I particularly like the way mids cut through. Lets not forget, this was 1992 and this bass' price wasn't exactly at Alembic level.
Overall, the attention to details shows just how much love and expertise had been put into it. This seem to suggest that the neck end is shaped slightly wider than the rest of the neck. The neck screws sit into ferrules and are arranged in slightly open layout, with the bottom screws further apart from each other that the top two. Even just visually this is a far cry from the chunky squarish heels of most bolt-on of the time - and not only. The neck joint is shaped in an almost heel-less fashion. The scarfed headstock joint at the back is more pronounced than on most basses and is so beautifully sculpted that your thumb can gradually tell you when it's approaching the headstock. Again, one cannot help but notice how all these details converge into a bass that makes inspired simplicity its style statement. The head stock's angle naturally holds the strings down without any need for the usual metal bar just above the nut. The MOP inlay of the intricate logo and the stark contrast with the black glossy headstock cover is a very tasteful touch. But the sound is big, with a warmth and a growl that speaks directly to your guts.Ī few details are really a joy to look at. One impressive feature of this bass is that it is extremely light, even lighter than its slick shape would suggest - lighter than most 4 strings actually. It mounts two Bartolini p-ups and on board 3 bands EQ. The action can be set incredibly low and is virtually buzz free. The neck is perfect, straight and very fast with the asymmetric profile that is Tobias' trademark. As you can see from the pictures woods have aged beautifully. Under the 24 frets Pau Ferro fingerboard is a double truss rod which can be adjusted removing the plate located at the end of the fingerboard.
The neck is a five piece Maple/Purpleheart laminate and it's a bolt-on - the preferred choice for a punchy sound. The body is Swamp Ash with natural finish. T his makes it one of the last few basses built before the shop moved to the new facilities in Nashville, sometime in June I believe, which marked the end of Mr. At that time Tobias had already been acquired by Gibson (on ) but basses were still made by Mike Tobias and original team at the Burbank Calif.
The serial number shows that this bass was completed on the 13th of May 1992. I bought it in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2003. I have owned this bass for about nine years now.