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Matt's Opinion Page
Signature Models?
You must have seen them, they're everywhere.
They're signature models, and they coming to get you!!! You might
have a signature model named after you right now and not even
know it!!!!! After all, you're probably as famous as most of
the dudes who do have signature model instruments, right? Ok,
OK, some are legit, but most are ridiculus. There's even a acoustic
named after Crosby Stills and Nash's manager. Huh?
Even worse than obscure signature models are
meaningless magazine ads featuring two-bit musicians with their
angry, threatening stares and tattooed arms as they hold thier
bass down around their knees. They are usually pictured all sweaty
and tired after a night of tuning down to C and playing root
notes. Yeah!
A few years ago I, thought of getting friends of mine to pose
for phony ads holding MPG basses with made-up headlines like,
"Eddie Riddle from Bloodbath plays MPG" or "Jacketman
from Deathsword Suzy on stage with MPG" and placing the
ads in Bass Player, just to see if anyone cared that their was
no band by that name featuring that guy. Then, I added up how
much that inside joke would cost me and I abandoned the idea.
Perhaps even more tragic is "legitimacy
photos" on guitar builders's websites with them and famous
people they hassle at the NAMM show for a photo. People who have
nothing to do with their company. If I bug Victor Wooten for
a photo as he's walking by, does that really boost my credibility
as a builder? Some people must think so.
The moral of the story is, dishonesty, in
any form, usually comes back to bite you. At the very least,
it makes you delusional.
34 or 35?
Scale length -- the "speaking"
length of the string, from bridge to nut.
Since scale length is one of the more important
choices in the custom bass world, I thought I'd offer my perspective
as a player and builder. For the sake of this discussion, I'm
only going to talk about 34" and 35" scales since that's
what I build, and that's what I get questioned about the most.
34" is the most common bass scale length,
thanks to Leo Fender and his associates in the early fifties
who designed the first electric bass guitars. To most players,
myself included, this is the most comfortable and best sounding
scale length, probably because we all learned to play on a 34"
bass. Also, most of the bass heroes of yesteryear played 34"
basses and we try to copy their sound. 35" basses do not
sound like 34" basses. Its like a Fender guitar scale length(25.5)
versus a Gibson guitar (24.625). You can tell the difference
right away and there's nothing you can do about it.
35" scale basses were popularized by
Modulus basses in the 80'ssome of the best basses ever in
my opinion. A bass player himself, Modulus founder, Geoff Gould
developed molded necks made of graphite composite that were so
strong, they didn't need a truss rod. At the same time, he introduced
the 35" scale length, said to add sustain and string tension.
"Compare the bass notes played on a 12ft grand piano versus
the same note played on an upright piano. Its the same note,
but the longer strings have a bigger sound." 5-string players
gravitated toward 35" basses because it was believed that
the low B string would be tighter and more focused. 35"
basses do have a bigger sound but they don't have the growl of
a 34" bass, they just don't. If you want to sound like Jaco,
don't get a 35" bass, get a 34. 35" basses sound like
35" basses and a lot of people like the big, even sound.
That's why I now make my Level 5s in 34" or 35". Its
up to you to choose the scale length that gives you your sound
and don't worry about the B string. All basses, 34", 35"
or even a 42" upright basses all have similar string tension
when tuned to pitch so the B string will be same. If you've played
basses with floppy or dead soundign low B, something else was
wrong, its not the scale length. And don't worry about what bass
magazines or those clowns on internet forums say, heck, don't
even trust me, try different basses and decide for yourself.
If you ask me to help you choose, I'll just suggest something
I have made already... Ha!
Now you know why some builders make 34.5"
basses and 25" guitars, they're trying to split the difference,
but trying to make everyone happy usually winds up making no
one happy.
While I'm destroying myths, I'd like to talk
about "strings through the body". Strings through the
body makes no difference. It didn't make a difference in the
70s and it doesn't make a difference now. I've owned several
old Stingrays and I love them but strings through the body doesn't
change the sound or feel. The speaking length of a string is
from bridge to nut. Anything beyond those two points doesn't
make a diffence. I don't offer strings through the body. I only
offer options that make a difference. Don't agree? Write me and
tell me a song on the radio where you can hear the "strings
through the body" sound.
Furthermore, having extra string length past
the nut doen't matter either. I've seen basses with real long
headstocks to "improve" the B string. Once again, once
the string angles over the nut, the sound stops. Your headstock
can be 3 feet long and it wont make a difference in the sound
or feel.
Return Policy
Returning an IN-STOCK M.P.G. INSTRUMENT
If you are unhappy in any way with one of my IN-STOCK instruments,
you have 48 hours to return it for a full refund minus shipping
charges.
Returning an ORDERED M.P.G. INSTRUMENT
If I build an instrument to your specs, a 50% deposit must be
made before work starts. If you decide, within 48 hours, to return
an instument made to YOUR specs, I will refund your 50% balance
but keep the 50% deposit until I can sell it. When I sell the
instrument, I will send you the 50% deposit back minus shipping
charges.
The 48 hour return policy DOES NOT apply
to basses bought at a show, from a store or when you have the
opportunity to play one of my instruments before purchase.
Matt's Descriptions of Basslines, Bartolini,
EMG and Aero pickups and Aguilar pre-amps.
Basslines
I sometimes use Series 1 soapbar pickups with their 3 band Eq
pre-amp.
Pros
These pickups are very sensitive
They have a very good slap sound
Very clear lows
Very clear highs
All active, no noise.
Cons
These pickups are very sensitive
They tend to magnify less than perfect technique
Summary
Good for slappers and light touch players.
(update 2/04: I no longer recomment all active systems such as
Basslines and EMG. There may be an upcharge if you really want
them.
Bartolini
I typically use P-4 or M size soapbar pickups with their 3 band
Eq pre-amp.
Pros
Can switch from active to true passive (this feature is HUGE
when your battery dies in the middle of a song!)
Less sensitive to less than perfect technique
Traditional sounding for soapbars
Neck and bridge pickups have distinctive tones
Cons
Passive pickups require copper shielding to keep away noise and
local radio stations
Summary
Simply the best of all worlds. This is my standard pickup/electronics
combo now.
EMG
I use both 40 series soapbars and j-style pickups with their
3-band Eq pre-amps.
Pros
High tech, powerful sound.
All active, no noise.
Cons
all active systems leave you high and dry when the battery goes.
Summary
Good for clean, no noise sound.
(update 2/04: I no longer recomment all active systems such as
Basslines and EMG. There may be an upcharge.)
Aero
I use their MP-181s in my Level 4s and their 5 string single
coils in my Lev5s.
Pros
Great pre-CBS/Jaco tone
True single coil pickup (no dummy coils)
Cons
Single coil pickups do hum. Pre-amps tend to magnify the hum.
Summary
Great all-around pickup for groove only players but they also
have a superb old school slap sound.
Aguilar pre-amps
I use both the OBP-1 (2 band) and the OPB-3 (3 band). A hum-cancelling
pickup should be used, like Dimarzio's or Bartolini.
Others
I can do other pickups and pre-amp then those mentioned above
but there might be an upcharge involved. Call or email your ideas.
The worst I can do is say no.
Why M.P.G. basses are the Ultimate Gigging
Machines
My basses were designed directly
from the needs of a gigging musician... Me! I played professionally
for my entire young life in the Philadelphia and Delaware area.
I played in Rock, Reggae, Funk, Top 40, Swing Jazz, Fusion Jazz
and Country bands. I rarely said no to a paying gig. Most of
this time was spent playing many different high-end basses and
many musician friends would joke about never seeing me with the
same bass twice. In all those years, I never did find one bass
that fit all of my needs. . . so I made one.
What problems do bass players face when
playing professionally? Here were some of mine and how I fixed
them.
Problem #1 - Playing standing up all night
hurt my left shoulder.
Most basses are heavy, but the reason they hurt my shoulder is
that they were neck heavy. I made my bass out of
the lightest woods possible and made upper horn extend out past
the 12th fret. This distributes the weight across your back and
makes my basses feel even lighter than they actually are. The
first time anyone tries one of my basses standing up with a strap,
they always say the same thing, "Wow, this is great!"
Problem #2 - The cost of equipment.
It seems unfair, but in general, basses cost more than guitars.
However, I never spent more than $2200 on a bass, I just wouldn't.
Gigging bassists need a quality bass(preferably two basses),
not a piece of art and not one that looks like a piece of furniture.
I was always careful with my basses, but playing out takes its
toll on equipment. My basses have: been frozen(all night in various
band vans); been stepped on; been dropped; been stolen; been
licked by dogs; had beer spilled on them; had Pepsi spilled on
them; gotten soaking wet; covered with sand and so on. And I've
only played in local bands. I can't imagine what happens on world
tours.
My point is, if basses were cars, mine would be in the Luxury
Sport Utility category, not exotic.
Problem #3 - bad tone or no tone
Large bass manufacturers seem to really cut corners on electronics.
You usually have to go to high priced customs to get name-brand
pickups and electronics.
I like active electronics but I don't like when the battery dies
in the middle of a song and you have no signal. If you remember
to change your battery every few months you won't have a problem.
I also like passive electronics, but with them you don't have
very much control over your tone from the bass and you might
possibly have to rely on some dim-witted sound man to dictate
your sound. I would suggest passive pickups with an active preamp
system, that can be switched to be all passive if the battery
dies, for a working bassist.
Problem #4 - Recessed Straplocks
A lot of high-end builders use them and they look cool. But I
took one to a practice once and forgot the strap that went with
it. I had to play sitting down while singing. I looked and felt
very stupid. I'm glad it wasn't a paying gig. If it had regular
strap locks that double as good old fashioned strap pins(like
Schaller and Dunlap do), I could of just borrowed a strap from
one of the guitar players. That bass didn't last long.
Music Store Customers Beware!
If you went to a car dealer to buy an expensive
car, would you buy one with 4 flat tires and a dead battery?
How about if you new it was basically a good car? Still no? I
don't blame you, I wouldn't either. Having cars like that on
their lot would say something about the dealer. It would say
that they don't care about the product they're selling.
Unfortunately, I see this exact scenario in
many guitar shops. Expensive guitars and basses hanging for years
until they have an inch of space between their fingerboards and
their rusty strings.Younger, less knowledgable players (future
customers) always confuse a bad set-up with a bad guitar. I once
heard a young player say "I don't like Music Man basses
because they have high action". That really scares me. Because
he played one poorly set up Stingray, he was condemning the entire
company. In reality, the blame should fall on the store, for
it was them who let the instrument deteriorate, sometimes to
the point of unplayablity.
Their excuse is always "that's the way
they sent it to us man". My reply is, "yeah, two years
ago!" wood instruments change over time and their truss
rods and other moving parts need regular adjusting. Especially
when teenage kids sit and wail on them for 3 hours everyday.
Back to the car analogy, if Mercedes Benz sends an expensive
car to a dealership and the car sits unsold until the tires are
flat and the battery is dead, the dealership can't just say "that's
the way they sent it to us man". After a while, some maintenance
needs to be done by the dealer, like it or not.
This is one of the many reasons you'll probably
never see my basses in any store outside of Pennsylvania, where
I can check on them myself.
Some thoughts on Amplification
To me, the key word is power. To get the deepest and clearest
sound out in a club you need a 1000 watt power amp. I found this
out one night in Hollywood, at a club called La Va Lee. I was
watching a band called "Planet Funk". The bass player
had a slap sound that felt like a punch in the stomach.
In between sets I asked him how he got such
a great sound from the relatively inexpensive brand of cabinets
he was using. He pointed to the 1310 QSC power amp in his rack
and smiled. Larger amps turned down will always sound clearer.
Its also the same with p.a. systems and home stereos. It was
nice of him to pass his "secret" along to me. I promptly
copied his stage setup, except I made a mistake. I bought a lightweight,
2 space amp that didn't have a large internal transformer and
large bank of capacitors that his QSC had. Although it had 1400
watts, it didn't have the immediate response due to the smaller
circuitry. A larger bank of capacitors stores more power in the
amp. I have since been turned on to Crest power amps.
(update 6/07)
My current rig consists of a Eden 405 going through a Dr Bass
XL115 (4 ohm). I no longer care about raw power on stage, I let
the PA handle shaking the house.
Some thoughts on Bass Design
Here are a few things that I'd
look for when buying a new bass.
Weight
Guitar players always whine about playing a Les Paul all night
because "it's so heavy"(said in a baby's voice). Next
time your in a music store, pick up a Les Paul and pick up any
bass. The bass will almost always be heavier. Especially 70's
era ash bodied basses. Ooooph. You could develop serious back
problems.
My basses are some of the lightest I've ever played. Yet they're
very solid because the necks are set deep into the body.
String spacing
Most 4-string basses have the standard (Fender) 3/4 inch string
spacing at the bridge. But, 5 and 6-string basses have a variety
of string spacings. Some are very narrow and, to me, hard to
play. Look out for this.
My basses will have 3/4 inch string spacing at the bridge
on all models. I find this spacing to be the most usable.
Balance
The position of the the upper horn strap button should extend
past the 12th fret. If it doesn't, the bass will probably be
neck heavy and be very uncomfortable to play all night.
My basses, no matter how many strings, will always rest at
the correct playing position with a regular strap.
Tone
You should always play a bass unamplified first. If it has no
sound or feels rubbery don't even plug it in. If you're in a
loud music store, try to go the acoustic guitar room where its
quieter. If it sounds good by itself, it will probably sound
great plugged in. I have to credit Roger Sadowsky for pointing
this out. Another factor that most people don't think about is
how this bass will sound within the context of thier band. A
bass that has a cool slap sound in a store, may sound thin on
stage. To me, basses must cover the bass frequencies clearly
first. Not muddy and not thin.
My basses use tried and true tone woods. Alder, Swamp Ash
and quarter sawn maple necks. I use 1/4 inch exotic wood tops
that are for appearance only. They don't help or hinder the tone.
The pickups are Basslines by Seymour Duncan or Bartolini. Im
always looking for and trying new electronics.
Bolt-on vs. Neck-thru
My original basses were all neck-thru. When I was starting out,
it was widely known that neck-thru guitars were superior. But,
it was such a pain to finish a bass that was all in one piece.
Not only that, I always wanted the neck to have a different finish.
Then one day I realized, "hey, a '62 Fender Jazz bass has
an awsome tone and feel and they were bolt-on(actually their
necks are held in place with wood screws, not bolts)" and
"hey, Marcus Miller has the coolest slap tone in the world
and he plays a bolt-on". The truth is, both are good. Original
Tobais's are neck-thru and they are some of the best basses ever
made. But Michael Tobais's new basses are bolt-on and they're
also great. Me, I prefer the neck to have a satin finish with
less coats of finish and the body to be glossy.
My choice is bolt-on. (Not to be confused with Michael Bolton)
Thank you for letting me get these things
off my chest
-Matt
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