bass.
B. W.
North Carolina
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When I first read Matt's mission statement
if you will, I was looking for a
new 5-string bass. After considering the possibility, if
he is not full of
hot air, than this was a dream come true, for a bass to be custom
-built at
this price, was unbelievable. Ordinarily thru other custom builders,
they
would charge at least $3000.00 dollars.
Well I took the chance and and
bought Matt's Level-5, and I am so glad
I did. The ballance of the bass is wonderful, I can play it all
nite, and my
shoulder is not killing me, as for the tone I had Matt install
the EMG
pickups as well as there BQS electronics.
All in all it is the best $1349.00 I
have ever spent on a bass.
Thanks Matt.
Don Hacker.
Dallas Ga.
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Matt,
Wow! It looks great, feels great, plays great & sounds great!
I couldn't be
more pleased.
Thanks for your hard work,
Kerry
Townsend, TN
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A couple of thoughts on my new MPG Level 5.
I was concerned about buying the bass without playing it, but
was convinced
by what you had said on your webpage. I got the bass
on Wednesday as you
promised which I appreciated. My concerns disappeared when
I opened the
case. Very cool! The thing even smelled good!
I didn't get a chance to
play it until Friday night when we played. The new bass
is awesome (the
guitar player and drummer concurred.) The sound is clear,
the low B is
tight. The string spacing was wider than what I was playing
before, but
after playing it for that night it actually seemed easier.
I am very happy
with your product and service.
The idea of calling on the cell phone from the mountains near
Guinnison
while driving, ordering the bass, and having it show up when
you said and be
even better that what I expected, makes me a happy customer.
I will
recommend you and your basses. I look forward to doing
business with you
again.
D. R.
Grand Junction, CO
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