MTD Zephyr 4

This is the new line of basses from Michael Tobias produced offshore in Korea and then finished at his stateside bassworks. The specs on the bass can be found on mtd.com. The hardware and finish of the bass, like all Tobias basses, is awesome. My bass has the maple fingerboard and the beautiful burled top. Before reading further... this is the nicest bass I have ever held in my hands, let alone owned. I do not think that there is a better bass available for under a grand. I bought mine through The Perfect Bass. Great people to work with.

This bass has electronics that can dial it in to cover any style of music. The tones, versatility this bass offers is incredible. I play blues, rock and contemporary Christian. Heads snapped at the first practices, not only because of the beauty of the instrument... but the wonderful sound/tone. Mine has the maple fingerboard, that gives it a crisp articulation. I am playing through ashdown amps. The bass works well for either fingerstyle, or slap.

Again, this is the nicest bass I have ever played. Think of knife through butter ease on the fretboard. The action is very smooth and easy. Everything was setup great. There were no flaws. This was a combination of the factory and ThePerfectBass. The finish is very light, you can almost smell the wood. The top of the bass is absolutely beautiful. Look at pictures on ThePerfectBass site, and you'll see the variety of style/color offered by the unique wood patterns.

This bass is finished so well, with great hardware that it should last a lifetime. The only question, is if the satin finish will hold up or if the bass will require reworking somewhere down the line. Time will tell. The strap buttons are solid. The Levy strap I use holds tight. I have had no problems with this bass. I do always have a backup at a gig, as I believe in Murphy's laws. Better safe than sorry... or trying to drive to some point to pick up equipment if the gig gremlins bite. I carry a Washburn Force as a backup and also a crate powerblock. These are cheap insurance if a major problem occurs with an instrument or amplifier.

One thousand is a major purchase for me. I haven't paid that much for an instrument since I bought a Gibson SG for 400 in the 70s. Gosh I'm old. Because it was a big investment, and the last major bass I plan to buy, I looked at the specs carefully and wanted to make sure that I would not be disappointed. I emailed the factory, and amazingly my emails were answered by Michael Tobias himself. Mike was very helpful as I considered the purchase of my Zephyr 4. It is terrific that someone who is among the most elite bass designer/craftsman/artists in the world today, would make the time and take the time to respond. I don't know what the warranty is, but I can't imagine MTD not using the same care in dealing with customers who may encounter a problem. Their reputation is that good and important.

I have played guitar for over 30 years, been thumping on the bass now for six due to circumstances beyond my control.. guess life wanted to make a bassist out of me, too. Out of all the instruments I have had in my life, this one is a pure pleasure to own. I smile every time I pick it up. I pick it up often, because it is such a joy to play. I'm now part of the MTD club and will be for the rest of my days. Thanks to Mike Tobias... and to the Perfect Bass... this is one of those great purchases that happen. One that has no regrets, couldashouldwoulda's, attached.